The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-11-20
KANSAS.

Wholesale POLITIcAL Prison, LECONPTON,
Noren6er l, 1856, 3 p. II.
p Ike Editor o. the National Era:
When wrote on Monday, / was in moment
,-y evacuation of being called upon, with Mr..
Ritchey for trial. But our case for some cause
unknown to me, was laid over, to make room for
thst of Ephraim BANTER, who was several weeks
since under confinement here, from which he
was released on bail. He had been indicted
with the four other Grasshooper Boys, tried last
seek, charged with felonious assault upon
Hickory Point, the first day of the fight at that
place. Less proof was brought against him than
was produced at the trial Of the others. 1t was
proven that the others were not only at the fight,
but that they were engaged in it. This was fer
from the case with Banter, who was not shown
to be within a half a mile of the place, nor to
have had anything more than a shotgun, which
be did not discharge during the day. Yet the
ury Tuesday morning, returned a verdict of
Guilty of an assault 10Th intent TO kill" This
xsA not at all unexpected TO him nor surprising
70 ne, after having heard some of the satellites
power-supposed TO speak that which they
know concerning these things-remark that
Banter and the old nan Porterfeld would be
convicted and hung, and hung anyhop. Balm
ter ,raS remanded to prison. An arrest of judg-
nent iii be asked by his attorney, for the pIs-
pose of rocurng new trial. This is the first
rpened specmen of the fruits of Geary's peace
in Kansas. Alas, what terrible peace. Such
peace followed the subjugation of betrayed
Hungary, and the hatchery of thousands of her
children And in FRANCE, the concentration of
power in the hands of Robespierre, or the Ma
poleons, was followed by just such peace as
this. The people of Kansas are beginning to
asa, will the people of the North see us suffer
IL
tiers from the North fight, unaided, armies from
the South?" There Is no peace" Now is
the most critical period in the history of Kansas
We are sleeping on volcano, which may at any
moment overwhelm US with the fire and smoke
Of a civil war which has never had an equal.
Some still hope, not through reason, but in de-
lance of it.
Governor Geary is still absent from Lecomp-
ton, and is said to be now at Fort Riley. He does
not wish to be here, and will not, / think, until
ater the ad ournment of court. He has no
anxiety to see for himself the partially of the
other officials so he avoids their presence and
0urs He has much more pride than acicked.
ess; and this, with his anxiety for the preser-
vatioH of the Democratic party, is the KEY to
BIS course here.
Next came the Hickory Point case. On
mot, m of the prosecution, the Indictment was
quashe,'. and another presented, differing from
the first o oly In charging two persons unknown
to the granu jury with being principals in the
commission q, the alleged offences whereas
the former des;g rated Porter6eld and Cutler
as the principals. In each case, the others
held for that offence are charged with being
accessories. Tuesday .'dernoon, fifteen, who
had not been identified AS being at the fight,
vent to trial under this inL 'etmsnt. Out OF
ihrytwO jurors and twenty-onS ta'esnen,
larywas at last selected, and on Tu esday morn
ing the examination commenced. This las
Just closed. Some sixteen witnesses we're ex-
amlned on the part of the prosecution, but moth
hg was proven against them, further than that
they were arrested five miles from Hickory
FONT the night after the battle. Their own
men-othcers at that time-testified that the
hnng was commenced by the enemy, and that,
100 when they considered themselves in no
Danger from our men. They said they were
here for "free fight" and that, after they
lao been decently whipped, no honorable man
Vi The number would make complaint against
U.s. or willingly give evidence. In the cross
examination of Secretary Woodson, that official
admitted that the two companies of Southern
ers at Hickory Point held no authority from
,he Government; that none of the officers had
been commissioned-n none of the men been
mustered music as militia or the posse of any officer.
ms entirely overthrows the claim set up by
he letter-writers in the service of the Ruffian
party, that Robertson's and Lords companies
Were regular organized militia and had met
mat day to muster out of service, agreeably to
@eGovernors proclamation. TWAS also shown,
ITy the same and other witnesses, that when a
Free State man named Fuller, who had escaped
nom the enemy, who had the day before the
light taken him prisoner, came to ask the Gov
ernor to dispense the marauders at the Point,
Governor Geary refused to do so; and when
IGld that if he did not dispense them Colonel
Harvey would, he said that Harvey might 60
and kill them if he wished, but hoped that while
ne was doing so he would get killed himself
but little evidence was offered by the defend
ants.
During this examination, Judge Lecompte
laiG down rule to me quite new, and pre-
sumo It may be so to others. On the day of the
battle, ia mes York, one of the fifteen now on
trial. had with two friends business with Gen
eral Lane, in search of whom they passed
through Pleasant ELL. At this place they took
dinner. Mr.. York rose from the table sooner
than the rest, and after he had left the room,
his two friends, In answer to some queries OF
The landlord, told him that they were in search
OF Lane. Now, on trial, the prosecuting attor-
9ley wished to bring in this declaration as evi.
aence against Mr.. ork but Leeonpte refused