Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-08-08

was divided into bands, and leader
selected: means were collected, and
signs and badges we're agreed upon
While The great body Of the actual set
tiers Of the Territory we're relying up
on the rights secured TO them BY ths
organic law. and had fo' med no organ
izstion or combination Whatever. ever
| Of party character. this conspiracy
against their rights Was gathering
strength In neighboriDg State. and
would have been sufficient 1t their 6rs
election 10 have overpowered them. 1
they had been united 70 . man.
Your committee had great difficulty
In elioiting the proof Of the details Ia
regard to this secret society. 0ns
~ilness. member Of the LeeielAtivs
Council, refused 10 answer question:
in reference to is. Another declined
10 answer fully. because to do 90 would
result to his injury. Others could OF
would only answer ~ 10 tho genera
purposes OF the society. bat su(hcien|
is disclosed in The tssiimony 10 show
the influence It had In controlling the
elections in The Territory. 4ea
The 6rst election was fcr delega's
70 Congress. IL was appointed for the
20th Of November. 1854. The Gov.
ernor divided The Territory into seven
teen election districts. appointed
Judges. and prescribed proper rules
for The election. In the First. Third
Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Twelfth, Thir'
scsnth and esventh distriois, there ap.
pears 70 have been but littls u any
fraudulent voting. lat p a
The election In the Second districl
Was hsl6 as the village Of Douglas,
nearly 6fiy miles from the Missouri
line. On the day before the election
large CON psnies Of men came into the
disiriot In wagons and on horseback
and declared that they we're from the
State Of Missouri, and were going "a
Douglas 10 vote. On the morning ol
the election they gathered around the
house where The election was 70 b
held. Two Of the Judges appointed
By the Governor did not appear, and
other Judges were elected bv the
crowd. All then voted. In order q
make : pretsuos Of risbt 70 vote. soms
persons OF the company kent : pre-.
isnded register Of souaiter claims, on
which sny one could enter hIs name
and then ASSERT he had . claim in the
Teryitorv. A citizen Of the district
who was himself a candid date ior dele.
rate 10 Congress. was told By one Of
The strsucrrs. that he would BE- abused
and probably killed u ne challenged q
vote. He wss selssd By the collar,
called . d-d abolitionist. and was
compelled to seek protection In the
room with the Judges. About the
time the polls were closed these stran.
gers mounted their horses and got into
their wagons and cried out. "Al|
aboard for Wcstport and Kansas City !"
A number were recognised a. resi-.
dents Of Misaouri. and among them
was Samuel X. Woodson. q leading
lawyer Of Independence. OF those
whose names we're on the poll books,
,hirty-6ve were resident settlers, and
two hu,dred and twenty -six we're non.
residents. 'u aii 81 & aY.t = afs
The election In the Fourth district
was held At Dr.. Chspman's. over 4C
miles from the Missouri State line. L
was thinly settled region. containing
but a. voters ia Feb, usry. 1855. whes
the census was taken. On the day
before the election from 100 10 iH
citisens OF Csss and Jscison coun.ies
No., came into tho district declaring
their purposs 10 vote. and thar the,
we're bound to make Kansas : Slave
State II they did Il st the point Of N,
sword. Persons OF the party on IN.
way drove each a sake IN the ryoupt
and called Il claim-apd IN one cas-.
several names were put on one stake
The party OF strangers esmped al
ujyht near where ths election vas n
be held. and IN the morning were :
tho election polls and voted. One o
their party cot drunk. and TO get rit
Of DR.. Chapman. q Judge Of the elec
n