M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1856-06-19
9uIhtal.

| [Fromthe Leavenworth City Herald, May 24.l
Testimony Taken BEFORE the Con-
greSSiOnal Kansas Investigating
COmmittee--Eastern Emigrants
sent out TO Vote.
Alexander Gillian, said.-That he has
been a merchant in Kansas City, Mo. for
several years.; that large numbers Of emigrants
| from The Eastern and Northern States landed
in KanSse City in the spring of 1855. Just be-
fore the election Of March 30, that year, in
Kansas Territory. They were in companies
and had their leaders. They were all men
no women and children. They purchased of
me buffalo robes, blankets and moccasi ms,
they had no baggage except sacks; they
wanted to know if would purchase the buff
falo, robes &C., back again from them when
they returned; they said they were going into
the Territory to vote, that they had no other
business in this part of the conntry, said
they were anxious to get into the territory
before the election; shortl y after the election
on the Both March, these same men returned
to Kansas City and said they were going to
their homes in the East, that they had per-
formed what they agreed to; bought back
great many of the buffalo robes, &C., that
had sold these men: one or two boats arrived
al Kansas City after the Both March(aier the
election in the Territory they had been de-
tained by distractions in. the liver these
boats were crowded with Eastern men, they
all stoppea in Kansas City and did not go
into the Territory; they said they were goin'
back to their homes in the East, and they did
leave Kansas City in few days, most OF them
stopped at the American Hotel lit cost them
less there than at any other place in Kansas
City, ......
Gen. Whitfield asked the witness who
owned the American Hotel in Kansas City.
He said he only knew the common report,
to-wit: that il belonged to the Emigrant Aid
Company. Howard and Sherman tried to
keep this part Of the testimony from going
on the record, but having been shown by OH
yer and Whitfield how they would stultify
themselves if they over ruled it, they reluc-
tanlty admitted it. ...
Substance of the evidence Of F. Ma
han, as given under oath before the Commit
lee. ....
| He said ne, was a citizen of Palermo, in
Doniphan county; was clerk Of the steamer
New Lucy in 1855; that on the 10th Of March
Of that year, the boat let st. Louis and
came up as high as Weston; the river was
unusually low; was five or six days in get
ting up, and laid up at Weston about ten
days or more. q large crowd of Northern emf
grants came up--upward Of three hundred /;
they came on the boat in companies, and had
leaders whU made contracts for their pass
age; their baggage, which consisted alone Of
hand.sackS and trunks, were marked "kan-
sas Company, X. t." some of the Company
took me out and asked me 10 tell them can.
didly whether the New LucyIwould be the
first boa. up to Kansas City-statingl THAT
they wanted to 90 on the fastest boat so as
to get up certain before the last Of March;
at that time ! did not know there was an
election to come off on the 30th of March,
but leaned il soon after we got under head
way; told these men TO come aboard, that
our boat would be first up Of those going out
at that time. The boat got up about the 81
or % Of March; and these 300 emigrants
from Massachusetts, and Connecticut and
other Northern States, got off the boat at
Kansas City. learned from them on the
way UP, they were going to the Territory to
vote. | think there was no baggage marked
Eli Thayer, Agent. There was not half a
dozen females on the boat that trip. These
men had no implements Of industry mo goods
or boxes, other than their baggage, which
was taken in the cabin. About eighty of
these same men returned on the boat as we
went down the river, just after the election.
Many of them said they had voted, and were
returning home, and cursed the Emigrant
Aid Societies--said they had been deceived,
and that the contract OF the Aid Society
had not been complied with. What the con-
tract was, did not learn. Some had no
money, and pledged their revolvers for their
passage. Hundreds Of others from the North
went up the river on the Sonora, which
boat left few days before the New Lucy
After several trips had been made, there were
more passengers going down than coming
up. They were mostly Northern men,
Some Of the men who came up in our boat
and returned, said they were sent out by the
Emigrant Aid Society, and that thousands
more would follow; that there was fund Of
$4,000 900, to aid in the cause Of freedom
in KanSas