The true Democrat., 1856-06-17

From the Leavenworth City Herald May 24
 Testimony Taken Before the Congressional
 Kansas Investigating Committee Eastern
 Emigrants Sent Out to Vote.
 Alexander Giiham, said-Tbat be had been a merchant in Kansas City, Mo-. for several years; that large numbers of emigrants from the eastern and northern States, landed in Kan sas city in the spring of 1855, just before the election of March 30, that year, in Kansas ter. ri:ory. They were in companies, and had their leaders. THEY WERE ALL MEN, no wo. men and children. They purchased of me buffalo robes, blankets and moccasins, they had NOBAGGAGEex except carpet sacks; they want ed to know if l would purchase the buffalo robes, etc, back again from them when they returned; they said they were gonig into the territory to vote, Hat hey had 10 other business sn M's part of tue country; they said they were anxious to get into the territory before the eec- ton; shortly after the election, on the 3Oth March, these same men returned to Kansas city and said they were going to THEIR HOMES Tn the east that they had pertornsed what they agreed to; bought back c great many of tue Juf- talo robes, etc., that Ihad so1d Hsese men. one or two steamboats arrived at Kansas city after the 3Oth March, (aiter the election in the terri tory,) they had been detained by Instructions Tn the river, these boats were crowded with eastern men; they all stopped in Kansas city and did not go into the territory; they said they were going back to their homes in the east, and they did leave Kansas city in few days; most of them stopped at the American hotel, Git cost them Cess Me1e 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 from common report, to wit that it belonged to the Emigrant Aid company. (How- ard and Sherman tried hard to keep this part of the testimony from going on the record. but having been shown by Oliver and Whitfield how they would stultify themselves if they overruled it they reluctantly admitted it.)
 Substance of the evidence of F. Mahan, as given under oath before the committee:
 lie said he was now citizen of Palermo, iii Donlphan county; was clerk of the steamer Ne0 Lucy in 1855; that on the 18th of March of that year the boat left St. Louis and came as high as Weston: the river was unusually low; was fve or SIX days getting up, and laid up at Wes. ton about ten days or more; large crowd of northern emlgrants came up-upward of three hundred; they came on the boat in companies, and had leaders who made contracts for their passage; their baggage, which consisted alone ot hand sacks and trunks were marked " Kan sas Company, k. IT," some of the company took me out and asked me to tell them candidly whether the NeeO Lucy would be the first boat to kansas city-stating they wanted to 20 on the fastest boat so as to get up certain before the last of March; at that time I did not know there was all election to come off on the 3Oth of March, but learned 1t soon after we got under headwav; told these men to come aboard that our boat would be up first of those going out at that time. The boat got up about the 2lst or 22d Of March, and these three hundred Kansas emgrants from Massachusetts and Connecticut and other northern States, got off the boat at Kansas city. learned from tham on the way up, they were going to the territory to vote.- l thlnk their was baggage marked Eli rhayer, agent There was not a half dozen females or the boat that trip. These men had 10 imple- ments of industry, no goods or boxes. other than their baggage, which was taken in the ca bn About eighty or ninety 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 then returning H0Dse and cursed the Emigrant Aid Societies-said they had been deceived, and that the contract ot the Aid Society had not been compiled with " hat the contract was, dii not learn. Some had 10 money and had to pledge their revol- vers for their passage. Hundreds of others rom the north went up the river on the .S9n0ra winch boat left a few days before the Ne,r Lucy Alter several trips had been made, there were more passengers going down than coming up They were mostl northern men. Some of the men who came up on our boat and returned sad they were sent ont hy the Emigr;,nt Aid Society, and that thousands more would follow; that there Maa fund of &5,OOO,OOJ to aid in the cause of freedom in Kansas.