The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1857-07-25

mouse, ana IlIteu lt up d lew lncneS ana let
it fall again, but desisted upon being told
there were pro-slavery men in the house.
During this time the crowd repeatedly de-
manded to be allowed to vote without be-
ing sworn, and Mr.. Ellison, one of the
judges, expressed himself willing, but the
other two judges refused; thereupon a
body of men. headed by Sheriff Jones,
rushed into the judges room with cooked
pistols and drawn bowie knives in their
hands, and approached Burson and Ram
say. Jones pulled out his watch, and said
he would give them FIVE minutes to re-
sign in or die. When the five minutes
had expired and the judges did not re-
sign, Jones said he would give them an
other minute, and no more. Ellison told
his associates that if tEey did not resign
there would be one hundred shots fired
in the room in less than fifteen minutes,
and then snatching up the ballot box ran
out into the crowd, holding up the ballot
box and hurrahing for Missouri. About
that time Burson and Ramsay were called
out by their friends and not suffered to
return. As Mr. Burson went out he put
the ballot poll books in his pocket and
took them with him, and as he was going
out Jones snatched some papers away
from him, and shortly afterwards came
out himself, holding them up, crying,
"Hurrah for Missouri ~ After he discov-
cred they were not the poll books, he
took company of men with him and
started off to take the poll books from
Cursor. When Mr.. Burson saw them
coming he gave the books to Mr. Umber-
ger, and told him to start off in another
direction, so as to mislead Jones and his
party. Jones and his party caught Mr.
Umberger, took the poll books away from
him, and Jones took him up behind him
on horse, and carried him back pris-
oner. After Jones and his party had tax
en- Umberger back, they went to the
house of Mr.. Ramsay and took Judge
John A. Wakefield prisoner, and carried
him to the place of election, and made
him get up on wagon and there make
speech; after which they put white rib
bon in his button hole, and let him 60
They then chose two new judges, and
proceeded with the election. They also
threatened to kill the judges ifthey did
not receive their votes without swearing
them, or else resign. They said no man
sworn; that they would kill any man
who would offer to do so. ''Shoot him."
''Cut his CUTS out" &c. They said no
man should vote this day unless he voted
an open ticket, and was all right on the
goose; and that if they could not vote by
fair means, they would by foul MEANS
They said they had as much right to vote
if they had beenin theTerritory two min
utes as if they had been there two years,
and they would vote. Some of the citi-
zens who were about the window, but
who had not voted when the crowd of
Missourians marched up there, upon at
tempting to vote were driven back by the
mob, or driven off. One of them, Mr.. l.
NJ Mace, was asked if he would take the
oath; and upon his replying that he would
| if the judges required it, he was dragged
/ through the crowd away from the polls,
amid cries of "kill the damned Niger
/ thief ''cut his throat, - ''tear his heart
out" sc. After they got him outside of
the crowd, they stood around him with
cooked revolvers and drawn bowie knives;
one man putting knife to his breast so
that it touched him; another holding a
cooked pistol to his ear, while another
struck at him with a club.
The Missourians said they had right
/ to vote if they had been in the Territory
but five minutes. Some said they had
| been hired to come there to vote and get
dollar day, and by God they would
vote there or die.
They said the Both day of March was al
important day, as Kansas would be made
asiave State ON that day. They began to
leave in the direction of Missouri in the
afternoon, after they had voted, leaving
some thirty or forty around the house
where the election was held, to guard the
polls till after the election was over. The
citizens of the Territory were not armed
I except those who took part in the mob
and large portion of them did not vote
Three hundred and forty-one votes were
polled there that day, of which but som,
thirty were citizens. 4 protest agains
the election was got up and sent to tn,
!, Governor. The returns of the election
made to the Governor were lost BY tht
committee of elections of the Legislature
|; at Pawnee.
, The duplicate returns left in the ballo
box were taken by Z. L. Lahy, one of the
f judges elected by the Missourians, and
, were either lost or destroyed in his house
so that your committee have been unabl,
to institute a comparison between the pol
i lists aud census returns of this district
5 The testimony is uniform, that not owe
| thirty who voted there that day were en-
: titled to vote. leaving 81 illegal votes
!. We are satisfied, from the testimony, tina
3 had the actual settlers alone voted, th
} | Free State candidates would have bee
1 elected by a handsome majority.
THIRD -Tscuasseh.-On tn
18th of March. persons from Clay, Jack
, Son, and Howard counties, Missouri, be
. gan to come into Tecumseh in wagons
/ carriages, and on horseback, armed wit
: guns, bowie knives and reyolyers, an,
r with tents, and camped close by the towr
: and continued coming in and campin
!, until the day of election. The night be
!. fore the election, 200 men were sent fe
t from the camp of the Missourians at Law
Z lCtaNCs OL tAO vi kiiC SiCCtlO1
before the polls were opened, some 30
: or 400 Missourians and others collected
r the yard about the house of Thos. Stir
: son, where the election was to be helt
|. armed with revolversf bowie knives an
t clubs. They said they came to vote an
n whip the damned Yankees, and woul
It vote without being sworn. Some sal
h they came to have fight, and wante
n one.
S Col. Samuel FL. Weodson, of Indepen
o dence, Missouri, was in the room of th
e judges when they arrived, preparing DO
books aud tally lists, and remained thel
during the attempts to organize Th
v room of the judges was also filed b
n many of these strangers. The judge
e could net agree as to the oath to be take
by themselves, and the oath to be admir-
n istered to the voters; Mr. Burgess desiI
6 ing to administer the oath prescribed B
r the Governor, and the other two judg.
o opposing it During the discussion B.