The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-10-31
LAWRENCE, KANSAS, OCTOBER 81, 1857.
S. J. Jonss-The Criminal.

the STRIFE which has followed. They, how
ever, have employed other tools to execute
their orders, who have filled prominent
places in our own difficulties. Dir. String
felloao was one Of those in the northeastern
portion of the Territory, and under him
was the boy Kelley and Pat. Mclaughlin
fit tools of such a person as Dir. String
fellow. At Leavenworth there have been
persons always ready to execute the order:
of Atchison, from the getting up of ths
invasion of November, '54, and that oi
March $50, down to the breaking up oi
the polls there on the 18th of Decem-
Der; the threats of violence in January
following; the murder of r. P. Brown,
Esq, at Easton; the robberies committed
upon the peaceful citizens: their murder
or expulsion from the Territory; the shoot
ing of Phillips; the scalping of Hopps,
and the brutal outrage upon Shoemaker.
Emery was the tool generally employed in
this work, and right willing one he al
ways proved to be. His experience as
Secretary OF Walkers fillibustering expe-
dition in Sonora, had fitted him for scenes
of blood and violence in Kansas. Ge,a.'l
Clark, too, in the Southwest had played
his part, and his track is marked with blood,
and his name will be remembered as the
murderer of BARBER, when, otherwise, it
wouldhave sunk into oblivion.
But our object in this article was not so
much to call up the memory of those des-
peradoes, as it was to mention another,
who, in consequence of his position, has
acted more prominent part, and dis
played more real wickedness than all of
these. We refer to s. IT. Jones!! the man
who has written "Sheriff of Douglas
County" forso long period after his name.
Jones was formerly the proprietor of
livery stable at Westport. We first hear
of him there, first, demanding the most
exorbitaht prices, then utterly refusing to
furnish "abolitionists," as he was pleased
to call all Northern men, passage to the
Territory. We next find him in the ma
rauding expedition against Lawrence, on
the 30th of March, 1857; and soon after
he is figuring in starting a town at Le-
compton. His name is first mentioned
in our journal in the spring of that year,
in which he set fire to several houses of
Free State settlers in the vicinity of
his proposed town, with the view of
driving them out Walter Oakley's
and Mr.. Smiths residence, were
among the number. He expressed a
determination to build up town there
which would be too hot for the d-d
abolitionists We next find him figuring
with some Others, and finally succeeding
by liberal Distribution Of lots among the
members, to locate the Territorial capital
at that point.
From that momeHtJ ones seems to have
been inspired with . perfect hatred of
Lawrence, and it was then he resolved to
crush out this 'head quarters as he and
his friends were pleased to term it, 'of
Abolitionists, Yankees, niger thieves,
pauperS and escaped convicts.." All sum-
mer he seemed laboring for pretext on
which he could justify himself before his
friends in Missouri. A negro woman had
been sent here the spring previous, to play
on our sensibilities, expecting to find us
fools enough to bite at that bait, and run
her OFF, when she would give indications
of her track, and bring down vengeance
on the town. In this they were disap-
pointed. Then a free negro, brought by
Mr. Ross to the Territory, seemed fruit
full expedient-they setting up the claim
that he was an escaped slave. They
were also foiled in this, as the young man
had his free papers with him, made out in
due form of law in Missouri.
1t remained until Dow was murdered
for Jones to find fair excuse, one which
he could venture himself before the pub
lie with, when he entered Missouri; and
with falsehoods the most damning, told
the Missourians that cur people had CON-
menced an indiscriminate slaughter oi
every pro-slavery residentin the Territory;
that burning dwellings were seen in every
direction; that the highways were filled
with dead bodies; and in coToboration oi
those lies.propigated for such base purposes
the families of the pro-slavery settlers ap
peared who had been frightened away il
| earnest; not by the threats of the Ere,
State settlers, but by the yillainous falls
hoods of Jones and his subalterns, wht
worked upon the fear of those persons.-
They visited Missouri and told as fact
the damning tales which had been forces
into their ears to frighten them away
Jones was ubiquitous. Night and day b
rode. and aroused the people. No labo
was too great. no sacrifice too large for hin
to make. Lawrence must be blotted ont
not a vestage was to be left. Men, VIC
men and children were to be indiscrimi
nately slaughtered Jones tuas one Of q
principle proapfetors of torn t.oeFre mil.
soesto Of Laurence aahose future promise tcO
dependent upon the destruction Of that plao
No wonder. then he worked, for wealtl
the fame of being the founder of of cit,
depended upon the results of his effort
Jones failed in his scheme. Gov. Shar
nen interfered. He saw through Jone
motive, and he crushed all his hopes B
ending the war, not however, until Il
people of Lawrence, in the way of defenc