Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-08-15
BRATTLEBORO, W.: AUG. Is, 1857.

which might be pcrperated. About seven
o'clock. DR.. Robinson's house, which stood on
the side Of the hill, was taken possession OF and
used as the headquarters OF the invaders. At
eight o'clock the main body Of the army posted
themselves on the outer edge of the town. Dep
NY Marshal Fan with ten men, entered Law
renee, and without mocstalion, served the wTiis
in his possession, and arrested Judge G. w.
Smith and G. w. Deilzler. Fain and his com
panions dncd at the Free State Hotel, and at
forwards returned to the army on Mount Dread.
The Marshal then dismissed his monster posse,
telling them he had 20 further use for them.
1t was nearly three o'ciock in the afternoon,
when suddenly another actor appeared upon the
stage. The dead" and "dyng, g,''-the i'm
mortal Sheriff Jones-rode rapidly into Law
renee, at the head of twenty-five mounted men
and as he passed along the line of the troops. he
was received with dealening shouts of applause.
HIS presence was the signal for action, and
sancliun for the ourages that ensued
Atchson then addressed his forces, in lam
guage not sufficiently well selected for ears po-
lite. aud then marched the whole column TO
within short distance of the hotel where they
halted Jones now informed Col Eldridae the
proprietor that the hotel must be destroyed he
was acting under orders he had wriis issued by
the FIRST District Court of the United States to
destroy the Free State Hotel and the offices OF
the Herald OF Freedom and Free State Tne
Grand Jury at Lccompton had indicted them as
nulstnces and the Court had ordered them 10
be destroyed. He gave Colonel Eirldge an
hour and half to remove MS family aud iurni-
ture, aiier which time the demolition commenced,
and was prosecuted with an eaInestness that
would have done credit to better cause.
H. the meantime the newspaper offices had
been assailed, the presses broken 10 pieces and
these, with the type and other material, thrown
into the Kansas river The following extract
from ie report o these Transactions, gwen IN
the columns Of the lecompton Union, the most
rabd pro slavery paper in Kansas, the Squatter
Sovereign excepted, is TOO significant not to be
read with interest:
Dui . this time appeals were made TO Sher-
iif Jones 10 save the AID Society's llatel This
news reached the company's ears, and was re-
cciycd with one universal cry Of No no Blow
up
About this time banner was seen iluitcrng
in the breeze over the office of the Herald of
Freedom. Its color was hood-red, wi h a lone
star in the center and South Carolina above
This banner was placed there by the Carollnians
! -MessrS. WTigh and Mr.. ross. The effect
was pr0laous One tremendous and long-con-
tnucd shout burst from the ranks Thus floated
in triumph the banner Of South Caroina-ihat
single white star. so cmhlrmaic Of her course
in the early history of our sectional disturbances.
! When every southern State stood almost upon
the verge of ceding the dearest ri.ht TO the
north, Carolina stood boldly OUT, the firm and
| unwavciing advocate of southern institutions.
Thus iluated victorionsly the first bsnner Of
Southern rights oser the abolition town OF Law
renee, unfurlel by the noble suns of Carolina,
an | every whip of lis folds seemed death stroke
to Bcecher propagandsm and the fanatics of the
east O that us red folds could have been seen
10y every southern eye!
! :" Mr.. Jones listened to the many entreaties,
and finally replied that it was beyond his pow
er To do anything and gave the occupants so
| long TO remove all private property from 1t. He
ordered two companies into each printing Office
TO destroy the press. Both presses were broken
up and thrown into the river, and all the mater
| ia belonging to each office DESTROYED"
Whilst the work of destruction was going on
at the printing offices, the bombardment of the
hotel, a strongly constructed three story build
ing commenced. Kegs of gunpowder had been
placed inside and the house fired in numerous
| places aud whilst the flames were doing their
work within, heavy cannon were batterlng against
the walls without and amid the cracking Of
the conhagraon, the noise Of falling walls and
timbcrs and the roar of the artillery were min
gled the most frantic yels of satisfaction that
constantly burst from the "law and order low
crs of insas Territory. Jones was ii eXta-
ces. lie sat upon his horse. contempl plating the
havoc he was making and rubbing his hands
with wild delight, exclaimed " This is the hap
dicsl day of my life Diet 'rmined to make the
fanatics bow before me in the dust, and kiss the
Territorial laws and have done it-by Cd
have done III"
And then followed scenes of reckless pillage
and wanton destruction in all parts of that i'll
iated town. Stores were broken into ard plum
dered of their contents. Bolts and bars were
no obstacles to the entrance Of drunken and in
furated men into private dwellings,, from which
most of the inh ,bitants fled in terror. From
these everything of value was stolen, and much
that was useless to the marauders was destroyed.
The closing act of this frightful drama was
the burning of the house Of DR. Robinson on the
brow of Mount Oreah This was set on fire af-
Ter the sun had gone down, and the bright light
which its flames shed over the county lllumin-
atcd the paths OF the retrealing army, as they
ing horses, and violating the persons OF defence
less women. All these dreadful deeds were
done by human authority There ia yet an ac-
count TO render to Higher Power.
During the perpctr ,lion of these atrocities one
OF the pto-slavery intrulers accidentally shot
himself on Mount Dread, another was killed by
the falling of brick from the Free State lIote
and third had his leg crushed and broken by
falling from his horse, when galloping in pursuit
Of an unoflending man whom he had mistaken
for Governor Reeder