New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-02-13
NM. that the Democracy lad cA1r,ed To cleo
tom IN Tie Territory, bot tAat owing 70 the fnasiosI
,A.rscter Of the population Of Kansas the generous

the cause Of kgit,man government IN that section.
The result OF the election on the 4th ult WAS
wrapped up in doubt Both parties hoped for Ne
tory. Meanwhile Calhoun had gone to besdquar-
ters to consult with Buchanan & Co. as 20 what Is
best to be done. Who it is best to elect &c
Under such circumstances the wonder 10 that
he did not take the election returns with him. How
ever, he no doubt thought all abstract would do,
and the returns we're snugly secreted ln-Heu We
shall see.
INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE.
Among recent innovations on Border. RLfian
s.aqes the Territorial Legislature has passed law
for the investigation Of election frauds, aud appoint
ed a semi judicial Committee (the names OF The
Commissioners will be found in the sfidayit 70 con-
duet these proceedings. In order 10 ascertain the
exact character and certainty OF alleged frauds II
wss necessary 10 get possession OF and examine the
election returns. Two days ago, Generdt Mclean
head Clerk in the Surveyor Generals Office,
was subpensd by the Commission, and quee-
toned 40 TO the returns. Under the prob
ing finger Of the prosecutor, the " General
was reserved and rather Oracular as to the wherea
bouts of these interesting documents. He stated that
Calhoun left him in possession Of the returns when be
went ay but that several daysagoa man" name
unknown" Of course, called at the Office OF the
Surveyor General and asked for the returns, Cal
houn having sent for them; whereupon the Cen
eral nothing doubling the entire reliability of this
mysterious and nsmeless parsonage delivered the
said returns into his keeping, and that he had not
seen or had possession OF them SINCE and was ut
tery in the dark to their interesting whereabouts
and further this depOnen, sayeth not" There
was something go beautifully cOnfdng in this sc
of the General" that it is astonishing that the
Committee should not have discontinued all further
efforts 10 admiriDg wonder. They were hard.
hearted "AboitOnists, however, and the question
WIS, Have We election returns among u.s." The
idea impressed on the public was that the returns
had somehow been sent to MssOuri-wbere in
deed, they ought - have gone, and legltmatey be-
loDged. But enterprising Daniels had interpreted
the my stery otherwise, as witness the following
affidavit, sworn to before bis Judicial emineDce
Judge Miller:
Territory Of Kansas, COuatg Of Douglas, Is
To the Honorable the Judge of the Probate 'uIt OF
Adams, Dillon Pickering, f.. l.. Taylor Jas. y. Alb
bott and Thomas Ewing, jr represent TO your Honor
that they, with Ii. l. Green and Ely Moore, consti-
tute Board of Commissioners, lnder the acts OF JAN
H. jan 10 and Jan. -, 1853, whose duty it is to in
vestigate the frauds committed in the Territory at
the election the Constitution of the 2st December,
1851 and at the election for officers under it OF 9Th
January 1885, that said Board under said acts, has
the right to the possession Of the election returns
which have been sent by the Judges Of said elections
at the several precincts in the Territory to John
Calhoun, the President Of the Convention, 40 long
the possession of them may be necessary for
the purposes of such investigation; that sad
John Calhoun, the custodian of said returns,
is absent from this Territory and beyond
the process OF tais Board; that L. A. Mclean, resi-
dent Of LecOmpon and the chief clerk in the office OF
said Calhoun has testified before this Board that said
Call left the said returns in his possession and GUS
tCdy; and that subsequently, about the 18th or 18TH
of January, 1888, person whose name WAS to hun
unknown, called upon him and stated that he had
been sent for said returns by John Calhoun,
and that he, said Mclean, delivered said
returns to the said messenger and has not
since had possession custody of them
that they have been informed and verify believe, that
said returns have been stolen or embez1ed and that
they are now concealed in or about the buildings in
which is the Office othe Surveyor General at lecoBp
ton, in abouta building adjacent thereto and they
ask that search-w,io. "ey b. i-s"eA by yary
Honor directing the Sheriff this county TO take SAID
returns from their place of concealment, and bring
them before your Honor; and that said returns may
be delivered to the Board for examination, and then
returned to such person as ms appear to have author
ity to rec GIVE them.
1 DIos + fl tRA& Is? TaSf tAS SESI
1855 JOSIAH MILLER Judge Of Probs:e.
Wbcreupon the Judge issued the following:
SEARCH WARRANT.
County Of Douglas, TERRITORY Al K0nsdS-The
Territory Of Ransas to the Sheriff OF Douglas County,
greeting: Whereas 1t appears TO me, Josiah Miner,
Judge Of Probate IN and for said County OF Douglass,
ton returns of the several precincts, of an election
held on the 4h day Of JAN, A. ID. 1858, for officers
under the Constitution, we're, on or about the 18th or
10Th OF jan, A. ID. 1888, by some person or persons
feoniousy taken, stolen, carried away, embeZzled
and secreed from the custody of the proper author-
ties and from their proper place Of deposit in the City
of Lecompton, i'll the county aforesaid, and
Whercas, II. J. Adams. Dillon Pickering +; l..
Taylor j. b. Abbott and Thos Ewing, jr.. members
of the Board Of Commissioners TO investigate cleo
ton frauds do declare oath that said Board have
the right of possession TO the said returns for the
purpose of their investigation, and that they verify
believe that said election returns are now concealed IN
or about the building in which is the office OF the sur
General in Lecompton, county aforesaid, or in
or about a building adjacent TO said building,
These arc, therefore 10 command you, IN the name
of the Territory Of Kansas, with the necessary
and proper assistance, 10 enter IN the day time the
said building and adjScent premises, and there
diligently search for the said goods and chattels, and
if the same or any part thereof be found uoon such
search that you bring the goods found forthwith
before me- to be disposed Of and dealt with according
to law.
Given under my lsnd and sea- Ills Is day OF February, D.
1858. JOSIAH MILLER
Armed with this weapon of potent legal might,
the Sheriff Of this County, our friend, Sam Walker,
procured q posse Of some fourteen persons and
went TO LecOmptOn, "as aforesaid" And here it
would be necessary to be as mysterious a. general
Mclean. | will say, then that somebody had
dreamed" that if certain parties would search at
q certain place, under a certain wood-ple, that
something" as Mr.. Micswber would say, might
turn up" In addition TO this, by the nterpostion
of a mysterious agency, that do not feel fully at
liberty to explain, certain guns were rendered harm
less by taking caps and abstractng loads from the
same The guns in question number about twenty.
They are kept in the SuryeyOr-Generars office,
where there are from dozen TO fifteen clerks, all
of " HON, being Government employees, are ortho-
dolly Pro-Slayery and Border Rufhan. Such, how
ever, was the condition of their defenses when
Sheriff Walker and his posse presented themselves
and the search warrant. The agitated General