The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-05-22
RGh1En.

On the 18th inst, about 4 O'Clock, P.
NJ, party of twenty men. all on horse
back, and well armed, commanded by
Capt. Montgomery, from Sugar Mound,
rode up to the store of JAS. II. WELLS, at
Willow Springs. in this county, dis
mounted, hitched their horses, and entered
the store. A lady, apprehensive of the
character of the movement, attempted to
cut the horses loose. While doing so,
one of the party came out with revolver,
and guarded the door. The nineteen per-
sons in the inside proceeded to rife the
drawers of their contents, Invested them
selves of their worn out or soiled clothing,
and put on such as they could find to sup
ply their place robbed Mr. WELLS of his
pocket book, and searched him for his
arms then calicoes and all sorts of fab
rics were tied up in buffalo robes, handker-
chiefs, &C.; and packages thus made up,
with boots, shoes, and numberless other
articles, to the amount of between $500
and $500, were added to the plumber, and
thus loaded they rode away.
The same party visited Mr.. Mckinney
that night, plundered the house of all the
money they could find, set it on fire, stole
mule and horse, and then rode off. The
fire was extinguished, hence the house
was not destroyed.
On Sunday, the same party were seer
prowling about Minneola, and a decent
was contemplated upon some pro-slavery
men in that neighborhood.- The policy
seems to be to rob, pillage, and drive out
every Pro-slavery man in Kansas, and
Montgomery and his banditti are the in
strumentalities employed for that purpose.
They have visited Olathe, robbing a
store there. From thence they proceeded
to Gardner and Mechanism, committing
depredations at each of those places.
These same men have been prowling
about the Territory for months, commit
ting all sorts of depredations, and keeping
the country in constant ferment. They
are, to great extent, responsible for the
troubles around Fort Scott. We have
heard of them repeatedly, and been told
of their visiting private residences, CON-
pelling families to rise at midnight and
cook meals for them, and then renewing
their journey and visiting some new place.
where the same excuses are repeated.
Horses, guns, revolver5, &C., are almost
invariably taken wherever found and in
some instances drafts have been drawn
upon government officials to pay for arti-
Giles thus taken. Several stores have been
pillaged, and the money or proceeds have
gone to enrich these free hooters.
In the letter of Mr.. WHITMAN, which
we publish this week, this band of land
pirates are thus undoubtedly alluded to:
eve feel grateful for your sympathy !;
and for FORCE, we shall have no occa-
sion, I hope but, if so, SMALL Do
MESTIC ONE will do the work EFFEC-
TUALLY !"
We have said time and time again, that
the policy of Lane, Conway & Co., was to
embroil this Territory in civil strife. Here
is the proof. Here are the overt acts oil
set of scoundrels who are plundering
stores and dwellings in open day. and COM
mitting violence upon the inhabitants.
An individual is marked by them for
destruction. the fat goes forth, and he dis
appears-where, no one can tell. His
property is confscated, and thus one after
another of our population is wiped out.
We are frank to confess that we have
no love for these things. They must be
stopped, and Immediately, else civil wal
must follow. Life nor property is safe
The horrors of 1856 are being inaugurated.
A guerilla party, in the time of profound
peace-their object plurder-is among
us. What shall be done? Should not
the people meet for adyisement, and
pledge themselves to each other to stop
this high-handed procedure at once, and
declare all persons outlaws who are known
to be engaged with such parties