Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-02-25
IMPORTANT FROM KANSAS.
The Williams Smoked Out.
DESCENT UPON LEC0NPT0N.
A NEGRO IN Tng WOOD PILE.

in tn. shape o ev ;dence of the fraud prac-
tised by J hn Cslh,un and his oompeers-
On Saturday last they held q meeting 1T
this city. and cited Gen. Mclean to appear
ard bring the returns Of the two elections
with him. nrLean came down to Law
renee and Srors p"int blank that ihe re-
turns were not in his possession, that they
had teen ieIt by Calhoun with him, bu; that
afterwards he gave them 20 a man whose
Name he did not know, bat whom he rec
oyuized as 4 resident Of Platte County. Mo.
he stating he had been sent by Calhoun for
that purpose.
This Mclean swore TO positively. On
Monday. reliable evidence came from Le-
compton, from private hands, friendly TO
our cause, that the returns were still in pos
session Of Mr.. Mclean, who, with three
others, mad on Friday night last (twelve
hours previous TO his swearing positively
that he knew nothing Of their whereabouts)
buried the returns OF the TWO elections, on
and under the Lecompton su indie, benestH
The wood pile near tie office OF the Survey
or General.
Immediately on receiving :his informa-
ton, the Investigating Committee flied be-
fore Probate Judge Miller a proper affidavit.
Upon which Judge Miller issued a search
warrant aud placed it in the hands of the
Sheriff, Gen. Samuel Walker, who in the
meantime left for Leccmpton to watch the
movements of Mclean.
TEE CAPTURE.
This morning at 9 o'clock, a posse Of IL
consisting o: Mcssrs James F. Walker, g.
Earl, L. N. Japan, J. B. Haines, ]. R.
White, A. Guniher, l.. Hanscom, Levi
Gates, J. L. Stones, S Jerrold, w. J King
R. Hutchins, n. Webster aud J. Shepherd
lsa Lawrence for Lecompton. On arriving
at that place, they entered by different
! routes, to AVOID creating alarm. and then
dismounted by II e Land Office, walked down
to CalhoGD's Office, and, re-assembling, en-
tered therein. Sheriff Walker produced his
warrant, which Mclean read, at first care
fully, but soon showed evident signs of az
~iiatiou. He turned with affected careless
ness to Walker and told him he might search
the building, assuring him, however, that he
N ould not find them there. Walker told him
he certainly should go ahead; that he knew
where they Che %returns) were, and that he
should search the building.
Ii was curious to see how McLean's blus-
ter subsidized at this cool declaration of the
Sheriff. To speak in vulgar parlance, ''ne
xil;ed," aDd Tried another tack. "He hoped
that the Sheriff would wait till he could gel
legal advice as to his (Walker's) right TO
act" Walker, however, told him he could
not wait, and turning TO his posse, walked
TO the door and ordered them to remove the
wood pile, which stood a few yards Off
This was quickly done. About the centre
OF the pile, a spot Of freshly turned earth
Was found, and there, in the absence OF q
spade, The posse worked with sticks-into
The ground about eight inches--and found
a box which contained the election returns
so much sought after. 1t was triumphantly
taken possession of and placed in charge Of
the Sheriff. Tie party then returned to
iSsiE hoE-ess.4IsaLt the to~a-ASt Aey &-
peeled that they would have 10 fight, most
OF them did net feel entirely satisfied, so
they went across to the residence OF G. w.
Clark. the murderer of Barber, who it was
asceriained had arrived at Lecompron, from
Fort Scot, yesterday. They did not sue
coed in finding him, and at 3 O'Clock P. NJ.
they reached Lawrence with the prize. | am
thus careful to note all the particulars Of
this affair, as this is the most direct uesii-
monv yet obtained of the frauds practiced
upon the people oil Kansas. The box con-
tanning the papers was then put into the
Judges hands, the Sheriff making return Of
the execution of the serrcl warrant.
Mclean made q. formal protest against
the action of the Sheriff, which was append
ed TO the warrant. The sa ne hands from
whom the particulars Of the burying OF the
returns was obtained, did also another act
of good service. There are from fifteen to
twenty clerks employed in Calhoun's office,
all Of whom are rabid Ruilians. Sumo A
muSke;s are also kept there, constantly load
ed. On Monday night rom every enc Of
them the cap was t"ker, and if resistance
had been made, the posse would have been
enabled to have eflectually ]overPowered
them.
Mclean left and in ali probability is in
Preston. Mo, On his way to Washington to
be p, ted End welcomed az a martyr TO the
Niger.