The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-08-14
For TIE Herald of Freedom.
Letter from Capt. Walker.
KAswAcA, August 5. 1883.

purporting to be report of committee
which was sent from Lawrence, with Gov
DENVER, to the south part of the Territory;
and the other, reply to an article IN the
New York Tribune. In those articles,
Gov. Robinson-for, take il. ne Is the
man. as know of no other c. Robinson
in Kansas. at least that pretends to be
81 etter-writero-seems TO make very free
with nv official acts, and also insiDuates
that stole horse. It is true he does
not say stole horse. but hold, when
call out posse to aid me to enforce the
laws, that am responsible for the acts of
that posse, and if anything is stolen, I am
equally guilty with the thief, if l do
nothing TO prevent it. Now, sir, when |
read that article, vel knew the motive
of il, and at once determined to treat it
with the silent contempt it deserved, being
satisfied that it came from little mind,
for none but little mind could have
penned IT, Asregards myself. l well knew
that spite was the cause of it. He had
not the manliness to directly charge me
with stealing the horse. When he found
that the other members Of the committee
would not sign it, he took mean, sneak
ing way to insinaate, so that any one
could see what he meant. Now, an open,
manly enemy, I respect; but sneaking,
cowardly one, / despise. AS ! said be-
fore, I had determined to pay no atten-
ton TO this report, believing that all who
have been with me through the Kansas
troubles, could not be made to believe
that I would either steal or countenance
the stealing of a horse. Even the pro-
slavery party never charged me with that
act; but have my enemies, as all men
have, that will take advantage of such
report, and for the sake of my friends out
Kansas, who are near and dear to me, and
whose good opinion prize more than
horses, gold or land grants, will give my
version of my trip to Fort Scott. 1t is
not true that was sent down to arrest
Capt. Montgomery nor is it true that l
employed Montgomery and his band; as
my posse and myself went south at the
request OF Gov. Denver and the friends of
Calvin Baily, for the purpose of arresting
Brockett, who had attempted to take the
life Of Mr.. Baily and then fed to Fort
Scott. Gov. Denver had promised to meet
US near Fort Scott, and try to suppress the
troubles then existing there. started
south much prejudiced against Capt
| Montgomery. Arriving at OSawatomie, |
found many good men whose opinion |
respected, sustained Montgomery. there
received the assistance of Sheriff Will
liams TO go with me. The nearer I got
to the troubled district, the more | found
the people sustained and upheld Mont
gomery. Arriving at Raysville, in Bour-
bon county, found large concourSe of
the citizens of Bourbon county assembled
to take measures to arrest the murderers
of Sdlwell and others, at the Trading
Post. A friend met me before l got to
the convention, and told me that Mont
gomery was then speaking, and if I had
any writs against him, not to try and arrest
him, for / could not take him, as every
one there was his friend, and would de-
fend him with their lives. I thought if
that was the case, did not wish to Sc g
teor know him. After he was done speak
ing, vent up to the meeting. / found
the people much excited, and enraged
against the pro-slavery party in Fort
Scott and, from their statement, they
had good reason to be. They said that
some of the murderers of Stilwell and
Others, were then in Fort Scott, openly
boasting of the damnable deed, and that
the officers were all pro-slavery and would
not arrest them; that Judge Williams
had been applied to for writs, but not be-
ing on the bench and the court in session
he could not issue bench warrant. They
proposed to take the law in their own
hands, and have their rights or die in the
effort / stated to them that | was q
stranger, but held commission as
Deputy q. S. Marshal. and was Free
State man that If they had justice oi
the peace in their county, and would get
out writs against those men and furnish
me with duplicates, ] would go and try to
arrest them. / advised them to try the
law first, and if they could not get justice
then it was time to try other means
After consulting awhile, they concluded to
do so. Mr.. Wattles, as good man as
Kansas affords, fled his affidavit before a
Justice of the peace, and handed me the
writ / saw that it was regular in all its
parts, and charged G. W. Clark, Hill and
DIR. Carter with the murder of Stilwell
and others, and do not think it was my
duty TO run all over the country to find
out if the writ was legal the standing OF
the gentleman who handed it to me was
sufficient to justify me in calling on the
posse. l did not ask for Free State OF
pro-slavery men, for, in my own county,
I would as soon go to pro-slavery men fol
assistance in carrying out the law as any
of my best friends, knowing full well that
they would stand by me to the last. MOI
did I ask if they were Montgomery's
band, but, simply, were they willing to
obey me. On Sunday morning, on coming
10 the Marmaton, I found some forty men
assembled, all strangers to me, ready to