The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-12-25
piaouldss in Linn ana pou4bop oounl...

Difficulties in Linn and Bourbon oounfss.
The news from the Southern part Of
Kansas is again of the most alarming
character. Mr.. MITCHELL, one Of the
Representatives to the Territorial Legs
lature from Linn county, was robbed on
the highway few days ago, by some OF
the Montgomery band. More recently,
the Sheriff of Linn county, with posse
of one hundred men, visited the western
part of the county with the view of APP
pretending Montgomery, but as it was
evident an arrest could not be effected
without general collision, it was not ac-
complished.
A week ago Thursday, body of men,
with Montgomery at their head, made
their appearance in Fort Scott about four
O'Clock in the morning, and succeeded in
releasing man by the name Of Rice, who
was held by the Sheriff of that county on
an Indictment preferred against him by a
Free State Grand Jury, for murder. They
fred into the house of Mr.. Little, killed
his son, and robbed store of some 5000
worth of goods. Trunks were rifed in
the hotel, and numerous depredations up
on the rights and property of individuals,
were committed.
We have listened to a recital of those
outrages from several different persons,
some of whom have sustained Montgom-
cry until the late outbreak, and all concur
in saying that active measures must be
employed to restore order, else the whole
country will become involved. Free State
men, in the days of Border Ruffianism,
we're never subjected to greater indigni-
ties or violence than have been heaped
upon them during the past year by the
monomaniacs under the direction of Mont
gomery. They may call themselves Free
State men, but their sympathizers in the
East will ultimately learn that they are
sustaining a gang of robbers and murder
ers led on by mailman.
If the Governor has power to interpose
the military, and stay this violence, it is
his duty to do so, and that Immediately.
No time-serving policy will answer the
purpose. Already these violators of the
law have been trifled with too far. In
stead of making terms with Montgomery,
in June last, Gov. DENVER should have
arrested him and his desperadoes, and
tried them for their crimes. If guilty,
they should have been punished, as should
have been the leaders of the disturbances
on the Pro-slavery side.
We hear Of the emissaries of Montgom-
cry all over the Territory. They have
stopped men upon the highway, searched
and robbed them of valuables How
many have been assassinated, heaven only
knows! If another reign of terror is to
be inaugurated, we hope the ringleaders
in it will be brought to justice.
The "Mass Meeting" the proceedings
of which we published last week, show
the true state of affairs. Moderate men
are awed into silence, or forced into SUBJ
mission.
The action of Montgomery and his
band remind US of the clansmen of Scot
land, in the early history of that country,
who came down from the mountains and
levied black-mail upon the inhabitants,
and, if resisted, death was the penalty
Indeed, from the description given of
Montgomery's movements, we should sup
pose he was initiating the action of some
of those barbarous leaders, else copying
after some of the most successful high
waymen and freebooters, whose history is
only preserved in romance.