Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-12-24
LETTER FROM KANSAS.
The Great Scare in Southern Kansas Meeting
at Leavenworth- Feeling Of the People-Capt.
Montgomery's Home-Cold Weather Suffer
ing-Fears of an Endemic.


LEAvENwo ORTIZ, KANSAS, Dec. IA, go.
The most aughable occurrence of the sea-
son, in Kansas, is the great southern scare,
gotten up by Judge Williams. 1t is well ex-
ploded here, and must be in the east by this
time. You recollect meeting was held here
some days ago to denounce Montgomery, and
that an active opposition was manifested to
the same. have made inquiry into the state
of feeling created by it, and find that the re-
publicans here largely sustain the opposition
action, and that the actors in the other meet
ing rendered themselves ridiculous by their
attempt to forestall public opinion before the
facts were known. They have all been well
laughed at since.
A large portion of IIarney's command re-.
turned TO Fort Leavenworth, night before last
They report all quiet, as well they might.
People in that section have never seen the
first necessity for troops. l venture the pre-
diction that the last body of United States
soldiery have teen ordered out to overawe the
people of Kansas, that Judge Williams has
holden his last court in this territory, and
that unless under the protection of the troops
while now stationed there, no more man hunts
or kidnapping cases will ever take place in
that section.
The officers of the command say that the
whole country sustain the action Of Jennison's
treatment of the kidnappers. The U. S. dep
uty marshal has arrested five men and placed
them in prison, in chains at Fort Scott No.
thing can be proven against them, SO they
will ultimately be discharged, though packed
juries and every other base scheme will he used
to convict.
A body of drag oons, acting as U. S. mar
S al's posse visited the home of Capt Mont
gomery. They found there nothing more
warlike than boy chopping at log, and
Mrs. Montgomery, her mother, and a half
dozen boys and girls, smilingly greeting them
when the officers entered. The oldest lady
told them she thought they might be i'll better
business, a remark in which the officers them
selves mentally acquiesced. The captains
wife told them, very smilingly, that the last
she heard of the captain was the announce
ment in the papers Of his being in Leaven-
worth two weeks before. The general impress
sion was that the neighboring cornfeld or
timber could have given up the long looked
for, if so be the tates had thus ordained.
They came away feeling badly sold.
The weather is intensely cold. God pity
and help the starving people Of Kansas in
these bleak December days.
Much suffering exists, much more must
occur Physicians from the interior declare
their fears of an epidemic setting in among the
people, superinduced by the scanty supplies of
food, and the utter absence, for months, of
fresh vegetable diet. The scurvy has already
made its appearance, and in the extreme west.
ern and southern settlements it has made
great progress. God touch the hearts of
friends to aid the suffering here. Coast thy
bread upon the waters, and after many days
it shall return unto you" RJH.