Weekly national intelligencer., 1863-09-03
THE HORRORS AT LAWRENCE.
From he LeayenSorA Bulletin Of Augus,

From The Learenporth Bulletin of august q
We publish the following statement written for the BuI-
et'n by Mr. Kempf atache Of the Provost Marshals
ofhce at Lawrence. 1t written hurredly giving sim
ply plain facts witnessed by him. His escape from death
was miraculous;
Yesterday the 2lst of August about o'clock
ne OF Lawrence were supnsed to hear body Of
cavsiry ride rapidly towards the Kansas river As soon
rs the hrst al these reached the river by Massach
sns street and the streets and west It, they raised
shout which was repeated down the st Gets "a. it
was poesDe To bear The citizens, startled by the noise
rushed into the streets to ascertain the cause Many Of
the citizens were then shot down With the quickness of
Rhtnng the news spread over town that the accursed
euantre with his bushwhackers, in town The sur
rsa was 80 complete that it utterly impossible for
the citizens to undertake any thing whatever for their de-
fence The few who herocaly out with their guns
were quickly murdered. were fact all who showed
themselves during the fist half hour The hills above and
tie woods below the town we'll guarded by guerras
50 hat was impossible for persons living the outskirts
OF town to make their escape.
Every thing was done by command or well understood
beforehand by these murderer, Alter they had rpread
over town they commenced to plunder the most debe
rate manner conceivable Every store was broken open
by few men, guarded against surprise from the inside
The hrst tang they oked after the SAFE then every
OF value Every safe bursed open when they
could not get the key; bpt they were we'll informed
about every thing that they went several instances to
the private residences Of demanding the keys for
me sales "a the stores Well Informed citizens think they
TOOK three hundred tb0uand liars in cash along with
them 1t would seem they took more They had been in
Town some time beore they commenced burning the build
lngs.
under promlsa hat they would all be treated as prison
ers and should not bs moested were all searched and
every thing valuable taken away from hemeven the fin.
ger-riDgs OF mrn and The whole house was ran
sacked aud thing valuable taken out by the puerr
las The prisoners We're all marched the Whitney
House and there guarded
BY this time most Of the punder haa haen sacura3 n,
horses driven together from all parts Of the town The
sales had all been broken opeB blown up by powder
others deliberately chiseled open They picked out the
bor'es only retaining the BEST aod driving the poorer
off
AT about o'clock they set FIRE to the courthouse
We heard ,evera EXPLOSIONS which at a distance would
have been taken for cannon shos We heard some per-
sons coming down The street commanding their friends TO
burn the stores aud heard the cracking Of the
fire, and saw most Of the buildings and west of us
wrapped IN flames To the south we could not ace from
the houses we were la.
During all thls time citizens being murdered every
Whrre. Germans aud nrgfoes when caught, were shot
had been taken prisoners aud bad been that they
would not be- hurt il they would surrender Me.srs
Trask and Baker aud Two other citizens we're AZ taken
ana while oelog marched toward the river prisoners,
ater Dang assured that they would not b, harmed some
euerrias asked their names Mr. Task gave the Names
when they were Immediately fred upon and all four killed
on the except Mr. BAKER who not xpected to ve
however Mr. Dix had been taken prisoner and his house
SGT on hre when of ihe fends told him n he would
give them his money he would rot killed otherw se be
would Mr. Dix went into the bnrning house and got a
Thousand dollars aud handed it Gvsr He was told to
march toward the rver and had proceeded twenty
steps when be was fhot dead b. hind. Mr. Hsmp.
SON clerk OF The provost marshal had revolver and ri
TO defend The lew things he bad saved from the JEFF
House His wife ntcrfered and they told him IL hs would
surrender he should be- treated pAOnes and be safe
iiom harm lie surrendered and Immediately shot
from behind the ball entering &C the ,pne and coming
out below the kidneys ia front The wound is con-
sdersd fatal
In Instance the wife and daughter Of man threw
themselves over his body begging tor his life but Of
al ha-
tween the Two women and killed the iuan.
Before ten o'clock The body II the suerrlas left with
their Plunder leaving guard The prisoners IN town.
and few stragglrrs. he few persons wounded were
wounded ut This time by the passing fends In the earlier
o. the day most persons we're fred at from very near
aud killed instantly.
one oil the first persons out 1as Culonel BsyIer Mr.
Wlamson and ms self helped him carry of the dead The
slght THAT met us when coming cannot describe.
nave READ OF ontrages committed in the ca ed dark
ages and horrible as they appeared they sank iato
ihsgmheanee In comparison with what was then
PEELED to witness WeIl-known citxrus lying in front
OF the spot where their sres residences had been
petey roasted The bodies crsped aud nearly black
We thought al fret that they all negroes till
cdgn some Of them In handling the dead to1es pecs
Df roasted flesh would in hands. Soon our
Many coud not help crying like children Women and
it l- children all town hunting for their hus-
bands and fahes and sad ind eli was the scene when
bsy did finally find them among The copses laid out for
recognition cannot describe the horrors language fails
me, and the recollection of the witnessed makes
ne sick when am compelled to repeat thcm.
The town - complete ruin The whnle OF the bust
1ess part and all good private residences burned down
Every thioRof value was taken along by the hends No
tre is left ard - necessary that the good people OF
LeayeBwurth send provisions immediately Persons who
we're rich yesterday now utterly destitute,