White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1869-08-05
Tents and Surveying instruments
Piled Up and Burned.
ONE MAN STRIPPED AND TWO
MULES STOLEN.
LEAGUERS MASKED.
LETTER FROM AN OLD SETTLER
CARO-. CRAWFORD Co. KANSAS.
InIy 18th. 1869.

1t becomes my painful duty to inform
you OF renewed acts OF lawlessness COM
mitted on the Neutral Lands. On Fri
day night. July the 16h. body OF 200
armed Leagners attacked a patty OF rail-
road hands on Drywood creek. seven
miles south of Fort Scott. and two miles
north of this place. They ordered the
hands to pile all their tools. including
wheel -barrows, picks. shovels, etc, and
all their tents and surveying instruments
into huge pile. which the railroad hands
were forced to do; they then gave them
fifteen minutes to leave the ground. then
set fire TO the property of the railroad
company. and al that would burn was
soon reduced to ashes.
No personel violence was used except
in one instance: A laborer whom they
had ordered of on previous occasion.
was stripped af all his clothing, as they
said for the purpose of applying the lash;
but while they were engaged attending
to the destruction of property. he made
his escape to a farm house. on Buck Run.
here be WAS cared for and clothes fur
nished to cover his nskedness.
Another band of Laaguers attacked q
party OF l,borers further south and west.
who came from the Pawnee and Walnut
creek districts. on the same night. They
also destroyed everything in the shape Of
tools, tents, ETC.. that was combnstible.
and stole two mules from a teams,er who
was in the employ Of the railroad com
panv.
Particular pains were taken by both
these bands of outlaws to screen them
selves by covering their heads with hand
kerchiefs and light pieces of cloth, to
avoid being recognized. None OF the
railroad employees were allowed to ap-
proach nearer than thirty feet to the mob
There is a strip Of Neutral Land six
miles by twenty-fonr, in the southern
part Of Bourbon Cthn,y, and on this
strip OF land these acts 0flawlsssness were
committed. not, l am glad to add. by the
ciriz ms of Bonrbon County. The par
ties who participated in this shameful
proceeding we're all from Crawford and
Cherokee Counties.
l can scarcely believe them responsible
for these acts OF violence. which are dis
grace to the people who commit them.
and an outrage on the good name of our
State.
Three weeks ago. on the arrival OF
troops, the settlers manifested a dispo
sition to lay down their arms snd abide
by the law. trusting to the courts for an
amicable adjustment OF their difficulties
Every thing seemed to Indicate chang"
Cor the better. Men who had opposed
the railroad came ont in favor Of build
ing it. because they believed that Mr.
Joy had right TO the land. otherwise
the Government wonld not have sent
troops among ms. and the best thing TO
do was to quietly acqnissce, snd make
terms with Mr.. Joy. They even went so
far as to say they would no longer oppose
the bu lding of the road. bnt would assist
in protecting the workmen against the
more rsbid Leaguers.
What has brought abont this sudden
change. and caused the more honorsble
portion Of the Leaguers to renew their
pledges to the Lind Lsaeners. and swear
vengeance on Mr. Joy and the railro ID?
I will tell you. and / know thai what ]
saw is true.
Week before last Hon. Sidney Clarke.
Geo. II Hoyt. and John Spser. of the
Lswrpnce Tribune. met the L,aeuers at
three Of their principal headquarters and
made inf h.mmstory and setitlous speech
es to the settlers. They told us that "all
that was necessary for us to DO was to
stand firm. II Mr.. JOY, attempted to
bnild railroad through our country LEI
him build it il he could. but il they were
citiz ms. of the Nsiiral L,od it would he
a mighty long time before il wss com
ple.ed. You have possession. which is
nine points in law; before Mr.. Jov. or
any body else. can build a railroad
through your lands. board of appraisers
will first have to be appointed. and dam
sges asse.sed and paid. for every foot Of
land that they use for the railroad, and
for every grain of wbest or corn they
destroy" Col. Hoyt said to rs that be
WAS not giving advice. but il he was
resident OF onr beautiful country, he
would plow corn by day and pull up
railroad track BY night. until doc msday.
bat he would have his rights-his claim
for one dollar and twenty FIVE cents per
acre.
The inaammatory speeches 10 my
opinion have caused this sudden out. |
acts OF lawlessness. The
Leagners are not really at fault. Msnv |
OF them are ignorant, but fbey are dis
posed to do Whist is right. and would
have done so had they not have had bad /
men as Laughlin, G. C.
and others, who have bean
pegpd on by Clarke and Hoyt. While
Clarke is working for the political cspi-
tai. they are seeking some way by which
they may receive their land ct Govern
nent price.
Mr. Clsrke. member Of Congress from
Z ansss, who for more than two years
,as inciied the honest settlers of Crsw-
ord and Cherokee Counties to acts Of
,iolanca IN the m an On xyhose hsa,, vset.