The Indianapolis journal., 1883-08-03
PRICE FIVE CENTS.

that ever touched the Territory. The Presi.
dent himself spoke of him almost in terms
OF endearment styling him "the celebrated
Sheriff Walker" and adding: II always liked
Walker very much indeed" In another
connection the President said: 81 think that
the man who most impressed me of all the
men | met and talked with at that time
was Sam. Walker" From these gentlemen.
Lane and Walker the President saws he
gained quite a clear idea of the political stu.
alton in the Territory, as it existed at thai
time.
One morning Mr.. Arthur started with his
friend to ride from Lawrence to Lecompton.
along or near the Kansas river. They were
on horseback, and it was a beautiful summer
morning in August. About half way be.
tween Lawrence and Lecompton they were
overtaken by Lane and Walker, who were
going up to Lecompton to attend to some
business at the land Office. Some OF the mob
at that place had threatened, or it was ru.
mored they had threatened. to hang Lane If
he ever came there But as he had import-
ant business to transact he thought he would
risk it and go over with Walker and attend
TO it, thinking there was little or no real
danger. While the party were discussing
the chances of danger several mounted men
approached, coming from the direction of
Lecompton, and seeing Lane thev nut their
heads together and held quite an animated
talk among themselves In fact. they seemed
to be somewhat excited. After few mo-
ments conversation they put Spurs TO their
horses and returned toward Lecompton.
Lane was confident that they had gone back
to give notice of his coming and was very
anxious to ascertain if his party were all
armed. When he learned that the STRANGERS
had no weapons whatever he was greatly
amazed. He could understand how a man
could come into the Territory with one shirt,
or none, but how he could be desperate
enough to invade Kansas without a brace of
ing an extra weapon, Lane insisted on foisr-
ing it upon the future President who finally
took 1t, with some amusement, if not appre-
hension, and thrust it into his belt, wonder
ing somewhat why he should so soon have
been transformed from a peaceful traveller
into an armed adventurer. The President
said he did not believe there was any danger,
aId Walker shared that opinion. Both
thought that rumor and the newspapers,
then few but virulent, had exaggerated the
gravity of the situation.
Finally the little cavalcade rode into what
the President called the village of Leeomp-
ton, but which, in the swelling nomenclature
of the times, was known as city" Whether
village or city, it consisted of a few scattered
houses along struggling street, at the end of
which was situated the land office. As they
rode along a large crowd of boys ranging
from twelve to sixteen years of age followed,
yelling: There goes Jim Lane. Let's hang
him!" with other bloodthirsty CRIES of that
nature, but there was nothing at all of the
serious character of mob and the party
rode along without interruption 10 the land
Office. Sixtv or seventy men stood around
in front of the office, and seemed to be hav-
ing parley among themselves, but no one
attacked Lane, nor was violence threatened.
Several friends came up, however, and had
whispered conversation with him and ad-
vised him not to stay there, as he vodld GER
tainly be attacked Mr. Arthur advised him
tn 4
did not appear to apprehend danger.
The President considerably remarked in
this connection, that Lane and his advisers
were more competent than he was at that
time to estimate the chances of danger as
their experience had been greater and their
knowledge of the character of the opposition
was more exact. The result was that Lane
received back his pistol, much to its tempor-
ary custodian's relief, and returned TO Law
renee without transactng his business,
Walker accompanying him.
The President rememb bers one circumstance
that probably induced Lane to go back, and
that was that man named Bailey had been
killed the night before and Lane attributed
it to politics, the deceased himself having
been an anti-slavery man. 1t turned out
afterward that it was only the result of
drunken brawl, with which politics had
nothing whatever to do The man had
been stabbed, and the perpetrator of the
crime had not at that time been found.
Lane accepted the killing as an evidence that
the town was not a favorable one to remain
in, and he therefore took his leave at once.
A CALL ON ROBERT ]. WALKER.
After Lanes departure Mr.. Arthur, ac-
companied by his fellow-traveler, went to
call on Governor Robert ]. Walker, with
whom he was acquainted. He had been
Secretary of the Treasury, and his daughter
is now the wife OF Attorney-general Drews-
ter. Knowing the family well, Mr.. Arthur
could not but be impressed with the
state which the Governor main taned This
bit of description is literally the Presidents
own:
"The building in which he lived was about
one-thrd larger than the room in which we
are sitting. This room appeared to be
eighteen or twenty feet long by ten or twelve
wide 1t was a story and half house. with
two rooms on the ground floor, and the
upper half story contained a single apart
ment, with a small ante-room. The Stair
way was on the outside of the building, after
the fashion OF the South and Southwest. The
lower floor was used as the office of the Secre-
tary of the Territory We went up the out
side stairs and through the little
ante-room in the rear OF the
room lay an old saddle, and in another
trunk or two. There was a big pile of law
books in still another corner thrown down
in the pTomiscuous manner of corn sacks.
There was no carpet on the floor We passed
through into the front room, and there found
theGovernor sitting at a round table covered
with green baize, A few law books were on
the floor and nothing else in the room except
the chair upon which the Governor was sit
ting hard at work.
AS is well known, the position of Governor
of Kansas was very important and trying
one at that time, and the President, as has
been mentioned was much impressed with
the surroundings and associations, and
naturally thought that they could not be
very agreeable. The two gentlemen remained
in conversation with the Governor for an
hour or two and then went down to the hotel
for dinner.