The Globe-republican., 1891-02-04
HON. G. A. CRAWFORD DEAD.

HON. 6. A. CRAWFORD DEAD
Death Of . Remarkable Man with Record
Bound Up In the HhtoEv Of Kansas.
GRAND JUNCTION, Col. Jan. 3o.-Hon
George A. Crawford, for years one o,
the most noted men In Kansas, died
yesterday afternoon at AIS
A severe cold contracted last Septem
Der and which settled upon the lung
was the cause of death.
For three months Mr.. Crawford hal
fought for his life with . win rarely
equaled and only succumbed after &
glorious fight.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
George Addison Crawford was born IN
Pine Greek township, Clinton County. Pa,
July "a. 1927. He came to Kansas by steam.
boat on the Missouri river, landing at Leav.
enworih, whence he was accompanied ia
Lawrence by DR.. Norman Eddy, United
States Commissioner for the sale Of the
Delaware and other Indian lands While al
Lawrence they encountered q party going
to Fort Scott to secure the town site. and at
once accepted an offer OF passage by the
mule team and partnership In the town pro-
5ect Fort Scott was then an abandoned
military post. Messrs Crawford, Eddy and
their associates purchased claims to $40
acres OF land and organized tho Fort Scott
Town Company, of which Mr.. Crawford was
elected president. in which capacity he re.
NAMED nearly twenty years. He named tho
streets after his friends Bigler, Hendricks
and others, and procured q lithograph Of the
town site on which he marked two prospect.
i've railways. The two leading railroads en-.
tering Fort Scott now. occupy those very
lines.
On first organizing the town Mr.. Crawford
bought a pro- slavery hotel and made 1t q
Free-state hotel, by which name 1t was
known far and wide
During the years from 1857 to 1850 violence
and anarchy reigned in and about Fort Scott
George W. Clarke had gone there from Le.
compton to take charge of the land Office,
and was accompanied by DR.. George p Ham.
iton, W; b. Rrockett and other pro slavery
mec. Arrayed against these were John
Brown, James Montgomery and other Free
State leaders. commanding bands of men
known as 'jayhawkers." Several times
United States troops were ordered there
to preserve peace. Fort Scott was in con-
slant danger of destruction. The Dor.
der counties OF Missouri were Greatly aei>
tated and az One time the Governor sent q
large military force under General Frost to
protect them Mr. Crawford was opposed to
the agitation kept up by the contending
parties. Mr.. Crawford was, however, con-
stantly making strong opposition to the pro-
slavery men and one day he received the
following letter from the president of the
ro-slavery society:
ITO George A. Crawford, William Gallaher
and Charles Dimon:
"YOu are respectfully invited to leave town
in twenty four hours"
His answer was: 81 don't exchange mes.
sages with horse thieves"
Mr. Crawford was in the room with John
III I'd ma hal
December l6. 1858, when a raid was made
upon Fort Scott by the forces under John
Brown and James Montgomery to rescue
BENJAMIN Rice. who was held as prisoner
by Deputy Marshal Campbell Little was
shot through the head and was killed al.
most Immediately. Crawford remain i'm.
prisoned in the building. with rifle balls at
intervals coming through the windows and
a cannon standing within a few feet in readi.
ness to be fired into the building at any mo.
ment. Mr. Crawford walked into an open
door in the face of abou: 100 Sharp's rifles all
cooked upon him. He was liable to be taken
for Little by those who did not know him
One rifle was snapped upon him by Hazlett,
who was afterward killed at Harper's Ferry.
Colonel Montgomery, seeing Crawford, sent
orders for his protection.
Crawford's political views did not change
with the war and not until long after it. He
became what was then known q war Dem.
Ocrat He followed the lead of Judge stephen
A. Douglas, who was personal and political
friend, in support OF the administration Of
Lincoln and his war policy. He assisted in
the organization OF the Second Kansas regi-
ment, taking leading part In the caucus Of
officers which selected its Colonel, Leuten.
ant Colonel and Major. Owing to the irreg.
ularities incident to the first organization Of
troops and to the many deaths of soldiers at
Wilson's creek, the battle cost him thousands
of dollars, as he had furnished a great share
of the supplies and clothing.
In 1861, to save expense, petitions were
largely circulated asking the Republican
committee to make nominations for State
officers. The committee met in Topeka with
A Carter Wilder, chairman, and in con.
sultation with leading war Democrats nom.
mated George A. Crawford for Governor.
A pee ular question had arisen. however,
AZ to the term of the State officers under
the Constitution. This was on account OF
the admission of the State on January 29, 1851,
Marty tn rteen months after the terms of the
State officers previously elected had begun
TO run. The question was, whether those of.
fcers should continue to serve two years
literally with the letter of the Constitution,
or should they have two years from the ad.
mission of the State, or should they be per.
mitted to hold over until the successor
clause The outcome was the request for the
committee to make denominations.
According to the vote cast Crawford was
elected the nrSt Governor OF the state OK
Kansas. He received at least two thirds OF
the total vote cast The papers and peo.
pie who adhered to the Constitution
adopted by the State officers and tho
legislation opposed the election and re.
fused to vote and in some counties the cleo.
ton officers refused to count the vote. The
State canvassers refused to canvass the vote
and Mr.. Crawford applied to the Supreme
Court for a mandamus. The election was
decided illegal Estate of Kansas ex rel.
Crawford VS.. Robinson, Kansas, 17), and no
attempt was made to carry it before the Leg.
isiature or the United States Supreme Court.
In 1864 Mr.. Crawford again permitted the
use of his name for the GubernatOrial nom.
nation. Samuel j. Crawford received the
nomination, though the relative vote first
stood: George A. Crawford %, g. j. Craw.
ford Is Under Governor g. J. Crawford,
Mir. George A Crawford accepted an ap.
pointment of Commissioner of Immigration.
Subsequently he became an associate editor
of the Kansas Farmer. which position he held
year and a half In 1867. with Judges King.
man. Bailey and others he helped to organ.
ize the Kansas Historical Society. In 1865 he
was again defeated for the nomination for