The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-04-11

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depth of poetical feeling. ~There is no
news here" he writes in closing his last
lettsr, "but hard times and harder still
coming, for / see their shadows, and
coming events cast their shadows before,
| is an old proyerb, but | do not feel that
my destiny is fixed in this country, nor
do wish to stay in it longer than posi-
be, for the devil has got ilIimitable sway
over this territory, and will hold it until
We have better set of men and society
generally" These were the last words
the mother ever received directly from
her son. Before the close of the foll)w-
ing year-strange irony of fh:story-Quan-
trell had become the scourge Of the west
ern plains.
One of Quantrall's companions in his
boyhood days at Canal Dover was w. W.
Scott, union soldier during the war and
for many years past editor Of a weekly
paper published here. "Quantrell," said
Mr.. Scott to me, "was my earliest play
mate, being one year my senior, and we
were schoolmates and companions until
he left for the west, in 1857. Then'w be-
came correspondents, and his letters,
down to the fall OF 1860, are still in my
possession. He was fond of books aud
quick to learn. He was remarkably neat
in his person, but i'll at ease in the pres
ence Of ladies and generally averse to
their society. Fishing and hunting were
his favorite pastimes. He was an expert
shot and could throw stones with uner-
ring accuracy, but there was nothing in
his conduct or in his letters to indicate
his after career, save that he would occa-
sionally shoot pig through the tip of the
ear to make il run and squeal and then
would laugh loudly at its antics" 1t adds
to the strange enigma Quantrell's career
who held the esteem Of all who knew
him, was an ardent abolitionist, and that
the son, until two years before the war,
was devoted enemy Of human slavery.
QUASTRELLs EARLY YEARS IS THE EST.
Quantrell had not yet passed his 20th
birthday when he made his appearance
in Paola, Kan, in the spring of 1857.
Paola was one of the democratic towns
founded to neutralize the influence ofthe
free soil" settlement. sale of Indian
trust lands was in progress when Guam
trell reached there. 1t was provided that
sales should be made only TO actual set
tiers" but wholesale fraud was Tesorted
to to render this stipulation oflittle ac-
count. In many instances a settlement
was made by running wheeled shanty
onto the section il was proposed to bid in,
after which affidavit would be made that
the demands of the law had been fully
complied with Quantrell engaged to
hold down an eighty-acre claim for ho-
tel-keeper in Psola. Later he claimed
that he had been cheated out of his pay,
and to reimburse hin self drove off a yoke
of oxen belonging to his employer. He
was followed and the oxen taken from
him, but he was allowed to 90 his way.
Late in 1858 Quantrel appeared in Law
renee, Kan, having for some unknown
reason taken the name Of Charley Hart,
and for year or more was employed as
a teacher and as agents clerk among the
Delaware Indians at their reservation on
the kaw River. He attached himself IN
and gained the confidence of small knot
of daring spirits in Lawrence, who were
ever ready to aid the escape Of fugitive
slaves from Missouri and to give protec-
ton to the free colored people who in
considerable numbers had moved from
the adjacent states into Kansas. In this,
however, he was not prompted by any
worthy motive. He did it to cloak his
connection with band of Missourians
who were kidnapping the free colored
people of Kansas and running them into
Arkansas, where they sold them into
slavery. The company of kidnapers
made repeated trips to the border coun-
ties of Kansas and the number Of their
victims soon mounted into the hundreds
Great Indignation was aroused at their
work. When Quantrell's connection
with them finally became known he was
forced to flee for safety to Jackson COun-
ty, NJ M.ssouri.
HIS BLOODY RECORD BEGINS.
His career of bloodshed now began. He