Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-20
A LEAVENWORTH HANGING.
HOW EsPoUSAL OF ANTI-SLAvERY
CAME NEAR COSTING A LIFE.
Miles Moore Held a Prisoner by Pro-
Slavery Men in the Old Ware
house and Then Hanged
From the Ceiling.

worth after the passing OF the Kansas
Nebraska bill and General Atchison's in
junction to Missourians to go in and oc-
cupy the good lands of Kansas. With all
his slaves he came over along with other
Missourians for the purpose of making
Kansas 4 slave state. Later he freed his
Slaves and became a stanch free state man.
Mr.. Moore thus early aroused the hatred
of pro-slavery men who regarded him as
a traitor to their cause. The hatred grew
rather greater than less as time passed.
When the congressional committee, APP
pointed by President Pierce TO investigate
Le~avenworth, Moore gave the members
valuable assistance. This act was adding
insult to injury in the eyes OF pro-slavery
people and brought about the climax which
furnishes matter for one Of Miles Moore's
thrilling tales.
investigation of Election Returns.
Early one May morning in 1856 when the
members of the congressional committee
assembled at their rooms near Delaware
and Second streets they found tackled upon
the door a card bearing this inscription:
"Sirs:-With feelings of surprise and dis
gust We have been watching the unjust
manner in which you have been conducting
this investigation. We wish to inform you
that you can no longer sit in this place.
We therefore request you to alter your
obnoxious course in order to avoid con-
CAPTAIN HEMP"
On behalf of the citizens.)
The mmit consisted of William A.
Howard. of Michigan; John Sherman. of
Ohio, and MIR. Oliver, of Platte county.
Mo. These men had come to Kansas to
investigate the matter of the seat in con-
gress held by General Whitfield and contest
ed by Governor Reeder. The latter claimed
that the former had been elected by the
fraudulent means so common in those
days. of importing Missourians into Kan
sas to swell the pro-slavery vote. In this
Investigation Miles Moore, as a late resi-
dent of Missouri. rendered the committee
valuable assistance, and, as the attorney
renee, finding L~eavenworth too hot for him,
had a right to attend the meetings: After
put their heads together. Matters had been
getting steadily worse for them since COM
ing, to L~eavenworth. and prospects now
looked ominous. Clearly it was Moore's
e~fforts-zealous efforts on the part of a
man bound to stand by the right and ex-
pose evil-that was bringing this threatened
You see this notice." Sherman began,
ut means. as you know, that matters are
You've been pretty. active in this investi-
cation. 1 don't believe you'd better meet
"D-n them!' cried Moore, who was
never a man to be inundated by so mild
a threat as that contained in the notice.
and I'll do it."
But" protested Sherman. you're making
yourself a mark for their hatred; You're a
dangerous man in their eyes and you'll be
shot If you're not careful"
Not to BE Intimfdated.
Moore laughed, For himself, he had no
fears. He was in the fight and he would
not withdraw so long as there was fighting
strength in his body. AS for the others.
he offered to withdraw from the committee
IL they so desired or feared the conse-
quences of his remaining longer among
them. But the prefer was not accepted.
While the committeeman on this early
spring morning were sitting there in DELHI
GRAFTON the noises of a disorderly body of
men in the street outside grew louder and
was filled with that suffianiy gang of men
known as the Kickapoo Rangers and the
renegades that followed in their wake.
Shouts expressed their satisfaction at find
ing there the traitor to the pro-slavery
cause.
That's the man We want. The damned
abolitionist!' The lawless men rallied
their weapons in the face of the assembled
committee. and made Boosting declarations
of what they would do with all and every
hole of Moore: The man, cool in the pres
ence of danger as he always was. stood
there. a revolver in each hand, ready to
he discharged upon the first man who APP
preached. He said nothing. 1t was Sher-
man who protested.
This committe." he declared TO the COM
mander of the Rangers, 'iS sitting In regu-
lar session in obedience to the
of the president of the United States. Moore
is helping the committee to 90 c;, its all9 TeG
can not take possession of him in such will
full defiance of the law
BlufHng the Rangers.
"And you try 1t at your peril" Moore
added in a voice that had its effect upon
the crowd. He clicked a pistol in either
hand and continued. Tn a pretty good
shot myself and l don't mind having a try
at you If you're anxious for a fracas. Come
on II you want to-
The air was blue with oaths. When it
cleared a view displayed the
Kickapoo Rangers filing out OF the room.
The committee sat no more. For Miles
Moore. however. there was no escape from
the troubles that were to come. Though
he had put one set of %ruffians at bay others
still lay in wait for him. On the following
day he sat with his law partner. Marc
removed from the committee rooms discus
sing with Sherman the condition of affairs.
feet could be heard in the street without.
Moore and Sherman went to the door.
Colonel w. D. Wilkes, of South Carolina,
The men in the doorway attracted his at
%tention. Halt" was the command: eyes
front. About face" Then to Moore he
You're my prisoner" PARROT had quickly
concealed himself behind a door in the
hopes of escaping notice, but prylng eyes
soon searched him out and he was dragged
into the street. Moore turned TO Sherman.
Cant you do something for me?" he
asked. The procuring OF a writ of habeaS
corpus from Judge Lecompte was all the
congressman could offer. Moore yielded to
the law of might and took his place.
Moore Under Arrest.
The squad marched on down Delaware.
Killing. hanging and drowning were some
of the plans suggested for getting rid of
the abolitionist prisoners. Such methods
as these were common enough in those
times. Moore had been in tight places be-
fore and had escaped through the exercise
OF his wit. but as to the outcome of this
he was quite in the dark. At the foot of
Delaware flowed the black waters of the
Missouri. Could they be going there?
At Second street the squad turned south
ell in front of Russell. Major e Waddells
big warehouse. The doors were opened;
Moore and Parrot pushed roughly inside:
the doors were closed and barred. Within
prospects for a comfortable soiourn We're
not fattering. The new prison. filled with
the stores of the government freight con-
tractors. was dirty and close. There was
only one exit. through the sliding doors.
and escape through them was impossible
with the crowd outside. Inside flour sacks
were the only seats: -four sacks would be
the only beds II they should ne kept there
over night: and raw beans and bacon were
the only procurable food. Through the