The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-09-04
SAV FIERY TINES
John Speer Tells of Kansas
Struggle for Statehood.
OF QUANTRELIS RAID
How GUerriIIas Shot Down
innocent and 0efenseleSS.


Denver. Col, Aug. 4-John speer. vet
eran editor, for years chief lieutenant Of
the cratic Jim" Lane. and a notable
figure in the free state struggle in Kansas
is In Denver, visiting at the home OF
Bradford Dubois, whose wife is Mr..
Speers daughter.
Although Mr.. speer is in his s4th year.
and his physical strength is impaired, his
old mental vigor continues. He is an en-
cyclopedia of Kansas history. He helped
to make much of that history. and with
that Of which he was not a part he was
almost as great Familiarity.
The six years IN Kansas preceding 1861
formed an epoch Of American history.
There and then the war Of the rebellion
really commenced. Mr.. Speer went 10
Kansas in 1854 and plunged into the seeth-
ing waters that were disturbed by the
conflict between those who would perpet-
uate slavery and those who would make
the new territory a free state.
Mr.. Speer was one Of the acknowledged
leaders in the state movement. which
in itself was divided into factions. one
was headed by Charles Robinson. who
later became the first Governor Of Kansas
and" jim Lane. the first United States
Senator from that state. Robinson was
conservative. relying upon diplomacy to
overcome the pro-slavery power of the
federal government. Lane was a fighter
dashing, daring, brilliant, magnetic. reck-
less He was a picturesque character and
always dramatic, even to the end, which
came from his own pistol.
John Speer belonged to the Lane element
and was devoted to his chief, both in the
early territorial days and after Lane went
TO the United States Senate.
Mr.. Speer started Que Of the first news
papers in the territory-the Kansas Tn
bune-at Lawrence. He was printer, as
boy, and as man he edited and owned
Wing newspapers in Newcastle, Pa, Cor
ydon, Ind, and Medesa, o. In the fall of
1854 he brought newspaper outfit to Law
renee from Ohio and issued his first paper
on January 5, 1855. This paper he publish
ed until 1871, when he sold the property.
It was a daily in 1863, after the Quantrell
raid
When QuantreITs bushwhackers sacked
Lawrence, August p, 1853, they destroyed
the building and plant of the Tribune and
murdered two of Mr.. Speer's sons. He
lived at the edge of town, and as the guer-
rillas first pilaged the business portion of
the city, he had time to leave his home
and hide in a cornfeId before they reached
his place. They stole his horses and set
fire to his house; but when they moved
on his wife and little children were able
to extinguish the flames and save the
house.
Three of Mr.. Speers boys slept down.
town and the guerrillas swarmed into the
city at daybreak. In the Tribune building
were John Speer, jr., aged 10; Marsh Muir
dock, now owner of the Wichita Eagle,
and another printer. The two latter hid
in drain well in the cellar OF an adjoin-
ing building and escaped. John ran out
the back door and was stopped by gueT
rilla, who demanded his money. The boy
handed him his pecketbook and was i'm
mediately shot down. As he lay writing
on the ground another guerrilla walked
up and shot him through the head.
Robert Speer, aged IS, slept in the Office
of the Republican with another printer.
The building was burned and no trace of
the bodies of the two boys was ever
found. 1t is not known how they died.
BILLY" Speer, a boy of Is, slept in 4
store, and went out the back door where
he was met by one of the Quantren gang,
who halted him. The boy told him that
his name was Billy Smith. The man
looked over list of names written on a
slip of paper and let him go. After a
series Of adventures he reached home and
there ne shot a guerrilla who was prowl-
ing about alone. An indian named white
Turkey" who had just swum across the
Kansas river. came up and finished the
guerrilla with a second shot.
1t was a bloody day in Lawrence. Ons
hundred and eighty-two Of its citizens
were murdered and more than 81 .oo0, 600 OF
property was destroyed and carried away
by the plunderers.
The two-story store building occupied by
the Tribune was burned and Mr.. Speet
lost his newspaper plant. He went east
and purchased a new outfit and resumed
his paper, adding a daily in November.
Mr. Speer was United States revenue coll
lector at the time Of the Quantrell raid,
and the collectors Office and records were
destroyed.
1t was in 1855 that Jim Lane went to
Lawrence, and Mr.. Speer made his ac-
ouaintance at once. Lanes term as q
member OF Congress from Indiana had
just expired and he saw new political
field in the battle ground on the Kansas
prairie. Lane killed a man named Jeu-
kins III dispute over claim, but was ac-
Quilted. Kansas was admitted 10 the
Union January .. 1851. and q bitter fight
followed for the senatorship. Mr.. Speer
had been elected 10 the state senate and
he placed Lanes name fl nomination
Samuel c. Pomeroy was Lanes principal
opponent. but he and Lane finally coubiu-
ed against the others and both were eject
ed-Lane for the long and PoDeroy for
the short term John J. ingalls, IVES sec
retary o. the state senate AZ the time.
Lane was reelected in 1885, and the next
Summer came back from Washington iH
bad health. lie was wrecked IN nlinl aud
body. BE stopped with his brother. . 10
had charge CT the government farm near
I.eaven-vorth on the sth q July he was
driving with his brother and hrot1er-!n-
law. As lasy stopped 70 oGsn g gate Lane
got cut and stepped 20 he rear q the
buggy. lie placed . revolver IL his uloa h
and ared. He lived II = com0toss coId.-
ticn Tor four days
e.