The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-01-19
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TENTH

none Of the word .-theater." on the
original however. the outlines oA tne
letters may be seen where the type ma9s
an impression and an imprint Is AAd0S
on the back Of the programme
Mr.. Bancroft is now 81 years Old I1s
was born in LOrain county. Onlof un
August y, 1887 HIS talhef mas elS - -
tinction of being the man VINO Llsa1S
the first brick used in the CONSTRUCTION
of Oberlin college
When Mr. Bancroft was eighteen
years old he came with q party OF Tree
state men to Kansas and since tn5t
time has been more or less prominently
associated with Kansas events 4hS
trip from Ohio was made on the cars
from Chicago to Alton From Alton 70
LeavenWorrh the trip was MADE Dy
boat
Below Lexington free state man man
boarded the boat and cautioned the men
against allowing it TO be known thal
they were free state men, He salo that
If the people Of LeavenW0rth learned q
the fact that the party was composed
OF free state men they would not De
allowed to land
When the boat arrived at Leaven-
worth there was crowd Of at least 21O
men who stood on the dock one man
who seemed to be the speaker Tor the
crowd stood at the end OF the gang
plank and as Mr.. Bancroft, who was
the first to leave the boat attempted ~
land he was asked Where are you
from. young fellow" Mr. Bancroft an
swered From Kentucky
The man called to the crowd, lies
all right: he's from Kentucky That
was on Saturday.
on Sunday Mr. Bancroft went over
to the fort to see the u S troops. When
he got back to the city he found that q
handful had been circulated over the
city which read something like this
.All law and order men are requested
to meet at Lecompton on Thursday
This was interpreted to mean pro-
slavery men and the object CT the mass
meeting was to march to Lawrence and
destroy the free state hotel. the hotel
which is now the Eldridge house
Mr. Bancroft looked about to find
some one who would go with him direct
to Lawrence He wanted to see the
events The road between the two
points was so dangerous that he could
find no one who would volunteer to go I
with him and he accordingly set out /
alone. He had been acmOniShed that III !
he was caught along the road that he /
would in all probability be killed. He I
had his rifle with him and whenever he !
saw persons in the distance he would /
get on his hands and knees and crawl 4
along. That night he reached Tong 1
anoxie where he got a meal from the \
chief of the Delaware tribe Of Indians /
And that meal. crude as 1t was, SEEM
ed the best have ever eaten said
Mr. Bancroft The next day he COM
pleted the trip to Lawrence. He landed Il
in Lawrence without q dollar and went
to work helping to build the stone build
ing which is now the drug store Of 3.
w Woodward a. Co.
OQe Gay MI bancroft IN company Il
with young man named Stewart and Il
another man named Cooke. who was /
afterwards hung with John Brown. i
started to Wakarusa. On the way /
where the road to Wakarusa intersects /
the road from Lecompton to Franklin
a small party Of pro-slavery men rode
down over the blum and called to young II
Stewart ana asked Where are YOU II
from2" He replied that he was from L
Lawrence Whereupon the man whipped h
out a revolver and fired point blank at /
Stewart and killed him instantly. The II
men then turned their horse and start
81 70 run away Cooke drew his re-
volver ana fred killing the man who
had Just killed their comrade
From that day the border war began.
Mr. Bancroft. although at the age Of
meeting IN the public square, and urged
the men to action. He was closely con-
nected with the war until its close
When the border troubles were finally ]
settled Mr.. Bancroft decided that an
education was needed and went in 1860.
to Lima. ~ r. where he entered Cen
eseo college. 1t was while in colIeza
that Mr. Bancroft organized the first
7" lae awake company. and did SO
4lucA IN the campaign towards the elec-
ton OF Abraham Lincoln to the position
o. president OF the United states
In going to Washington to the in
auguration Of President Lincoln. Mr.
Bancroft fell in with Colonel Sumner,
who was on the opposite side from M
bancroft IN the pro-slavery troubles in
kansas. Tn discussing old times Colonel
sumner told him that it was under or
GERS from Washington that he had dis
Colonel Sumner
In Washington he met Jim Lane. who
mad Just been elected United States
r1a&or A1om kansas Together Mr..