Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1904-01-21
ANSWERS "BORDER RUFFIAN."

ANSWERS "BORDER RUFFlAN."
WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. 8, 1904.
EDITOR OF THE NEWS: I notice in
your paper of December 81 breezy
communication signed Border
Ruffian wherein he says:
"That he was a Border Ruffian;
that he used to be slave holder;
that the Kansas abolitionists come
over to Missouri to steal his ne
groes, mules, cove, clothing, and
every thing else lying around loose;
that he bought his negroes for
money and had the same right to
them that the Kansas Jayhawkers
had to their cattle, land it," says he,
I'VE occasionally made a raid on
them and retrieved our losses, could
you blame us?" That he still re-
members, wildly, when he made
the old man Uayhawker) take to the
woods and call on John Brown,
Montgomery, and other saints to
save him; that he wants to know
what has become of those old ne
gro and mule lovers; and then an
swering his own question says,
"They nearly all died young; some
went to war and stole the Confeder-
acy blind; some stayed at home,
taking stray shots at passers.by
and picking up stray mules and
runaway negroes" Jim Lane" he
says, "killed himself, Montgomery
was killed. and Jennison, after com.
hitting all sorts of crimes finally
died in despair" Later on" says
Border Ruffian, II may disclose a
few things that will open their
eyes,"
No doubt, Mr.. Editor, as an eye
opener this Border Ruffian would
be a bowling success. Perhaps
while he is disclosing few
things" he might tell us who made
the first raid across the border, the
Free State men or the Border Ruff
ans? Who murdered Phillips, Bar
Der, John Browns eon and many
other Free State men in Kansas
Territory Who burned the cabins
and tried to kill almost every Free
State settler in the counties border
ing on Missouri, from Bourbon to
Doniphan? Who stole the Legisla-
ture of 1855, by coming over from
Missouri in herds and voting under
assumed names at Oxford, Kicka-
poo, and other places along the
border, with the view of making
Kansas slave state? And while
Mr.. Border Ruffian is making his
disclosures, perhaps he could tell
US who it was that invaded Linn
county, and in the still hours of the
night, dragged Asa Hairgrove, his
father aud twenty other Free State
settlers from their cabins, stood
them up in line, and fired a volley,
killing nineteen of the twenty-five
prisoners, and wounding the other
three. Perhaps he might also tell
US who it was that came over and
made up the poll list at Oxford and
Kickapoo from the Cincinnati di-
rectory by reason of which a pro-
slavery Legislature was declared
elected.
The so-called members of that 80
called Legislature convened at
Shawneetown, near the Missouri
state line, and after organizing pro-
ceeded, first, to expel every Free
State member who had been elected
from interior counties, and second,
to enact a code of laws for the Ter.
ritory by taking the pro-slavery
statutes of Missouri and striking
out the word Missouri where ii ap.
peared, and inserting in lieu there
of the words Kansas Territory.
thereby making a slave territory
ION paper until said laws were sub.
sequently repealed by Free State
Legislature.
These and many other horrible
atrocities were committed by the
Border Ruffians before Free State
settler ever crossed the line into
Missouri. In fact, it was not safe
for them to do so nor travel by boat
down the Missouri river. Governor
Reeder, an honest Democrat who,
strange as il may seem, had been
appointed by President Buchan-
nan, tried it, but when his boat