Some of our own party got as far as John Ham's, on "Mill creek, about fourteen miles from Westport, and being obliged to sleep on the floor, they got up the next morning and started back. I believe about that time it was common for some to come here and stay over night, and start back the next day. I do not think I could tell definitely how many voted of that spring's migration, except myself, as they were mostly strangers to me. The most of the party I came out with went back. I had been here but eight or ten days before the election. I brought my wife with me. It was the common practice to take persons by the legs and hoist them up to the roof of the house, as they could not get out any other way. It was not understood to be any indignity or rudeness, and voters on both sides were treated in the same way. When the crowd was thinned out, persons left the polls in the ordinary way. This was the case after about three or four o'clock, but the crowd was dense beiore that time.

LAWRENCE, K. T., April 26, 1856.

LYMAN ALLEN.

SAMUEL N. WOOD called and affirmed.

To Mr. Reeder:

I first came into the Territory in June, 1854, from the State of Ohio. I settled in July, 1854, about five miles from here, in this district, on the California road. I have resided in the district ever since. I was here on the day of election of the 30th of March, 1855; it was on Friday. On the Wednesday evening before, I saw some two or three hundred men encamped on the ravine bottom near the ford, who said they were from Missouri, and were going above to some place to vote, and there would be about 1,000 more to vote at this place. The next day, Thursday, they commenced coming in here to Lawrence on horseback, on mules, in wagons and carriages, frequently in long processions; they camped over most of the town, I think on Wade's claim. I was all over their camp the night before the election. I was introduced to Doctor Lomry; he said he was from Missouri. I was introduced to Col. Claiborne F. Jackson, who lives at "Arrow Rock," Missouri. I do not recollect whether I first saw Col. Young that night or the next morning. I recollect seeing a Dr. Earl, from Westport, who was postmaster there. When I first came out here, I also saw a man by the name of Cole, from Kansas City. There was quite a procession came on the morning of the election, with flags Aying, from towards the "Wakarusa, I think from where Mr. McGee lives; I saw two McGee's in the party. When the polls were opened, Mr. Blanton, one of the judges of the election, was absent; there was considerable trouble in choosing a judge in his place.

Colonel Young assumed to manage for the Missourians. It took us at least an hour, I think, to settle on the third judge. Colonel Young claimed that the people here had two of the judges, and therefore it was nothing more than right that the Missourians should have one to attend to their interests. They anally agreed upon Mr. Cummins. Mr. Benjamin was appointed in place of Mr. Abbott, after he

Soon

resigned. It was found pretty difficult, when the polls were opened, for any one to get to the window to vote, after the judges had voted. I think Colonel Young was the first who offered to vote. One of the judges asked him if he was a resident of the Territory, and he said he was. He was asked to be sworn, and he was sworn, and again said he was a resident of this Territory. They formed two lines of them near from the window out on the prairie, some three or four rods, standing some six feet apart, and those who voted had to enter in at the outer end of these two lines, walk up to the window, and vote; and for a time they were put up over the house to get out. After some voting they formed another line from the window to let them out. after the voting commenced I heard quite an excitement a little to the left of where I was standing. I supposed at first it was a kind of what we call a side row, got up to get people away from the house, so that others could vote. I saw a man running from the house towards the river, and as many as a hundred running after him. I started after them, and I was perhaps a rod from the man when he jumped off the bauk; and I saw it was a Mr. Bond, of this place. There were some two or three pistol-shots fired after him. There was considerable excitement on the bank. Several of them said they must drive all the damned abolitionists off the ground. I remarked that it would be difficult for them to do so, as there were men there who would be willing to have their bodies riddled with bullets before they suffered that to be done. Colonel Young came up to me, and said that he wished no difficulty, and if we would keep our men quiet they would not allow any of us to be injured; that they wanted to vote, and would vote, at all hazards. I heard as many as fifty persons say that, I think. One of the judges objected to Colonel Young's vote being received, and when it was received he resigned. They appointed Mr. Benjamin in his place; Mr. Benjamin was a resident of this district, I think.

These Missourians had almost exclusive control of the polls until late in the afternoon. This Benjamin had a claim near town, but I do not know whether he was living on it or not. I recollect that a man named Willis, who lived in this place at that time, came up about the middle of the afternoon to vote, when about half of these Missourians had left. When he came up they raised a cry that he was a damned abolitionist, a ne; ro thief, &c., and hallooed "Kill him !" "Shoot him!" &c. There were several of our men on the ground, and they told them if they wanted to commence that game they could do so, and that they would find the matter would not end here in Kansas Territory; and they quieted down very much. I think Willis voted. These men ran him. A Mr. J. O. Shelby, who I think lives in Berlin, Lafayette county, Missouri, took dinner with me that day. He said there were fifty who came from his neighborhood with him to vote, and they were going to vote. He said that if he had to swear that he lived in this Territory he would not vote, as he did not live here, and never expected to live here, nor did the men who were with him ever expect to live here. I do not know as I can name others who voted. I recollect of seeing E. M. McGee, who lives between Kansas City and Westport. I also saw a number

whom I had seen in Missouri, in Westport, Kansas City, Independence, and other places, whose names I do not know. I think there were two McGees here, but I do not recollect the name of the other one. This Shelby stated that there were ten thousand Missourians in this Territory, and one thousand of them were detailed to this place. When I was in the camp the night before the election I recollect there was a messenger came in to inform them that there were not men enough in Bloomington-a district above this-and they must have two hundred more men there. I heard this Lomry and Jackson talk about it, and they agreed that night to send two hundred men. Quite a number of the party left the next morning, about the time the polls were opened here, and went off above somewhere. The majority of these

, I think, had revolvers in sight. They had bowie-knives, I supse, though I do not know enough about them to tell whether they were bowie-knives, though they were large knives; and they also had rifles and double-barreled shot-guns. They had drums and flags, though I do not recollect what kind of flags they were. I think I knew perhaps nine-tenths of the settlers in this district at that time. These men who came here were all strangers to the district. After the election they left, and I should think they were all out of the district by noon the next day. They said they came here to vote, and were going to vote. I heard the remark frequently that if the people here made no opposition, and allowed them to vote, there would be no trouble; but if there was any opposition they would drive them all out of the neighborhood, or kill them, as they were going to vote anyhow. I recollect, among others, seeing Mr. Owen here, who lives near Lexington, Missouri. He had formerly been in the Territory, and had a claim over north of the town. He was here at the first election at Basyager's, and had a difficulty with a Dutchman, and shot him. He then left the Territory, and had not been seen here since until the day of the election of the 30th of March, at which he voted. His claim was some twelve or fourteen miles from here to the south, and I think in the district below here. I recollect that about a dozen men who were strangers to me, but who said they were from Missouri, took me one side on the day of election, and made inquiries about one of their candidates. They said they were afraid he was not altogether "sound on the goose question." They used to know him down in Kansas City, but were afraid of him, and wanted to know if he had not expressed some rather Free-soil sentiments up here. Colonel Young, however, vouched for him, and they concluded to vote for him. I tried to find out their candidates when I was in their camp the night before the election. I should think I asked a hundred men. about them; but the universal cry was, that they had no tickets, and did not know who were their candidates. They said their leaders would fix that up in the night, and get their tickets, and they would know in the morning.

I was about the polls pretty much all day, with the exception of about one hour at dinner time. These men from the camp voted. I think I saw one man vote four times. They changed their coats or their hats, and came up to the window again and voted. I do not

know about the names they gave. I asked them if they were going to keep on and vote the wholė season.

LAWRENCE, K. T., April 26, 1856.

,

[Mr. Oliver objects to the witness stating anything the supposed illegal voters may have said in regard to the election of the 30th March, 1855, and insists that they, the alleged illegal voters, would, if present, be competent witnesses, and that they should be subpoenaed to appear before the committee to testify of their knowledge touching the said election, and their connexion with the same. That the mode of examination now pursued is in violation of the well-established rules of evidence, as recognised by the standard authors.]

I

To Mr. Reeder:

EDWARD CHAPMAN sworn.

I came into the Territory on the 28th day of December, 1854, and settled in this district, and have resided here ever since. I was here on the 30th of March, 1855. I saw a large body of men come in on the day of the election, and encamped in the ravine below my house. suppose there were six or seven hundred of them before they sent off the detachments, as near as I could judge. They were strangers, not residents of the district at the time; that is, a majority of them were not. They participated in the election at the time. Most of them left the day of the election-from 3 to 5 o'clock in the afternoon. A small party were here I believe the next morning, and left that day, the 31st of March. I was in their camp. I was in their camp. There was no gentleman there with whom I was acquainted but Claiborne Jackson; I was introduced to several. There was one gentleman to whom I was introduced before, by the name of Harlow, and I was introduced to him again on that day. I did not see any of the McGees there whilst encamped. I saw Mr. McGee while they were assembled around the election house-Allen McGee. I saw Mr. Coles, of Kansas City, at the polls that day; they both live in Missouri-Coles in Kansas City, and I suppose McGee too-but McGee said he had a claim on the Wakarusa.

Some time in the early part of the day, on the 30th, one detachment was sent off to Hickory Point, in the neighborhood of one hundred and fifty or two hundred, or more may be. Another detachment followed, and that shortly-they were destined for the second district, Bloomington-I should conclude from one hundred and fifty to two hundred of them. They told me they came here to vote. They claimed that they had a right to come here and vote; all they asked was to vote here peaceably, and if they could not do it peaceably they must resort to some other means. Most of them had double-barreled shot-guns, and guns of various descriptions, and most of them had side-arms. I saw a couple of pieces of artillery. Mr. Miller and myself went over to Mr. Wade's; after Miller had finished his business we came through a part of the camp; they were distributed in various

parties. We crossed the ravine, and came very near the house of the election. Some gentleman hallooed to me; I went back, and we got into conversation about the matter. He asked me if I thought there was any prospect of difficulty here? I told him I thought not. He said he was in hopes there would not be. I told him if there were citizens enough in the place to give them a fair fight they would do it. He thought there would be no use in doing that, and invited me to go down a short distance with him. We went to a wagon, and he lifted up a cloth and some blankets, and remarked to me that there was a couple of "bull-dogs" they had, loaded with musket-balls. They were all covered up in the hay, with the exception of the rims of them; they were a couple of brass cannon. I then left there, and went up to the house where the election was held. I suppose I was voted for by them for member of council on that day.

Cross-examined by Mr. Oliver:

Those leading gentlemen, Mr. Jackson and others, said they came here to vote to counteract the votes given by those men who were sent here under the auspices of the Emigrant Aid Society; who had come that spring, and were still coming to vote at that election-the 30th of March. I heard Mr. Allen McGee say, that he would never have brought his company here, but for his understanding that there were a number of persons from the northern and eastern States en route on the Missouri, to reach here and vote at the 30th of March election. I heard that remark made by Mr. Thompson, of Clay county, and others, and by most of those whom I heard speak of it at all. They thought the whole thing wrong and irregular on both sides, and were only acting in self-defence. They meant that the North and East had sent persons here for the purpose of making this a free State. They claimed that they had as good a right to come here and vote as men from the east or northern States. They further stated that, if it was not for this eastern and northern emigration, they would not have come here. to vote. They claimed that the North and the East had formed what they called Emigrant Aid Societies, whose purpose was to send men here to vote. Mr. Allen McGee told me that he had reliable information that there were between four and five hundred on a boat between St. Louis and Kansas City, of eastern and northern men, to be at this place and other points in the Territory at that election. Some of the same gentlemen said that they were willing and would abide by the principles laid down in the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and were willing that the actual settlers of the Territory should determine the question of slavery. They claimed that they had reason to believe that there were a number of persons from the north and east who were not actual settlers, who proposed to vote at that election. None of these men that I conversed with at that time claimed to be actual settlers, except Allen McGee. I have been told by several of them that they would not have interfered with the election at all, were it not that these men coming from the north and east were not actual settlers. None of these leading men, whose declarations I have given in my examination in chief, made any threats that they would use violence on any of the citizens of Lawrence.