SQUATTER MEETINGS.-BURNING OF OAKLEY'S HOUSE, BY S. J. JONES. MOBBING OF REV. PARDON BUTLER.-MOBBING OF PHILLIPS, AND HOMICIDE OF CLARK.-HOMICIDE OF COLLINS.-SEIZURE OF BALLOT-BOX AT LEAVENWORTH, DECEMBER 15, 1855.-MURDER OF R. P. BROWN.SUNDRY ARRESTS.-ZIMMERMAN AT ATCHISON.-REEDER'S LETTERS.

JOHN A. WAKEFIELD called and sworn.

I came into the Territory in July, 1854, from Iowa, and settled about six miles west of this on the California road in the second district and have resided there ever since. We undertook to have squatter meetings to pass by-laws for the government of citizens in holding their claims. At those meetings we were met by the people of Missouri. A meeting held late in July or first of August, 1854, was organized by electing myself president, and S. N. Wood secretary of the meeting, and it was held on Judge Miller's claim, on what was then called "Backbone Ridge. The first meeting proved a failure on account of those men wishing to vote. We adjourned the meeting for a few days, I think for two days. We came; the Missourians were there, and claimed to take a part and did take a part in the meeting. The actual settlers were dissatisfied with this and adjourned from Thursday to meet on the Saturday following. After the Missourians. left the ground the citizens re-assembled on the same day, and then passed a code of by-laws for the government of claims and elected officers, what was termed a chief justice, a marshal, and a register of claims. Some few weeks after a notice was given of a new meeting, at the same place, to adopt amendments to their by-laws. When we assembled in the morning, on the ground, we found between one and two hundred men there from Missouri. Myself being the presiding officer, I called the meeting to order. The Missourians presented themselves to vote. I then rose, made a short speech and told them that none but actual settlers of the Territory would be allowed to vote at that meeting. The meeting then was addressed in a very lengthy and inflamatory speech by a man from the State of Missouri, of the name of Dunham, claiming that the Missourians had a right to vote at that meeting. He was followed in a short speech by a Mr. Lyon, a citizen of the Territory. A Dr. Lykins, of Kansas city, then spoke, claiming the right to vote there. I then took the privilege of responding to Dr. Lykins myself, in a speech, denying the right of Missourians to vote. This produced very great excitement. A man by the name of McGee, from near Westport, Missouri, made gestures with his fist towards me, and cried out Beware what you are doing." At this time there was a great deal of shoving and pushing, and such excitement as appeared likely to lead to blows. A gentleman there, whose name I cannot call to mind, but he claimed to be from Louisiana, sent me a note, that he wished to address the meeting. I then gave orders for them to open the way and let the gentleman come forward, which, after some difficulty was done. He went on to make a

speech to quell the excitement, and recommended a committee of conference of the settlers and the Missourians to try to make a compromise. A resolution was then adopted raising that committee of conference, which committee took the by-laws we had adopted at the first meeting and went out. They came back and reported the by-laws to the meeting with some amendments to them, and all voted, of both parties, for its adoption, except some of the actual settlers. Á minorA ity reyort was then made by the actual settlers and was concurred in, all voting for it. That was the end of the meetings concerning the rules and regulations for the government of claims. JOHN A. WAKEFIELD.

LAWRENCE, K. T., May 10, 1856.

Constitution of the Delaware Squatter Association, embracing all the laws passed by the different Squatter meetings from June 10, to December 2, 1854.

Constitution of the Delaware Squatter Association, upon the Delaware lands ceded to the United States, by the Delaware Indians, in the Territory of Kansas:

ARTICLE I. This association shall be known by the name of the "Kansas Delaware Squatter Association," and by such name shall be able to hold a court for the trial of all difficulties, growing out of the settlement of the public lands within said district, in regard to its occupancy.

ARTICLE II. The officers of the association shall be a president and two associate judges, a secretary, treasurer and marshal, who shall be elected annually from among the actual settlers upon said lands.

ARTICLE III. The president, by virtue of his office, shall be chief justice of the squatters' court; he shall preside at all meetings of the association, and be judge of the first judicial district.

ARTICLE IV. The associate justices shall be judges of and reside within the district, which shall be assigned them by the association. ARTICLE V. The president and associate judges shall each respectively be competent to try and determine all causes to them submitted for trial.

ARTICLE VI. The said president and associate justices shall have power to appoint their own clerks and sheriffs, and remove them at pleasure.

ARTICLE VII. The said clerks and sheriff's so appointed, shall perform all and singular the duties, and be entitled to receive the same compensation as the clerks and sheriffs would be for like services in the district courts of the United States for Territories.

ARTICLE VIII. The president shall preside at all meetings of the association.

ARTICLE IX. The secretary shall keep a correct record of all the proceedings of the association in a book kept for that purpose, which shall be open for inspection at all times; and in a book kept for the purpose, keep a record of all claims which shall be made in accordance

with the provisions of the association and for which he shall receive fifty cents.

ARTICLE X. The treasurer shall safely keep all moneys belonging to the association, and pay them out as directed by the general court.

ARTICLE XI. The marshal shall be the executive officer of the association, and the general court, and give personal attendance at their sittings, and at the general court shall perform all the duties required of him in order to carry out the provisions of the association, in bringing its decision to a speedy termination.

ARTICLE XII. In bringing suit it shall be necessary for the complainant to make his complaint to the judge in whose district he may reside, in a plain and intelligible manner, setting forth his complaint under oath, and if the judge shall think his complaint just and deserves a hearing, he shall demand of the complainant an amount of money sufficient to indemnify the officers for all costs which may accrue in the event of a failure of making good his charge, and direct the clerk to issue his warrant to the sheriff commanding the defendant to appear before him at a time to be fixed, therein to show cause why he should not be disposessed and deliver possession to the complainant, and also issue his subpoena for all such witnesses as either party may require. Which warrant and subpoenas shall be served and returned as process, directed to the sheriff from the district court of the United States.

ARTICLE XIII. On the trial of such cause, the same laws and evidence shall be applicable as in the district court of the United States.

ARTICLE XIV. There shall be a general court at Leavenworth on the first Monday of each month, composed of all the judges, or a majority of them, for the trial of such causes as may be taken by appeal or writ of error from the district courts of the several districts to the general courts, at which time and place all causes shall be heard and determined in their order, and finally adjudicated upon.

ARTICLE XV. In any cause which has been decided in any of the district courts, if either party shall think himself aggrieved by the decision of the judge, he may make his appeal or have a writ of error to the general court under the same rules and regulations as in the district courts of the United States, by first depositing with the clerk sufficient money for the payment of all costs which has or may accrue in the cause.

ARTICLE XVI. Should the court or judge grant an appeal or writ of error, the clerk shall make a correct transcript of the judgment and all the proceedings had in his court, and cause the same to be filed with the clerk of the general court, on or before the first day of the term thereof, and if an appeal, also the papers in the cause which may be heard de novo, but in either case the cause shall be heard at the first term.

ARTICLE XVII. Upon the final determination of any cause before the district court, or the general conrt as the case be, the court shall direct the clerk to issue a notice to the sheriff or marshall as the case may be, commanding the losing party to forthwith leave and surrender to the successful party the immediate possession, and should the losing party refuse to comply with the order of the court, when thus notified, he shall be declared out of the protection of the association, and the

sheriff may command a posse to assist if necessary, to put into execution his orders.

ARTICLE XVIII. On the trial of any cause, if either party should demand a jury, the court shall cause the clerk to issue a venire to the sheriff commanding him forthwith to summons six disinterested squatters to appear before him as jurors to try the cause, (naining it,) which shall be served and returned as other process, and should either party object to any of the jurors, the pannel may be filled by the bystanders; in making up the jury the same rules shall be observed as in the district courts of the United States, but there shall in no case be more than two challenges without cause shown.

ARTICLE XIX. In any cause submitted to the court or jury for trial, the defendant before he shall be permitted to put in any defence, shall deposit with the clerk an amount of money sufficient to indemnify the court for all costs which has or may accrue in the cause, and on a final determination of the cause, the costs shall be taxed up a ainst the losing party, and the money deposited by the successful party refunded to him.

ARTICLE XX. All the officers of either of the courts herein specified, before entering upon the duties of their respective offices, shall take an oath faithfully and impartial to discharge the duties of their respective offices.

ARTICLE XXI. The clerk and treasurer shall, before entering upon the duties of their office, give bond to the president of the association by his individual name, for the faithful application of all moneys intrusted to them, and should they or either of them fail so to do, suit may be forthwith brought on said bond, in the name of the president, (by his individual name,) for the use of the injured party, before any court in the Territory, and collected as other debts are collected, and said delinquent declared out of the protection of this association, and all his claims as such disregarded.

ARTICLE XXII. In case of the absence of the president at any of the meetings of the association, one of the associate justices shall preside and perform all the duties required of the president.

ARTICLE XXIII. In deciding causes submitted to the courts, all the rules and regulations of the squatters' association in regard to claims shall be strictly observed, and be the supreme law.

ARTICLE XXIV. Any squatter upon the Delaware lands ceded to the United States may become a member of this association by signing his name to its books.

ARTICLE XXV. The president and associate justices shall each be entitled to receive two dollars per day, for every day they or either of them may be engaged in trying causes, to be taxed and collected as other costs.

ARTICLE XXVI. The boundary lines of the association shall be as defined at the squatters' meeting, held on the 4th day of November, A. D. 1854.

Salt Creek resolutions, adopted June 10, 1854.

WHEREAS, We, the citizens of Kansas Territory, and many other citizens of the adjoining State of Missouri, contemplating a squatter's

home on the fair plains of said Territory, are assembled at Salt Creek Valley for the purpose of taking such steps as will secure safety and fairness in the location and preservation of claims:

Therefore, be it resolved,

1st. That we are in favor of bona fide squatter sovereignty and acknowledge the right of any citizen of the United States to make a claim in Kansas Territory, ultimately with the view of occupying it.

2nd. That such claim, when made, shall be held inviolate, so long as a bona fide intention of occupying it is apparent, and for the purpose of protecting and defending such claim, we agree to act in concert, if necessary, to expel intruders.

3d. That every persons of lawful age who may be the head of a family, who shall mark out his claim of 160 acres, so that it may be apparent how the same lies, and proceed with reasonable diligence to erect thereon a cabin or tent, shall be deemed to have made a proper claim.

4th. That any person marking out his claim shall be deemed to have forfeited it unless he commences his cabin or pitches a tent within two weeks thereafter, unless the same shall be on lands such as prohibit it by military or Indian reservations.

5th. That all persons now holding claims shall have two weeks from this day, in which to make the improvements contemplated by the foregoing resolutions.

6th. No person shall be protected by the squatter association who holds in his own right more than one claim.

7th. That a citizen of the Territory be appointed as register of claims, who shall keep a book in which he shall register the name and description of all squatters, and their claims and the date of making the same, for which registration he shall be allowed the sum of fifty cents for each claim, to be paid by the claimant.

8th. That we recognise the institution of slavery as already existing in this Territory, and recommend to slave-holders to introduce their property as early as possible.

9th. That we will afford protection to no abolitionist as settlers of Kansas Territory.

Stockbridge resolutions, adopted July 8, 1854.

3d. Resolved, That we adopt the resolutions and proceedings of the Salt Creek Squatter Association, held on 10th June 1854, so far as they do not conflict with the following.

4th. That the making of improvements, by erecting a cabin, tent or fence is essential to the validity of any claim laid on the Delaware lands.

5th. That all claims must be registered with intelligible metes and bounds.

6th. That all persons holding claims shall be allowed two weeks from this day in which to make the required improvements.

7th. That D. Dodge, Fort Leavenworth, be appointed register for the Delaware lands-that all claims must be registered within two weeks from the time of making them-that the sum of fifty cents.