Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/710

 these strangers mounted their horses and got into their wagons and cried out— "All aboard for Westport and Kansas City." A number were recognized as residents of Missouri, and among them was Samuel H. Woodson, a leading lawyer of Independence. Of those whose names are on the poll-books, 35 were resident settlers and 226 were non-residents.

The election in the IVth district was held at Dr. Chapman's, over 40 miles from the Missouri state line. It was a thinly-settled region, containing but 4T votes in February, 1855, when the census was taken. On the day before the election, from 100 to 150 citizens of Cass and Jackson counties, Mo., came into the district, declaring their purpose to vote, and that they were bound to make Kansas a slave state, if they did it at the point of the sword. Persons of the party on the way drove each a stake in the ground and called it a claim—and in one case several names were put on one stake. The party of strangers camped all night near where the election was to be held, and in the morning were at the election-polls and voted. One of their party got drunk, and to get rid of Dr. Chapman, a judge of the election, they sent for him to come and see a sick man, and in his absence filled his place with another judge, who was not sworn. They did not deny or conceal that they were residents of Missouri, and many of them were recognized as such by others. They declared that they were bound to make Kansas a slave state. They insisted upon their right to vote in the territory if they were in it one hour. After the election, they again returned to their homes in Missouri, camping over night on the way.

We find upon the poll-books 161 names; of these not over 30 resided in the territory; 131 were non-residents.

But few settlers attended the election in the Vth district, the district being large and the settlement scattered. 82 votes were cast; of these between 20 and 30 were settlers, and the residue were citizens of Missouri. They passed into the territory by way of the Santa Fe road and by the residence of Dr. Westfall, who then lived on the western line of Missouri. Some little excitement arose at the polls as to the legality of their voting, but they did vote for General Whitfield, and said they intended to make Kansas a slave state—and that they had claims in the territory. Judge Teazle, judge of the court in Jackson county, Missouri, was present, but did not vote. He said he did not intend to vote, but came to see that others voted After the election, the Missourians returned the way they came.

The election in the VIth district was held at Fort Scott, in the southeast part of the territory and near the Missouri line. A party of about one hundred men, from Cass and the counties in Missouri south of it, went into the territory, traveling about 45 miles, most of them with their wagons and tents, and camping out. They appeared at the place of election. Some attempts were made to swear them, but two of the judges were prevailed upon not to do so, and none were sworn, and as many as chose voted. There were but tew resident voters at the polls. The settlement was sparse—about 25 actual settlers voted out of 105 votes cast, leaving 80 illegal votes. After the voting