Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/719

 whip the d—d Yankees, and would vote without being sworn. Some said they came to have a fight and wanted one. Colonel Samuel H. Woodson, of Independence, Missouri, was in the room of the judges when they arrived, preparing poll-books and tally-lists, and remained there during their attempts to organize. The room of the judges was also filled by many of the strangers. The judges could not agree concerning the oath to be taken by themselves, and the oath to be administered to the voters, Mr. Burgess wishing to administer the oath prescribed by the governor and the other two judges opposing it. During this discussion between the judges, which lasted some time, the crowd outside became excited and noisy, threatening and cursing Mr. Burgess, the free-state judge. Persons were sent, at different times, by the crowd outside, into the room where the judges were, with threatening messages, especially against Mr. Burgess, and at last ten minutes were given them to organize in or leave; and as the time passed, persons outside would call out the number of minutes left, with threats against Burgess, if he did not agree to organize. At the end of that time, the judges not being able to organize, left the room and the crowd proceeded to elect nine judges and carry on the election. The free-state men generally left the ground without voting, stating that there was no use in their voting there. The polls were so crowded during the first part of the day that the citizens could not get up to the window to vote. Threats were made against the free-state men. In the afternoon the reverend Mr. Gispatrick was attacked and driven off by the mob. A man, by some called "Texas," made a speech to the crowd, urging them to vote and to stay on the ground till the polls were closed, for fear the abolitionists would come there in the afternoon and overpower them, and thus they would loose all their trouble.

For some days prior to the election, companies of men were organized in Jackson, Cass, and Clay counties, Mo., for the purpose of coming to the territory and voting in the Vth district. The day previous to the election, some 400 or 500 Missourians, armed with guns, pistols, and knives, came into the territory and camped, some at Bull Creek, and others at Potawatamie Creek. Their camps were about sixteen miles apart. On the evening before the election, Judge Hamilton, of the Cass county court, Mo., came from the Potawatamie Creek camp to Bull Creek for sixty more Missourians, as they had not enough there to render the election certain, and about that number went down there with him. On the evening before the election, Dr. B. C. Westfall was elected to act as one of the judges of election in the Bull Creek precinct, in place of one of the judges appointed by the governor, who, it was said, would not be there the next day. Dr. Westfall was at that time a citizen of Jackson county, Mo. On the morning of the election, the polls for Bull Creek precinct were opened, and, without swearing the judges, they proceeded to receive the votes of all who offered to vote. For the sake of appearance, they would get some one to come to the window and offer to vote, and when asked to be sworn, he would pretend to grow angry at the judges, and would go away, and his name would be put down as having offered to vote, but "rejected, refusing to be sworn." This arrangement was made previously, and