ls, and had flags
hoisted. They held a sort of informal election off at one side,
at first for governor of Kansas Territory, and shortly afterwards
announced Thomas Johnson, of Shawnee Mission, elected governor.
The polls had been opened but a short time when Mr. Jones marched
with the crowd up to the window and demanded that they be allowed
to vote, without swearing as to their residence. After some noisy
and threatening talk, Claiborne F. Jackson addressed the crowd,
saying that they had come there to vote; that they had a right to
vote if they had been there but five minutes, and he was not willing
to go home without voting; this was received with cheers. Jackson
then called upon them to form into little bands of fifteen or
twenty, which they did, and went to an ox-wagon filled with guns,
which were distributed among them, and proceeded to load some of
them on the ground. In pursuance of Jackson's request, they tied
white tape or ribbons in their button holes, so as to distinguish
them from the "Abolitionists." They again demanded that the judges
resign. Upon their refusing to do so they smashed in the window,
sash and all, presented their pistols and guns, and at the same
time threatened to shoot. Some one on the outside cried out not
to shoot, as there were pro-slavery men in the house with the
judges. They then put a pry under the corner of the house, which
was built of logs, lifted it up a few inches, and let it fall again,
but desisted upon being again told that there were pro-slavery men
in the house. During this time the crowd repeatedly demanded to
be allowed to vote without being sworn, and Mr. Ellison, one of
the judges, expressed himself willing, but the other two judges
refused; thereupon a body of men, headed by Sheriff Jones, rushed
into the judges' room with cocked pistols and drawn bowie-knives
in their hands, and approached Burson and Ramsay. Jones pulled
out his watch and said he would given them five minutes to resign
in, or die. When the five minutes had expired and the judges had
not resigned, Jones now said he would given them another minute
and no more. Ellison told his associates that if they did not
resign there would be one hundred shots fired in the room in less
than fifteen minutes, and then snatching up the ballot-box ran out
into the crowd, holding up the ballot-box and hurrahing for Missouri.
About that time Burson and Ramsay were called out by their friends,
and not suffer