Several to Branson-" If you move we will shoot you." Hupp (a Hoosier)-"Shoot and be d-d.”

Wood-"Come on, let them shoot if they dare. Gentlemen," (addressing the posse) "shoot but one gun at Mr. Branson, and not a man of you will be left alive." Branson-"I will do as you say."

Company "Come on, come on."

Branson then crossed over to the rescuing party. Wood (stepping forward and taking hold of the bridle)— "Whose mule is this?"

Branson-"It is theirs."

Wood (turning the mule and hitting it a kick)—" Go back to your friends."

Jones-"My name is Jones; I have a warrant to arrest old man Branson, and I must serve it."

Wood-"We know of no Sheriff Jones in Kansas, nor in Douglas County, and what is better, we never intend to know him. We know of a postmaster in Missouri named Jones."

"Jones-"I have a warrant to arrest Branson, and must do it."

Wood-"If you must arrest him, go at it. I am Branson's attorney; if you have a warrant for him, let me see it." Jones-"I have one, but do not see proper to show it at present."

After parleying thus for about an hour, the valiant Sheriff and his posse faced about and hastened, by a circuitous route, to Franklin. He left with threats that he would raise the Territorial militia to enforce the laws. During this altercation, six more persons joined the free state party, two of whom lived in Lawrence-S. F. Tapan and S. C. Smith.

The rescue of Branson was violent and irregular, and can only be excused by the violent and irregular manner of his arrest. His neighbors, already excited and inflamed by the recent murder, were not prepared to brook the midnight as

sault upon one of their most peaceable and oldest citizens. To aggravate the offense still more, the Sheriff had never exhibited any authority by which the arrest was made, nor stated the cause of it. The excited and indignant farmers hurried to the rescue of one of their number, from what they imagined to be a ruffian mob.

The rescued and rescuers passed on to Lawrence, where they aroused the citizens. The drum and fife rang out on the stillness of the night, and the awakened inmates of the little city hastened to ascertain the cause of so unusual a demonstration. The squad of rescuers drew up before Dr. Robinson's house, and Mr. Branson stepped out and told the story of his wrongs.

Early on the following day, a public meeting was held to counsel together upon the events that had just transpired, and the course to be pursued with reference to them. All knew and felt that the drama was not finished. By the more youthful and passionate it was at first resolved to resist every attempt at arrest by the Territorial authorities. But discretion and prudence prevailed over excitement and rashness. As Lawrence had nothing to do with the rescue or any of the late disturbances at Hickory Point, it was thought best that she should not assume the responsibilities of them. It was known that the Missourians were but too ready to find an excuse for an attack upon the town. From the threats that Jones had made to the rescuers, from the information derived from other sources and what they knew of the character of the Missourians, all felt that an invading horde would soon be upon them.

It was finally decided that Lawrence should have nothing to do with the recent irregular proceedings; that Branson and those connected with the rescue should leave the town. Thus every pretext for an attack upon the place was removed. It was thought proper, however, that some measures of self-defense should be taken, and the following committee of ten persons was appointed to provide for the pro

tection of the town against armed aggression: G. P. Lowery, chairman, G. W. Hutchingson, C. Robinson, G. W. Deitzler, C. W. Babcock, G. W. Brown, R. Morrow, J. Miller, A. H. Mallory, J. S. Emery. It was the express understanding that this committee was to provide, not for the purpose of aggression nor to shield any person from deserved punishment, but to protect the town against armed invaders then assembling around Lawrence.

It was the design, it is thought, on the part of pro-slavery men to have taken Branson to Lawrence, where they expected he would be rescued by the citizens, which would furnish a good pretext for its demolition. Long before this time the place had been threatened-in fact, from the first week that the pioneer emigrants pitched their tents upon the town site, border ruflians menaced it. There is no doubt that the arrest of Branson was a plot by which to involve the colonists in open conflict with the Territorial Government, or compel them to a recognition of the bogus laws.

Sheriff Jones, somewhat thwarted in his design by the unexpected movement of the free state men, on returning to Franklin, in his wrath, sent a dispatch to Colonel Boone, of Westport, Missouri, at the same time remarking, "That man is taking my dispatch to Missouri, and by G-d I'll have revenge before I reach Missouri." In the course of an half hour he wrote a dispatch and sent it to the Governor, of which the following is a copy:

.6

"DOUGLAS COUNTY, K. T., Nov. 27, 1855. SIR-Last night I, with a posse of ten men, arrested one Jacob Branson, by virtue of a peace warrant regularly issued, who, on our return, was rescued by a party of forty armed men, who rushed upon us suddenly from behind a house upon the roadside, all armed to the teeth with Sharp's rifles. "You may consider an open rebellion as having already commenced, and I call upon you for three thousand men to