Report of the special committee appointed to investigate the troubles in Kansas,: with the views of the minority of said committee.

KANSAS AFFAIRS.
ing their guns and shouting. I suggested to Mr. Brown not to fire.
I do not know as he had any intention of firing; but I thought there
was no use in our small party making any resistance. I recognized
Mr. Pierce Risely, and asked him if he had any authority in that
crowd. He said he had not; that Captain Martin commanded these
men. I asked him to point out Captain Martin to me. He did so.
MIartin was near by on a horse, and hearing his name mentioned, he
rode up where we were standing. At this time there was a great
deal of noise and disorder. I asked Captain Martin if he commanded
these men. He said he did. I asked him if he could bring them to
order, and I think he said he could; and I either asked or insisted
that he should do it; and he made an effort to do so, and, I think,
partially succeeded. When I had done speaking to Martin, I turned
round and saw George Taylor, one of our party, on the ground, and
two or three men were around him, and partially over him, and he
was making an effort to get up. As he got partly up, his head camne
in sight, and a man who had a hatchet struck at his head. I have
understood that that man's name was Gibson. I sprung there and
caught the hatchet in time to prevent its hitting Taylor. Some person on the other side of Taylor caught Gibson about the same time,
and pulled him round out of my reach. It was one of his own parts,
trying to prevent his killing Taylor, which he seemed bent on doing.
Gibson made a second blow at Taylor's head, and one of his own
party caught the hatchet. He then commenced hacking Taylor's cap
to pieces, which was on the ground. I told Martin to put Taylor
under the protection of some one who would take care of him, as I
thought he was hurt. I told Martin to put Gibson under guard, as
he seemed bent on killing somebody, and I was afraid hlie would do it.
These men were all armed with guns, pistols, some of them with
Bowie knives, and a great many with hatchets stuck in their belts.
The most of them were hatchets apparently just taken from some
store.
We asked themi what they meant by stopping us in that way, and
what they were going to do? and they said they had understood that
several pro-slavery men had been killed out at Easton; that there
was a large party of free State men from Lawrence there, and they
were going out to see if it was so, and they were going to hang those
who had killed the pro-slavery men. There was a good deal said
about hanging; I do not remember it all. They said they had
already procured the ropes. They insisted upon our getting into one
wagon and going back to Easton with them. We objected to that,
but were obliged to submit; and I proposed to Captain Martin that
some of his men should ride in our wagon, and some of our men ride
in his wagon. I was satisfied that there were some men in his party
so excited that I did not consider we would be safe, surrounded by
them, with none of their men with us. Martin consented to that
arrangement. Two of his men rode in our wagon and two of out
men in his. When these men first stopped us they took everything
out of the wagon, including some five or six guns. Brown's gun was
taken from his own hands, I think, and I saw Gibson take Taylor's
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