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

KANSAS AFFAIRS.
resolutions is violent, and can only be justified in consequence of the
attempt to enforce the grossest acts of tyranny, and for the purpose
of guarding against a similar invasion in future.
In the fall of 1855, there sprang out of the existing disorder and
excitement in the Territory two secret free-State societies.(1) They
were defensive in their character, and were designed to form a protection to their members against unlawful acts of violence and insult.
One of those societies was purely of a local character, and was confined to the town of Lawrence. Very shortly after its organization
it produced its desired effect, and then went out of use and ceased to
exist.(2) Both societies were cumbersome, and were of no utility
except to give confidence to free-State men, and enable them to know
and aid each other in contemplated danger. So far as the evidence
shows, they led to no act of violence or resistance to either real or
alleged laws. (3)
On the 21st day of November, 1855, F. AI. Coleman, a pro-slavery
man, and Charles W. Dow, a free-State man, had a dispute about the
division line between their respective claims. Several hours afterwards, as Dow was passing from a blacksmith's shop towards his
claim, and by the cabin of Coleman, the latter shot Dow with a
double-barreled shot-gun loaded with slugs. Dow was unarmed
He fell across the road, and died immediately. This was about one
o'clock p. m. His dead body was allowed to lie where it fell until
after sundown, when it was conveyed by Jacob Branson to his house,
at which Dow had boarded. The testimony in regard to this homicide is voluminous,(4) and shows clearly that it was a deliberate
murder by Coleman, and that Harrison Buckley and a Mr. Hargous
were accessories to it. The excitement caused by it was very great
among, all classes of the settlers. On the 26th a large meeting of
citizens was held at the place where the murder was committed, and
resolutions passed that Coleman should be brought to justice.(5) In
the mean time Coleman had gone to Missouri, and then to Governor
Shannon at Shawnee Mission, in Johnston county. He was there
taken into custody by S. J. Jones, then acting as sheriff. No warrant was issued or examination had. On the day of the meeting at
Hickory Point, Harrison Buckley procured a peace warrant against
Jacob Branson, which was placed in the hands of Jones. That same
evening, after Branson had gone to bed, Jones came to his cabin with
a party of about 25 persons, among whom were Hargous and Buckley,
burst open the door, and found Branson in bed. He drew his pistol,
cocked it, and presented it to Branson's breast, and said: "You are
my prisoner, and if you move I will blow you through." The others
cocked their guns and gathered round him, and took him prisoner.
They all mounted and went to Buckley's house. After a time, they
went on by a circuitous route towards Blanton's bridge, stopping to
(1) Patt Laughlin, Dr. Francis, A. H. sReeder, and M. F. Conway.
(2) G. P. Lowrey and A. H. Reeder.
(3) G. P. Lowrey.
(4) Wm. J. Nichols, W. McKinney, D. T. Jones and wife, ithomas Brown, F. ML
Cojman,, and others.
(5) W. MIcKinney.
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