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Show m k WAS OPENING SHOT OF f ' ! WAR THAT FIRED AT j ' LAWRENCE, KAN.? PpB i i jn 'if'" iaB WHEN Lawrence wns first socked on May 21, 1850, by Mlssourlaua and proslav- B I cry men directed by terrl- BB J tnrlnl ofllclnls, David A, Atclilsan, at BB v ouo time United States senator from BB 1 Missouri, figured prominently In tliu fl 1 work of Inciting tbc mob to Its B I rash deeds. Atchison hnd nt one time BB 1 nerved us vice president of the United BB 1 States, but during the Kansas trouble BB lio liovcred about the border towns of BB Kansas nnd Missouri helping greatly BB to Incite the lower classes of Mis- BB , nourluns to violence toward the free- BB i Mute settlers,4cspeclally those lu Lnw- BH 3 BB When Sheriff Jones and his allies PH came to Lawrence on May 21, 1SS0, to PH abate the Free Stato hotel and the two PH newspaper otllces as nulsauces tech- PH nlcully they were charged with "con- BBf structlve treason" Atchison whs In BH the front ranks, says the Luwrcncu PH Journal-World, and Incidentally Might- BH ly tipsy. He tnado a famous speech BH . that day, to the effect that "lly 0 , BH boys, I'm a KIckapoo ranger," und BH iinioug other things urged his men to PH shoot dowu women und children If It BH seemed at all uecessary. It Is a uiel- BH nncholy fact that inuny helpless per- BH I Mini were slaughtered, BH j ' liut It was not unfll'lho'work of de- BBJ straying the Tree State hotel com- BH menced that Atchison really did him- BV F t-elf Justice. The otllces of the Iler- BBf j aid and Freedom und the Kansas Kreo BH Statu had already been sacked and de- Ppi niollKbed, and then the mob tunied Ppi on the Tree Stato hotel. First the PbB lintel was bombarded with cannon, but PPl with little succesi; the shot simply PPB made holco In the w-ulls, nnd tho PbB actual work of destruction was Dually PPB accomplished by blowing the building fl up with kegs of powder nnd firing It PbB with paper from the newspaper oulceB. PbB Not to bo kept oat of tin) public eye, PpB I AtiiliUon Insisted on firing tho first PbB j ' tiuu at tho hotel. A Hinall howitzer PbB was dniggtMl out Into the street 'east H of tho hotel and slightly north about P whoro tlko car truck now turns enHt, or P nulbly a few jnnls farther east H 4 und Atchison .went about aiming the B gun at tho hotel. The howitzer uiM P was not loadod with the customary fl f, round cannon ball, but with u shell Pj set In n bnisn Jacket the only onu B of tho Und tho company had. BbB Atchison slshtrd down the gun bar- B ri'J. but hU zund rlr'it rv. told hint tho B gun was not properly aimed. BBB "I.owrr her a little bit lil-l'.c r. boys; BBBB J lower Her a llttla 14t li':;!'r," he com- BBBBJ mn ruled. BPK , I That dour, he touched tho cannon BBBBBjf oft uiul oomplrtoly idIsmhI the lintel I BBBBB Tim thai! went MTtwiMiliiK over into BBBBB I tho want of th town nnd wis heard PPB distinctly by many people, who de- H scilbcd Us puuiirii ns'v being aerom- B panlud by u pcuilnr whistling sonnd B unllko that uX uy otlerhot flr,cd that |
