Show WAS V AS OPENING SHOT OF WAR THAT FIRED AT LAWRENCE KAN e. e HEN Lawrence was first WHEN W sacked on May 1 21 1856 by Missourians l and ery cry men directed by territorIal territorial terri terri- officials David A. A Atchison a aone at atone atone one time United States senator from Missouri figured prominently In th the work of Inciting the mob to Its rash deeds Atchison had at one time serve served as ns vice president of the United States but during the Kansas trouble he hovered about the border towns of ot I Kansas and Missouri Missouri helping greatly to Incite the lower classes of or MIssourians Missourians Mis MIs- MIsi i to violence toward the freestate freestate freestate free- free i state settlers especially those In Lawrenc Law Law- LawI I rence I When Sheriff Jones and his allies aUles came to Lawrence on May 21 1856 to abate bate the time Free iree State hotel and the two newspaper offices as nuisances tech tech they were charged with constructive constructive con treason treason Atchison Atchison was as Inthe in inthe inthe the front ranks says sas the Lawrence World Journal and incidentally slightly slight slIght- ly tipsy He made a famous speech speed that day to the effect that By ny G G- G bo boys s 's Im I'm a n Kickapoo ranger am and among other things timings urged his men to shoot down women and children 1 If It seemed at all nil necessary It Is a melancholy mel mel- fact that lint many helpless persons persons persons per per- sons were slaughtered But It was not until the work of destroying destroying de de- the Free State Stute hotel commenced commenced commenced com com- that Atchison r really lIy did himself himself himself him him- self Justice The offices of the Herald Her Her- Herald ald aId nn and Freedom and the Kansas Free FreeState FreeState FreeState State had already been sacked nn and demolished demolished de de- and then the mob turned on the Free State hotel First the hotel was bombarded with bombarded cannon but with little success the shot simply made holes In the time walls and the actual work worl of destruction was finally accomplished by blowing the building up with kegs of ot powder and amI firing it with paper from the newspaper offices office Not to be kept out of or the public eye Atchison Insisted cn en firing the first shot at nt the hotel botel A small howitzer was dragged put into the street east of the hotel an and slightly north north about about where the tho car track now turns east or possibly a few 0 yards farther cast east east- and Atchison went about aiming the gun at nt the hotel The howitzer used was not loaded with the customary round cannon ball but with a shell set In a brass jacket the jacket the only one of the kind the company hud hind Atchison sighted downtime down the gun bar bar- barrel barrel rel rem but his good right e eye e told fold him tho gun was not properly aimed Lower Loner her a little bit higher boys lower her a little bit higher lie be com corn That Tha t done he lie touched the cannon off and off and completely ly missed the hotel The shell shell- went screaming over Into the west of the town and was heard distinctly by man many people who described de do- scribed Its passage as being accompanied by a peculiar whistling sound unlike that of any other shot fired that day |