In re Walter McGee, George Andrews, and George Buckner, petitioners, Kansas Supreme Court case no. 22,691
Creator: Kansas. Supreme Court
Date: July term 1919
Kansas Supreme Court case no. 22,691, In re Walter McGee, George Andrews, and George Buckner, petitioners, was a challenge to Chapter 205 of the Kansas Laws of 1917. The law permitted the State Board of Health to enact a policy of quarantining men (and women), without a hearing, for the purpose of controlling the spread of venereal diseases. The Kansas State Quarantine Camp for Men, at the State Penitentiary in Lansing, was the place designated for isolating and treating the men, who were taken into custody in Topeka after being examined by the City Health Officer. Topeka passed its own version of the state law, ordinance no. 4832, in 1918, and copies of the ordinance are included in this file. The Kansas Supreme Court denied the petitioners' "application for a writ of habeas corpus" (claim that the state had detained them unlawfully) stating that the State Board of Health's actions were not unreasonable. The attorney representing the petitioners was Elisha Scott, a prominent African American attorney, whose firm later handled the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education case.

Kansas State Temperance Union legal documents
Date: 1907-1908
This bound volume contains affidavits, warrants, and legal briefs naming the State of Kansas as plaintiff for cases pertaining to the sale of alcohol. The Kansas State Temperance Union actively prosecuted the "unlawful and illegal sales of intoxicating liquors." Although Kansas was the first state to adopt a constitutional amendment prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors, the law was largely unenforced. This volume includes accusations that Daniel Read Anthony, Jr. knowingly allowed the sale of alcohol to occur on his property. Kansas Attorney General F. S. Jackson is frequently mentioned throughout the volume. Due to water damage, some text is illegible or difficult to read.

Kansas Territory, U.S. District Court affidavit on John Brown, Jr. taking slaves
Creator: United States. District Court (Kansas)
Date: May 28, 1856
An affidavit by William C. Childers from the Kansas Territory, U.S. District Court, 2nd District, Shawnee County in regards to John Brown, Jr. stealing slaves from William Jones, Prairie City, Kansas Territory.

Kansas Territory, U.S. District Court versus Charles Fugit
Date: 1857
Testimony given at the trial of Charles Fugit in the muder of William Hoppe on August 19, 1856 in Leavenworth County, Kansas Territory. Witnesses testified that Fugit shot and scalped his victim and exhibited the scalp in a pro-slavery camp. Fugit was acquitted on June 23, 1857 by Samuel D. Lecompte, appointed chief justice of the territorial supreme court.

Kansas Territory, U.S. District Court versus John Brown
Date: October 24, 1857
Writ ordering the capture of John Brown for the crime of rebellion at Fort Scott in Bourbon County, Kansas. The order was served by E. S. Dennis per United States Deputy Marshall John Little on October 28, 1857.

Kansas Territory, U.S. District Court versus John Brown and others for conspiracy
Date: 1856-1858
Materials relating to the case of the Kansas Territory, U.S. District Court versus John Brown, John Brown Jr., O. C. Brown, O. V. Dayton, Alexander Gardner, Richard Mendenhall, Charles A. Foster, Charles H. Crane, William Partridge, and William Chestnut, on the charge of conspiracy.

Kansas Territory, U.S. District Court versus John Brown and others for horse stealing
Date: 1856
Materials relating to the case of the Kansas Territory, U.S. District Court versus John Brown, Owen Brown, James Townsley, and Thomas Weiner on the charge of horse stealing. Henry Sherman ("Dutch Henry") signs an affidavit identifying the men as the theives on the evening on the Pottawatomie Massacre in Franklin County, Kansas on May 24, 1856.

Kansas Territory, U.S. District Court versus John Brown, Jr. for horse stealing
Date: 1856-1857
Materials relating to the case of the Kansas Territory, U.S. District Court versus John Brown, Jr., on the charge of grand larceny for stealing a horse from George R. Hopper on May 23, 1856 in Lykins County, Kansas (now Miami County). Second District Judge Sterling G. Cato issued a subpeona for the testimony of Thomas Kelly, Charles A. Foster, Samuel M. Merrill, Joseph B. Higgins, William Collis, Harvey Jackson, and William Chestnut.

Kansas Territory versus A. J. Armstrong for assault on Orlando Moffitt
Date: crime January 1857; warrant January 1857
This case file relates to the charge against A. J. Armstrong for assaulting Orlando Moffitt on January 31,1857 in Shawnee County, Kansas Territory. Moffitt reported to a Justice of the Peace Henry Carmichael on January 31st that Armstrong had shot at him and threatened his life while Moffitt was building a log cabin. Armstrong was apprehended and released on bond in February of 1857, with his trial set for the next term of the 3rd U.S. District Court.

Kansas Territory versus A. J. Armstrong, Frederick Bartles, and Charles Walker for assault
Date: crime December 1856
This is the case file for the case against A. J. Armstrong, Frederick Bartles, and Charles Walker for assaulting W. M. Clark on December 11, 1856 near Tecumseh, Kansas Territory. Clark reported to a justice of the peace that Armstrong and his associates Walker and Bartles attempted to attack him and threatened to kill him as the result of a dispute over land ownership between Clark and Armstrong. The three men were arrested December 11, 1856 and released on bond December 12, 1856. The trial was set for the 1857 spring term of the U. S. District Court of the Kansas Territory, Second District.

Kansas Territory versus Alkire for theft
Date: crime September 7, 1856
This court document relates to the charge of theft against Alkire (first name unknown) in Douglas County, Kansas Territory on September 7th, 1856. On September 27th, 1856, George Ward testified before Justice Sterling G. Cato that his house had been robbed September 7th and furniture stolen. He believed some of his stolen goods to be in possession of Alkire, residing near Bloomington, a town near what is now Clinton Lake. Justice Cato issued a search warrant for Alkire's property. On September 26th, George Ward's wife Sidney testified that her husband's house was burned down, naming a different party responsible for arson (see item 444714).

Kansas Territory versus A. P. F. Davis for assault with intent to kill
Date: 1856
These legal documents relate to the case of the Kansas Territory vs. A. P. F. (Porter) Davis for assault with intent to kill. Davis was accused of shooting at John Cummings (Cummins) with a pistol on May 10, 1856 in Fort Scott, Kansas Territory. Witnesses reported the Cummings and Davis shot at each other after Cummings called Davis a derogatory name for freesoilers. The Second District Court for Bourbon County indicted Davis during the May court term of 1856. (See item #444929 for more information)

Kansas Territory versus Archy (alias) Origin Cansdell, Captain J. N. Holmes for murder of Henry Sherman
Date: May 25, 1857
This arrest warrant and affidavit relate to the case of the Kansas Territory vs. Archy (alias) Origin Cansdell and Captain J. N. Holmes for the murder of Henry Sherman on March 15, 1857 in Lykins County, Kansas Territory. John S. Wells accuses Cansdell and Holmes of the murder in an affidavit sworn before Second District Court Clerk Charles P. Bullock on May 25, 1857.

Kansas Territory versus Asa Allen & J. C. Gordon for selling liquor without a license
Date: crime May 1856; indictment June 1856
This case file relates to the charge against Asa Allen and J. C. Gordon for selling liquor without a license in Shawnee County, Kansas Territory on May 10, 1856. Allen and Gordon were indicted for the crime during the June session of 1856 by the U.S. Second Judicial District Court. Several warrants were issued for the apprehension of Allen and Gordon were issued throughout 1856-1858 for this crime, but all found in this case file were returned unexecuted as the accused could not be found.

Kansas Territory versus Benjamin Cockran for malicious mischief
Date: 1856 - 1858
These legal documents relate to the case of the Kansas Territory vs. Benjamin Cockran (Cochran) for malicious mischief. Cockran was accused of maliciously killing two hogs, the property of "Majors and Russill", on January 1, 1856 in Franklin County, Kansas Territory. Cockran was indicted by the Franklin County Court during the Spring term of 1856.

Kansas Territory versus Bunch for gambling
Date: May 1857
This indictment was issued for Bunch (first name unknown) by the U. S. District Court of the Kansas Territory, Second District, during the May term of 1857 in Lecompton, Kansas Territory. Bunch was accused of gambling at a game of faro on May 1, 1857. The indictment is signed by Assistant District Attorney Benjamin J. Newsom.

Kansas Territory versus Calvin Cutler, Samuel Dolman, James H. Lane for assault and robbery
Date: 1856 - 1858
These legal documents relate to the case of the Kansas Territory vs. Calvin Cutler, Samuel Dolman, and James H. Lane. Cutler, Dolman, and Lane, along with a group of armed men, were accused of stealing 60 oxen, 9 wagons, and 3 mules from a wagon train that belonged to Samuel McKinney on September 1 or September 20, 1856 in Douglas County, Kansas Territory. The men were accused of assaulting Samuel Broomfield during the robbery. Cutler, Dolman, and Lane were indicted on October 13, 1856 by the First District Court in Lecompton. James Henry Lane was a commander in the free-state forces and led a party of free-state men to attack the pro-slavery stronghold of Hickory Point on September 13, 1856.

Kansas Territory versus Carloss M. Day and others for assault with intent to kill
Date: August 13, 1856
These warrants for the arrest of Carloss M. Day, Daniel Scannell, W. S. Hull, and Charles Day were issued by Douglas County Justice of the Peace Samuel Crane Sr. The four men were accused of assaulting multiple people in the house of Samuel Crane Sr. in Franklin (now part of present-day Lawrence), Kansas Territory. Free-soil forces led by James H. Lane attacked the pro-slavery town of Franklin in Douglas County on August 12, 1856.

Kansas Territory versus Charles Calkins et al. for grand larceny
Date: October 26, 1857 - October 28, 1858
This witness testimony, sworn before Justice of the Peace Samuel N. Wood in 1857 and 1858, relates to the trial of Charles Calkins, William Porter, William Way, William Myers, A. J. Miller, Newell Miller, J. S. Miller, John Elliott Duffield, and Alexander Sheets for grand larceny. In October of 1857, Calkins was accused of leading a band of men who stole horses from Ned Tooly and George Blue Jacket, members of the Shawnee tribe, in Douglas County, Kansas Territory. The testimony indicates Calkins escaped from custody.

Kansas Territory versus Charles Diggs for horse stealing
Date: July 25, 1856
These legal documents relate to the case of the Kansas Territory vs. Charles Diggs. Benjamin F. Claywell testified in an affidavit before Justice of the Peace Daniel R. Sprange that Diggs stole a horse from Claywell on July 23, 1856 in Jefferson County, Kansas Territory. The documents include an arrest warrant issued by Sprange and executed by the Sheriff of Jefferson County.

Kansas Territory versus Charles F. Day for larceny
Date: 1856
These legal documents relate to the case of the Kansas Territory versus Charles F. Day for larceny. Ambrose J. Bush accused Day and his associates McCracken and Gallet of robbing him of his horse and gun on July 19, 1856 in Douglas County, Kansas Territory. Day was arrested on July 23, 1856.

Kansas Territory versus Coleman for horse stealing
Date: October 28, 1856
This affidavit and warrant relate to the 1856 case of the Kansas Territory vs. Coleman (first name unknown). In the affidavit of J. P. Robinson sworn before Justice of the Peace Samuel Wood, Robinson claims Coleman and a company of around four hundred men stole two of his horses on about August 12 or 15, 1856 in southwest Douglas County, Kansas Territory along Washington Creek. On August 15, 1856, a band of free-state men destroyed the pro-slavery stronghold of Fort Saunders in Douglas County near the location of this crime.

Kansas Territory versus C. W. Babcock for horse theft
Date: warrant October 8, 1856
This arrest warrant relates to the charge of horse theft against C. W. Babcock, E. Chapman, Fay, and Waterman for allegedly stealing the horse of Rev. Statler (Stratler) in October of 1856 in Douglas County, Kansas Territory. A warrant was issued for the arrest of the named parties on October 8th, 1856, and Babcock and Fay were arrested on October 11, 1856. Carmi W. Babcock was an active member of the Free State cause and was, at the time of this warrant, postmaster of Lawrence, Kansas Territory.

Kansas Territory versus Daniel D. Cook and John Reynolds for gaming
Date: April 1858 - August 30, 1858
These legal documents relate to the 1858 case of the Kansas Territory vs. Daniel D. Cook and John Reynolds. Cook and Reynolds were accused of running a gaming house where patrons could gamble on cards, from April 1, 1858 to the time of indictment, in Leavenworth County, Kansas Territory. Cook and Reynolds were indicted by the First District Court in Leavenworth during the April term of 1858.

Kansas Territory versus Daniel W. Collins for selling liquor without a license
Date: 1857
These legal documents relate to the 1857 court case of the Kansas Territory vs. Daniel W. Collins. Collins was accused of selling liquor without a license on May 4, 1857 in the Kansas Territory. Collins was indicted during the May court term of 1857 by the Second District Court in Lecompton.