These legal documents relate to the case of the Kansas Territory vs. George W. Clarke and James N. Burns for the murder of free-state settler Thomas W. Barber in Douglas County, Kansas Territory on December 6, 1855 during the Wakarusa War. Clarke and Burns were indicted for the murder by the First District Court on October 13, 1856. Clarke was an Indian agent, slave owner, and pro-slavery activist involved in several Bleeding Kansas conflicts.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
Kansas Territory versus George W. Clarke, James N. Burns for murder - 2