Ephraim Nute to Franklin B. Sanborn, March 22, 1859

Lawrence K.T. March 22 59 F. B. Sanborn Esq
Dear Sir

Yours of the 11 enclosing draft for $50 is recd. It comes very opportunely & that it comes from our highly esteemed friend Mrs Green makes it peculiarly gratifying. Day before yesterday we (ie about half a dozen who have had the management of the Doy expedition) were almost in despair for the want of funds to meet the pressing emergency for his defence. His trial is to come off at St Joseph tomorrow & it was necessary to send 6 witnesses over by which an alibi can be found & some other facts bearing on the case. We had contracted debts in the preparation for the trial that was appointed for some 4 weeks since at Platte City & $160 & over was needed immediately. Three of us took each a subscription paper & worked-

We have since made up the amount into about $10. But here are 4 more fugitives who must be forwarded immediately 1st Charlie Fisher who has twice kidnapped & of whom you have before read. 2nd Bill Riley one of who was taken with Dr Doy & who escaped from Platte City jail by burning out an iron bar from the logs in which it was fastened across the window. ( Dr Doy was shut up in an iron cage within the general enclosure) & so could not escape with Riley) 3rd a woman with a child who has been here some three months. 4th a smart young fellow who walked into our house one day last week. He escaped from masters in Linn Co K.T. & had walked hither in 3 or 4 nights. I directed him to the next depot 7 miles West telling him to make inquiries at a friends a mile from this. He had been gone but a quarter of an hour or so when a young man rode over from the main street (our house is on the western border) & after inquiring about the fugitive informed me that the hunters were on his track, - that they had reached Lawrence but a short time after the fugitive the evening before & had put up at the public house in which or in the outhouse of which the “property” had found shelter, - that they had got sight of their game in the morning, had engaged the use helpers who, I am [paired?] to confess, are not few here in Lawrence to be on the watch & they had tracked him to my house & were proposing to make a descent on us that night. In the meantime his further progress through the cornfield back of our house had escaped their vigilance It not being according to the usual method they had been mislead supposing he would not move again before night. I mounted & rode “across lots” to intercept the hunted one to have him take a hiding place through the day & get him convoyed under cover of darkness by an unfrequented rout In this I succeeded. That night he was taken horse-back & safely conducted to a good place 7 miles on the road & last night 25 miles further I expect. On returning to town & going into the main street I found the alarm had been well grounded. The leading man among the man-hunters had conferred with the landlord in great trouble about the escape of “his Uncle’s” chattel – said he was authorized to offer $600 for his delivery in Linn Co & offered 200 for information that would lead to his capture, this he also did in several stores. He was very anxious to know if it would be possible to take him in Lawrence & get off with him, or safe to make the attempt – but the replies which he got were not very encouraging & he pretended to give up the hunt, but some of the underlings are doubtless on the watch. I give these particulars to help you to a clear idea of the business & the desirableness of despatch in our operations. I must close abruptly & hope to write more soon, as ever yours

E. N.
I fear more trouble & expense in the Doy case. We hear by Gov Shannon his counsel that several other indictments are pending over him & that the fire eaters of Platte the greater part of the day & got about $60- I then learned that $25 sent by Dr Howe to Conway was available for the object on my discretion ($25 I had drawn before & used in this case)-are determined to have him tried there yet. The counsel will take all the appropriation from our Legislature for the defence –viz $4000 in scrip=$500 cash