As stated in my opening post, the J.W. Babb you mention was the chairman of “The Mass Convention of the citizens of Linn County, K.T., held at Mound City on the 26th July.” One may ask why this “mass convention” occurred. Well, it seems that after the issue of Kansas statehood and the slavery question had been settled and the Amnesty Act was issued, most KT settler got down to the business of settling and supported an end of the rampant lawlessness of 1856-58. Combatting lawlessness relied to a considerable extent on vigilante justice (as explained in the Lawrence Republican account of the mass convention). However, certain forms of partisan lawlessness still had its supporters, and those taking action against Charles Doy felt it prudent to establish their Free State bona fides. Lester D. Moore discovered the dangers of vigilante justice directed against thieves that retained militant Free State partisan support. Below is an account from the history of Bourbon County in William G. Cutler’s History of the State of Kansas (published by Andreas in 1883).

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The principal occupation of the District Court was the punishment of horse-thieves. In May, 1860, the arch horse-thief of the border was brought to trial in Fort Scott. This was "Pickles," whom everybody knew. The indictment upon which he was to be tried was for robbing Indian Seth the fall before. Some members of "Pickles'" gang came to the Little Osage, and endeavored to raise a rescuing party; and in order to forestall any such attempt, members of the Vigilance Committee armed themselves and poured into town, to the number of nearly two hundred. Having assembled their object changed from that of preventing a rescue by Pickles' friends, to making a rescue themselves, and executing summary vengeance upon one who had committed more crimes than any other two of the border thieves. The officers of the law who had Pickles in charge were too wary and adroit to permit this programme of the Vigilance Committee being carried out, and Pickles was too sharp to voluntarily place himself in their hands by pleading "not guilty," which would have been the result of so pleading, because he could not have been convicted on the evidence. He, therefore, in order to save his life, plead guilty, was immediately sentenced to one year in the penitentiary, and to pay a fine of $500, and escorted to Washington. Pickles fared much better than did Hugh Carlin, who, having given the settlers on Little Osage a great deal of trouble, was taken from the house of F. A. Monroe, and hanged by a party of mounted men belonging to the Vigilance Committee, about the 10th of July. This was followed about November 16, 1860, by the killing of L. D. Moore by C. R. Jennison, in retaliation for the killing of Carlin. Jennison's party consisted of about twenty-five picked men. Upon reaching Moore's house, Jennison rapped on the door and demanded admittance. This was refused. Jennison immediately kicked the door down, and shot Moore while he was sitting on the side of his bed.

Jennison then passed into the house, and took Moore by the wrist, holding it until the pulse ceased to beat, when he exclaimed: "Boys, he's dead." Jennison and his party then went to the house of M. E. Hudson, whose wife was a relative of L. D. Moore. Mr. Hudson was away from home. Jennison informed Mrs. Hudson of what he had done, and, while she was weeping, ordered her to provide breakfast for his party, which order she obeyed.