He had stayed that night at the house of the writer, in Atchison County, being then on his way to the free States.
Jones, however, had writs for the arrest of those who had been the occasion of Wood's escape, and the Sheriff called on some of the church-going people to act as his _posse_ in making his arrests.

But these were of "the most straitest sect" of the Puritans, and it was contrary to their consciences to do any manner of carnal work on the Sabbath day, and in their estimation this was exceedingly carnal work, and they kept their faces set as if they would go to the synagogue.
Samuel F.Tappan was one of the Branson rescuers, and Jones seized Tappan by the collar, and Tappan struck Jones in the face.

This was enough; Jones had been resisted, and he went to the Governor and demanded a _posse_ of United States soldiers to aid him in making his arrest.

Thus reinforced with a detachment of United States troops, our valorous Sheriff Jones went a third time and arrested without resistance six respectable citizens of Lawrence, on a charge of contempt of court, because they had declined to break the Sabbath in aiding him to make arrests on the Lord's day.

In due course of law, it should have been his duty to take his prisoners before a magistrate, and allowed them to give bail to appear at a given time to answer for this alleged contempt.