LECOMPTON — The tombstone of an infamous territorial Kansas pro-slavery sheriff was moved halfway across the country to Lecompton. The Lecompton Historical Society recently dedicated the tombstone of Sheriff Samuel Jones at Constitution Hall. Jones was the first sheriff of Douglas County, but was a strong pro-slavery southerner. Although Jones was a Douglas County sheriff, he didn’t hesitate to try to burn the Eldridge Hotel and other buildings in Lawrence identified with the free-state settlers. However, Lecompton Historical Society’s Paul Bahnmaier tells the Lawrence Journal-World that otherwise, Jones did many things that helped establish Kansas as a state. Jones later moved to New Mexico, where he died. During some genealogy research, Shirley Funk discovered the cemetery where Jones was buried was closed in 1930 and his body was moved to a new one. However, his original tombstone was left behind in four pieces in the first cemetery. Funk helped coordinate the effort to bring the tombstone to Lecompton.
