Dr. John Doy of Rochester, New York, joined the first party coming to Kansas in 1854. Slavery being the predominant agitation between the North and the South, Lawrence was the storm center, where slaves in Missouri learned they could receive help, and where, by 1858, a number of fugitives had arrived. It was decided to have Dr. Doy, starting with two covered wagons with eight men, three women, and two children, guide them to the North where more safety would be assured. They were captured and taken to Missouri. No one ever knew what became of the Negroes. Dr. Doy was tried and confined to jail in St. Joseph, Missouri. A committee of aroused citizens from Lawrence by clever strategy released John Doy, July 23, 1859. When they arrived in Lawrence this old fashioned daguerreotype picture was taken by A. G. DaLee, a pioneer photographer of Lawrence, from which an enlarged ambrotype picture was made.

This picture was given to the Lawrence Room by Miss May Gardner, June 12, 1951, whose father was Theodore Gardner and her grandfather Joseph Gardner, the fourth man from the left end of the picture.

The photo shows Dr. John Doy(seated) with his rescuers surrounding him. This photo was taken soon after Doy was returned to Lawrence from St. Joseph, Missouri. Doy was kidnapped by Pro-slavery forces the previous January about twelve miles north of Lawrence. They are identified as (right to left) James B. Abbott, Joshua A. Pike, Jacob Senix, Joseph Gardner, Thomas Simmons, S.J. Willis, John E. Stewart, Charles Doy(son), Silas Soule, George Hay and Dr. John Doy (seated).