The raiders wanted revenge, so they had a list of people they wanted to kill and buildings they wanted to burn. James H. Lane was at the top of the list. Lane was a military leader and a supporter of the Jayhawkers. Lane escaped by running through a cornfield while wearing his nightshirt. John Speer was one of Lane's biggest political supporters. Lane had put Speer into the newspaper business. Speer was also on the list. Charles L. Robinson, first governor of Kansas and an abolitionist, may also have been on the list. However, he was not killed. 