Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-17
ARKANSAS.
AN EXPOSE OF UPHAM'S VILLAINY
ne IA Proved a Thief and a Muir
deFer.
The Seer ct OffheM urderOf JOlT
u. Thorpe.
Who and What are the Loyal
Militia" OG Arkansas.

SIS arrested by the militia organized b.
Clayton, let loose On that people for tn
purposes Of robbery and murder, wa
one B J. Davis, of Mississippi county
We have INSIDE diiigent inquiries ss t.
the character OF this man. and as to thI
cause OF his arrest and iRhuman incar
ceration. His character we now, from
the most careful investigation, prOnOunc;
irreproGcbable, without fear Of truthful
contradiction. He is an honestsnd thrifty
citizen, IaW-abiding, and utterly uncon
nected with any lawless outrage on law
or the rights Of others. The cause OF his
arrest by the militia of Clayton we alsa
know, and will state, for the edifcstiOn
OF the Radical saints OF New England
and elsewhere in the North, who Rp-
prove OF the villainies of Clayton and
his band Of Thugs, yclept the Stats
Guard of Arkansas. We wish Greeley
and Phillips to make q note OF it.
About a year since, while many mule;
and horses were being stolen in the
neighborhOod oi Mr.. Davis, two of his
mules were taken. Being a bold and de-
terniaed man, lac choose to turn out and
pUrsue the thieves, rather than submit
quietly to the depreciation and he SO,
abcus~s diiigent search for them, pu0'
| fishing band-bilis describing them, and
Offering q reward.
Persistent inquiry traced them to
| one Prior n. Lea, 3 member of the
Radical persuasion. This Les was a
neighbor snd intimate friend and Essoci-
ate Of d. P. Uphsm, subsequently, one of
ClaytOn's Generals OF the State guard.
Davis, when he traced the theft to this
Lea, proceeded to his neighbOrhocd to
have him arrested, and took into his
confidence one John B. Thorpe, former
Sheriff Of the county, where Lea and
UpbRm were residing, Thorpe told him
that if Lea stole tho mules Upham kneW
all about Il, which information. as the Sc
quel will show, was correct. Davis ar
rested Lea and took him to Mississippi
county, where the theft was committed.
WHERE UPHAM COMES IN.
On the way thithsr Les confessed all
told Davis where his mules were-admit-
ted thRt he had stolen them, and that he
ought to be in the penitentisry. He
confessed that after stealing the mules
ne lef5 one Of them with a certain party
10 be sold for his bsneit, who was one of
his confederates, and that he had taken
heother, 8 black mule, to his " neigh
borhood, and Immediately delivered the
same to his Beighbor and friend Uphsm,
mot then but afterwards one Of Clayton's
Generals OF militia.) He further con-
fessed that Upham had taken the said
black mule 10 q person who wa a clerk
Of q Logan f. Roots, claiming to
be q member of the United States Congress
from Arkansas, and pawned the mule
for fifty dollars. Upham then went to
Little Rock, where be inst RoOts, and
told bim that his clerk had advanced
him fifty dollars on the mule, and that
as he was still in an inpscuni0us condi-
ton, he would take fifty dollars more
and let him keep the mule.
The immaculate Roots was then in
some employment under the United
Ststes Govefpment-perhsps connected
with the Revenue Dspsr.ment-and be-
ing flush, let him have the additional
fifty dollars, taking a mule for q hundred
dollars which had cost one hundred and
seventy five, and was worth even more
than that, as was obvious to any one, on
After asesrtainiDg the facts, and after
delivering Lea, the thief who did the
stealing, to the civil authorities OF Mis-
county, DsviS went for" Roots,
and proving his mule so satisfactorily
that no one could doubs his claim, R ots
compelled to give up the stolen
property.
Lea postponed IA investigation Of his
on a excuse and another, until
Davis was called to Memphis on business, |
where he was compelled to remain q few |
Daring his absence, he being
8 necessary witness to establish
the guilt of Lea, . one Poole,
a member Of the Radical Consti-
tutionel Convention of Arkansas,
and a Radical went to the County
Judge or Probate Judge OF the
and demanded hat q certain
bail bond be accepted for Lea, threaten
Jag that If be did BOT accept the bond
military forces of the United States,
under the command OF the Freedmen's
at that place, would rescue the
thief. OF course the County Judge, |
~pOwerless, yielded and accepted
The bond, which was Str0U bail. and the
horse aad mule thief was turned loose.
Not only this, but he was houored with
he protection and escort of a u. s. SOL
tier Of the FfeedHleH's Bureau.
1t is useless to mention that this Lea
les never put In his appearance at Court.
In the meantime Roots went for Up
for the sl00 he had paid him for the
mule, of which sU0l, by the way, the
aid melish General gave Lea f0rtg dol
srs, and kept sixty for himSsJ, a large
commission, but not too large for being
)roker for stolen property.
ii MURDER OF THORPE.
Now the sequel. After the organ
of the militia, john b. Thorpe, a
most estimable citizsn, who had in the
irst instance correctly las the facts suhse-
developed showed identified Up
with the theft was sasassinated
by the militia UeleT the i'm
Mediate command of UphdSl, who bad
one Of Clayton's Generals. This
done under the vsg1e charge Of Ku-
ki0xism, without proof or color of law,
II of even decent military investigation.
Then followed the arrest OF Davis, his
ncarcerstion and an actual detail of
militia ruffians to shoot him. This
nurderous result was, however, pre-
by some as yet unexplained in
.erveBtiOn OF Providence. But this un-
.ortunate victim OF oppression has been
or many weeks Kept in close eonfine-
nent in the Marion sill with shsckles on
i'm, binding him so that he actually
torture, the recital of which
would harrow the feelings of the reader.
he was turned loose without a
large against him, or Ia fact, none
ould be made.
THE SEQUEIs
This, however, does not end the story.
Under the orders of the said Upham the
anne black mule was taken from Davis.
laced in the possession Of Gen. D. p.
Jpham, where the same now remains to
bis dsyyunless the valiant General has
gain pawned 1t or sold Ii.
Another melish officer became the
roprietor of q fine gun belonging to
Davis, without payiog for it, or receiving
as a donation. Some other members
I the Radical persuasion and Of the
nili il, appropriated his c.tton and
undFy other articles without leave OF
F.,
By these operations Of the +" loiln gov
of Arkansas, q citizen has been
obbed to the extent of $1,000. At this
ate, 4" loyalty" pays, and the God and
1orality" party commend themselves
D the people. !
The facts stated above, ii denied, we
Eill su0stantiate by proof ~unquestion-
BILE. Davis has already been warned to =,
ave the State to avoid assassination by {
be minions of Clayton. /
SUMMARY. s
We make the following points on thaaa !