The Russellville Democrat., 1879-05-01

As the Brinkley outrage, or lh other words, the silly conduct of preacher Todd and the oyerzeal Of the Marshal of Brinkley has attract ed considerable attention, we give below the latest developments in the case. It is just as we thought 1t was ali tho time. Todd was arrested by an officer, under suspicious circum- stances--a proceeding which was al together legitimate and proper; the silly preacher, more like a guilty man than an innocent one, attempt ed to escape from the officer; the officer with undue haste sent bullet whizzing after him and hit him in the leg. This frightened the re- mainder of the sense out of Todd and he imagined he was going to be assassinated, and after he was re- leased he acted the still bigger fool by running away from Brinkley to escape IMAGINARY masked foes. That is about all of it--and about all we have to say of it is that the Little Rock papers have made entirely too great a bugaboo over the matter. Indeed the comments of those papers have been unjust to the people of Brinkley and unduly excited.
 The Little Rock Democrat has in measure atoned for the foolish excitement it created by it's com ments on the matter by getting at the facts and publishing them. The following shows the result of two of its interviews:
 Being called upon by several par ties to take the statement of Rev Wm. A. Todd (now in supposed dying condition at his sisters near St. Johns College), relative to the Brinkly outrage, 1 called to my aid the following named citizens of this city, viz: Dr. J. B. Bond, druggist on Main street, Rev. A. ". Decker, of the M. E. Church, and Mir. Albert Melyen, of the Singer Sewing Ma chine Company, on Main street, gen tlemen who stand high in the city and whose integrity and yeracity is beyond question.
 We found Rev. Mir. Todd very weak and emaciated, almost unable to speak, but cheerfully and readily gave us all the information he could until he got so weak that we were compelled to suspend further ques tions for the present, questions be Ing asked by all parties present as follows, viz:
 Question. We want to get your statement of the circumstances un- der which you were shot at Brinkley, Arkansas?
 Answer. am very weak and not clear to day, and can't state it.
 Q. Why did you leave the hotel at the time you did?
 A. 1 was under the impression 1 was to be murdered.
 c. Did any one tell you that you were to be killed?
 A. No, sir, no one told me so.
 Q. Did you get that impression on your mind from the way people there acted and talked2
 
 A. No, sir.
 c. How did you get out of the ho- tel without being seen?
 A. l passed out the back way.
 Q. Did aLy one talk to or treat you roughly?
 A. No, sir.
 Q. Were the people friendly to you that day?
 A. Yes, sir.
 Q. We want to know how you got the impression on your mind that you were to be killed2
 A. As I passed down the stairway into the hall preparatory to going to the train, I saw some masked men out in front, l became frightened. I then went back the hallway and passed out.
 Q. Seeing those masked men did you expect trouble2
 A. Yes, sir, 1 did.
 c. Was there any other circum. stances occurred that caused you to anticipate trouble2
 A. No, sir.
 Q. What time of day was that2
 A. About 10 o'clock at night.
 Q. How long did you remain at the hotel that evening?
 A. Since 1 o'clock p. m. that day.
 Q. At the time of your first arrest 1t is said that the city marshal in formed you and Rev. Is. c. Pollard that he had suspicious of your being an escaped criminal, and that he de sired to examine you, as to your de scriptlon; is that so?
 A. No, sir. He said, "Come, and 1 go to my room, and if you are not the man l am looking for you are all, i right"
 c. It is reported you ran away while being conveyed through dark | place towards the marshals office. 1 What induced you to run away?