The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-02-21
THE CLAYTON MURDER,
A Statement RepIcre with Awful Facts
Something Must be Done.

a Statement RepIcfe W ttn Awful Facts
Something Mast be Done.
General Powell Clayton and Judge Clay
ton. brother of Hon. John M. Clay ton
who was assassinated on tie night Of
Janvaly 90, have furnished statement to
the public of which the following is the
substance.
Prior to the September election ard dur
ii e the canvass political club was organ
lied at Morrlllton, the county seat of Con-
npr county, with one Showers at its head
This club soon after resolved itself into
militia company. and about two weeks e
fore tie election the Hon. Simon Z.
Hughes, then Governor not only supplied
il wiki state arms. but furnished it with
full supply of ammunition.
On election day their guns were depos-
tied. loaded and ready for action, in a con-
veuient place in the building In which the
election was held. On the morning of that
day the Republican judge OF election, on
his way to assume the duties of his office,
on a frivolous and preconcerted pletext
was arrested whereupon Showers with h s
mgn maIchs to the polls. and upon lis
nominal ~ a. The If votes another ers)n
was declared elected to FIJI the va. ancy,
aud The board was mace solidly Demo
cratic,
" bi)e at Morrilton these things were
being done the citizens OF the town Il
Piummervile, who were nearly all opposed
puli cally TO our brother. while those Il
The farmiug ,afts of the precinct we're his
political friends Che latter greatly out
nun Der the furmerl, collected at the vot-
| Ing lace before the hour fixed by law for
the opening of the polls and organized
| full set of election fficeIs OF Fir party.
The Republican judges. rot being per
milted to act accompanied by the Repuo-
licau United States Supervisor, undertook
/ open polls elsewhere, but were Notified
| by Democratic Deputy Sheriffs that they
would no. be permitted to do 90. Under
these and other threats they abandoned
heir purpose.
| About half an hour there after four
mask ID and armed men rushed in the
room and at the muzzles OF their pls-
tolls compelled the remaining judge
and supervisor to turn their backs,
whereupon they seized the box ard poll
books and carried them away. !he box
SO stolen contained 697 ballots. Of which
572 we're cast for John M. Clayton. The
LITTER felt it bis duty to inst itute con.
test in Congress. So be employed re-
sponsitle citizen ma -led Alexander. Of the
pluinmersvlle precinct, to obtain the
names of forty five such voters.
Under these changed conditions, about
two months later, the Con gressional cleo
ton occurred, John III, Clayton being the
Republican candidate and e. Il. Breckin-
ridge the Democratic, The day before
this election N. w. Benjamin, proml.
nent Repu blican lawyer, WAS seit to Ct n
way county by the Republican State Com
mittee to secure an honest elect. on. Upon
his arrival az MOT rillton he was confronsed
by an inturiattd mob of several hundred
citiz,ns who Threw him from the cars aud
fatally beat and shot him.
On The day of election at Plummeri-
vile, at the ops ming OF the polls, the two
Republican Judges were ignored by tie
Democratic Judges, who put in nomina-
ton two members of their own party, and
upon mere affirmative vote declared them
electt d, and they were installed.
On December II VAIL The afore mention
ed superior, WAS inveigled into game OF
cards, when he was seated in close prox-
unity to glass door. through which he Was
shot by wcud-he assasslu. Wahl fled to
the house of the aforementioned Alexan
der, where he remained till day light, after
| which Le reached his hume. aud soon after
repaired TO Little Rock, where be now re-
N aims for safety. This attempt on the life
! OF Wabl so alarmed Alexander as to cause
! him to abandon his work and flee from the
state. For the crimes above enumerated
no man has been arrested by state Or coun-
/ ty authorities, nor his any official record
been offered
John NJ. Clayton went to Piummeryi!le
unarmed and uDescoited. While passing
through Little Rock he said TO Hon. Hen
ry a. Cooper. in response to suggestion OF
danger: II do not believe that will be
hanged. but the men who voted for mete
| Ileved that I was elected and so do L and
| will 60 there even at the risk of my
| life."
After having been engaged for several
days in taking Testimony, about clock.
.. M. of January 20, while in his room at
| his boarding house. in the act of sitting
down at table near a window TO write to
| his motherless children. he WAS shot though
the window by concealed assassins few
feet from him and instantly XII lid.
The foreign facts We stand rhady to sub
stantiate ia every essenta! particular.
every one of which we believe to be ma
terrell link Ia the chain of circumstances
surrounding and leading to Tho inhuman
murder of our brother, Jno. M. Clayton.
lowell. CLAYTON,
II. M. CLAYTON;