The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-02-05
Political Clubs Converted Into Military Com
panies and Armed at Public Expense in
Order to Keep Democrats in Office
A Member of the Republican State Com
mittee Beaten to Death by Rufians.
The SO-Called Election at Plummerville and
the Stealing of the Ballot-Box-A Start
ling Chapter of Political Crime.

clayton and Judge w. H. III. Clayton,
brothers of the Hon. John NJ. Clayton, who
was assassinated on the night of Jan. %,
have furnished the following statement to
the public:
That the public may understand the cir
cumstanceS leading up to and eliminating
ln the assassination of our brother, John NJ.
Ciayton, We desire, over our own sigma.
facts. All agree that this was a political
assassination; 1t will be therefore neces-
sary for us to refer to the political condi-
tons and circumstances surrounding it.
that aE sfce sfls 70 mn mo partisan spirit but only
our brother, ana that a knowledge of the
facts which led to his assassination may in
duee the people of this State to correct the
evils Ifoth which thisand other great crimes
nave sSrung, and that, however sad the
circumstances may be to us, his martyrdom
mag result in good to the people of this and
oaher States. Although, since the COM
mencement of the last political canvass for
State officers ina in Arkansas many political
parts OF the State, in this statement, how
ever, we will confine ourselves to the limits
of Conway county, within which Plummer-
vile, the scene of this murder, is situated,
and only to those circumstances which in
our opinion led to the commission of the
crime.
Prior to the September election, and
during the canvass, political club was or
gaaIs gganized it Mofrilton, the countyc,seat of
fresh from Mississippi, at its head.
This club soon after resolved itself into
militia company, and about two weeks be-
fore the election. at a time of profound
peace in the county, the Hon. Simon z.
Hughes, then Governor. not only supplied
it with State arms but furnished it with
full supply of ammunition. This was the
beginning of the troubles in Conway coun-
ty. From this time until the day of cleo
tion, Showers, with his armed partisans. al
most daily paraded the streets of Morrill,
ton. On election day their guns were de-
posted, loaded and ready for action, in
convenient 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 of
flee. on frivolous and preconcerted pre-
text, was arrested, whereupon Stow
fbbs fbs noIlu NTH .nd ms men, marched to
and their votes, another person was de-
clared elected to fill the vacancy. By these
unlawful proceedings the election board,
composed OF citizens representing both pO-
lltlcal parties, was made sOlidly Demo-
cratic. Whether Showers and his men at
this time were acting as political club ort
as company of State militia we are not
advised. but certain it is their loaded guns
were near at hand.
while at Morrilton these things were
being done: the citizens of the town of
Plummerville, who were nearly all opposed.
politically. to our brother, while those of
the farming parts of the precinct were his
political friends (the latter greatly outnum-
bering the formerl, collected at the voting
place before the hour fixed by law for the
opening of the polls. and organized full
set OF election officers of their party,
and when the two Republican judges
appeared they found their places
usurped and the election in full
blast The result of the September cleo
tlon, SO conducted in Conway county, was
complete change of its political status, so
lar as rs officers were concerned, but not
as TO The sentiments of the people.
Under these changed conditions, about
two months thereafter, the congressional
election occurred, John NJ. Clayton being
the Republican candidate, and c. Il. Breck-
inridge the Democratic. The day before
this election, NJ. w. Benjamin, prom ;nent
Republican lawer of Little Rock and one
OF Arkansas best citizens: was sent to Con-
way county by the Republican State COM
mittee, with instructions to use his best en-
deavors to secure an honest election. Upon
MS arrival at the depot at MorrilltOn he
was confronted by an infuriated mob
OF several hundred citizens. who
MIN, pulled from his face handfuls
of beard, and met all of his appeals to their
humanity. with kicks and cuffs, finally
shooting him in the forehead with q
| weapon of sufficient force to imbed and
tlme after. Mr.. Benjamin died, telling his
wife, before death, that his sufierings were
uue 10 the treatment received at the hands
OF the MOrriltOn mob. On the following
day, being the day of election at Plummer-
vile, at the hour for opening the polls, the
| TWO Republican judges were on hand, ready
TO perform their duties, but were ignored
Dy the Democratic judges, who put in NOM
upon q mere affirmative vote, without put
ting the negative, declared them elected,
anu they, were installed, the Repub-
lean Judges, not being permitted to
act, accompanied by the Republican United
etates supervisor, undertook to open polls
elsewhere, but were notified by Democratic
Deputy sheriffs. five of whom were present,
fEat they would not be permitted to do so.
| Under these and other threats they aban-
1oned their purpose and the Republican
supervisor returned to where the election,
as 1irst organized, was being held, where he
remained IN tho faithful performance Of his
DUTY until the polls were closed. whereup0n
| the election Judge, by whose illegal action
TOOK the ballot-bOx and carried it from
place to place through the town, followed,
however, persistently by the faithful super
VISOR, Charles Wahl.. AT last. finding that
| peryisor returned, about 8 o'clock at
night, to the polling place, finding
one of. the other judges there; after
remaining few minutes he again left,
1
which he only desisted from doing by the
| 1nslstance OF the supervisor that the box
should be left at the polling-place with the
0t9er Judge, who was there. About one
hal1 hour thereafter four masked and
armed men rushed into the room. and at
the muzzles of their pistols compelled the
remaining Judge and supervisor to turn
their backs, whereupon they seized the box
ana poli-books and carried them away.
we are informed by Wahl and other credit
| able persons that the box so stolen con-
| tanned 697 ballots, of which at least 573
were cast for John NJ. Clayton Upon
learning of these unlawful acts, together
with many others in different parts of his
district, he lClayton) felt it to be his duty
| TO institute contest for his seat in Con-
| gress, and for the purpose of ascertaining
the actual vote cast for him at Plummerville
precinct. that he might engraft that fact in
MS notice of contest, he employed
responsible citizen named Alexander, of
the Piummerville precinct. to obtain the
tanned the names of over $50 such voters,
when, on the 18th of December. his work
suddenly terminated by reason of the
events winch we now proceed to detail. On
Dec. IL, Wahl, the aforementioned super
visor, was lnyeigled into game of cards,
at night; In the back room Of doctors of
nee IN Piummerville, where he was seated
IN close proximity to glass door, through
wnich ne was shot by would-be assassin,
the pail piercing the lobe of his left ear and
cutting cash in his neck about three
inches long. Wahl fed to the house of the