The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-02-27
HON. JOHN M. CLAYTON.
THE TRUE STORY OF HIS C0wARDLY
ASSASSINATION.

-
"A Republican Lawyer Mobbcd and
Kiiiod-The suspic Gus Death Of Bentley
Attempted Assassination of tho Witness
waIi-cIayton Begins to Take Testimony
and Is warned--His Murder aud Win
Killed Him.
Little Rock tArkJ Correspondence of the Chicago
1ribune.l
Having visited Monillton and plummerville.
In Conway County. and talked with the leading
men OF both parties In order to get at the real
cause OF the assass inal ion OF Col John M. Clay
ton. will proceed to give the result OF my in
vestigation-
In order TO fully understand the origin II be-
comes necessary 10 20 back 10 period before
the September election. Simon Il. Hughes had
been Governor of the state for two terms and
wanted n nomination for tho third. There Is a
kinG OF unwritten law in the Democratic party
OF Arkansas that person may have two terms,
and that having had tnese he must crafty his
q bition in other pastures. Gov. hughes at
tempted TO force his party co violate that rule.
-Four other persons besides Gov. Hughes wanted
the nomination-to Wits Col. II. w. Rector
of Hot Springs. Col. w. A. fishback of Fort
smith. Col: }. 1: Eagle OF Lonoke, aud Col.
Fletcher of Little Rock.
THE GUBEIss AToRI,L CANVASS
The strong Democratic counties were opposed
to violating the two term rule, and this forced
Hughes to get Lis strength elsewhere. In
Crittenden County lRepnbhcanl he allowed his
friends to run out the Repub lean county OH
cerN in consideration OF their support in con-
Der Of Mississippians set led in Conway County,
and at once they wanted the control OF IL.
This Mississippi element went To Gov. Hughes,
and promised MIN Conway County in conVen-
tion IL he would allow them 10 organize COM
pany of militia and furnish them with arms and
ammunition wherewi to execute the Mis- sissip-
pi plan, they taking the county Offices. The COM
pany was organized, and one W. j. Showers was
made Captain, and from that time began a reign
OF terror, intimidation, aud violence. Hughes,
under this trade, regarded Conway rs sate, but
III M
several kegs of beer placed VIII lie they would do
the most good about an hour before the primary
was held. packed the house. and took the dele
CATION away from Captsin Showers.
Hughes was defeated for denomination, and
Eagle nominated. and then ths canvass opene
betwt en- Eagle as the Democratic candidate and
Norwood the Union Labor candidate, who was
supported by the Republicans. From the out
set IL foregone conclusion that Norwood
would be elected unless tae Republican vote
in several counties could DO suppressed.
Hughes while sore over his defeat did rot sulk
In his tent. because he wants the sent o. j. h.
Jones in the United States Senate two years
hence. What the result OF the september Cleo
tion was has not been and never will be- set
tied, but that Norwood was elected there is
little doubt In some TOW nslips Eagle is re-
turned as receiving over 6OJ majority. when In
fact there are not that many persons In the
township of all ages, counting the whites,
blacks mules aud dogs.
HOW CONWAY COUNTY WAS CARRIED.
This brings me down 60 Conway County,
where Clayton was killed and where Slower and
MS mill Ia nad been Organized. III II n petu nc
publican for many years. its usual majority be-
ing and upward, aud this ma crity has always
been furnished from one township thowardl, the
voting place of which is at Plummcryille. The
highest Domocrnte vote ever polled in that
township ia 104 and at that election the Repub-
hcan vote go. To carry Conway County
for tie Democracy, the vote of Howard Town
ship (Plummervile had To be dealt with.
There are fifteen townships in Conway
County. In 1886. in thirteen OF them, the aggre-
gate Democratic vote was 92l and in ths eame
N a Democratic
was ga. This leaves two townships Wei
bourne (Moulton) and Howard (Plumnerviliel.
these townships aggregated 509, and in So it
ran up TO 99l, while the Republican vote OF 1885
was 9i0. and in leS it was reduced to $50.
AS has been stated. the Democratic vote at
Plummervi Vile in 1896 was lOi and the Republi-
c9n 6O9. At this point IL is necessary 10 g. ate
that the Judge of the County Court il by law re-
quired 10 appoint judges Of election who can
read and write. who are TO serve for TWO wears
These appoiutme nts were made in July. Tue
law furtner declares that oil OF the judges snail
not be of the same political party, hence IN that
township two Repubi cans were appointed judges
and one Democrat The first thing 70 do was TO
disp ace them. In pursuance OF a conspiracy
for that purpose the one Democratic Judge
about an hour before the time fixed boy law for
the opening OF the polls, surrounded by q Few
Democrats. announced that the time Tor open
ing had arrive d. ami that two OF he judges had
1iratt to eppear aud put in nomination two
Orsons named by himself to be ele3te1 by the
assembled voters The affirmative oil the propo-
and the persons named by him were decla ed
elected. Two Democratic clorks were then
chosen and the polls opened When the Repub-
hcan judges got there they found their occupa-
/ tion gone These Democratic judges thus
Illegally chosen returned thab the Democratic
Mandates got on AVERAGE 30i votes each
ND the Republicans 22s thus giving the Demo
tts u majority OF 70 in a township where two
mrs before the Republicans had majority
of5.5.
ANOTHER CHAPTER or FRAUD.
With all the fraud cOmmittol n Piummer-
VILE it would not elect the Democratic ticket in
that county Monillton had to come 10 the 'front.'
with an old-fashioned Mississippi MAORI " g =
cured 10y showers and his miliIia, or the ticket
was gone. When the returns came in, IL APP
peared that the Democratic candidates bad re-
coived 6S7 votes each. while the candidates
vo ed for by the Republicans only received
12g votes. There n Republican loss OF
800 and n Democratic gain OF $50. differ
ence OF 49S woes on the vote OF two years bo-
fore.
For the purpose OF carrying out conspiracy
to prevent the two Republican judges serving
"a such ~ the November election, Tit en- Dep
uty ShCriffs were sent from Morrillton To Plum
lneryille with structons to prevent the regu-
lar judges OF election from serving. The Re
publican Judges were there bright and
early fearing some such trick would be
Attempted as was employed at the Septem-
Der election. The hour for opening the
polls arrived, and the Democrat, judge
OF election nom mated two Democrats TO serve
as judges of election, and without putting the
negative declared them duly elected. The Ro-
publican Judges protested that they were pres
emit and desired TO serve. The Democrats thus
chosen as Judges were oworn in, and 10y OBJ sn-
ed the polls. The two Republican judges went
immediate TO room but few feet from the
other. and, having the poll books furnished by
tho county. procured a box and attempted to
opon another poll The usurping Judges order
nd tho fifteen deputy shorifs sent them from
|Morrilton 70 prevent tue opening OF the other
poll The depu y sherifs seized and carried
away the box and told the two regular jud yes
they should not open POLL ind that
II they persisted In the attompt they
would lock them up in the city prison. o
have persisted would have led 10 blood
shed anil that TO loss OF the Republican vote
OF that township. To save the vote TO John M.
Supervisor in the room, the Republicans ell
voted. relying ON the presence of the Supervisor
keep the Judges from sIufiing the box.
STEALING THE BOX.
! The Unitel States Supervisor would not lot
> box out Of sight When enc Of the Judges
Mt 60 dinner ha took 1t with him, tho super
r following until he returned One OF the
iccratic judges OF election In y vemb sr,
was chosen as have stated is a merchant
0f Nun meryile, by the name OF Hobbs. From
ail4 can learn, Hobbs is, or has been, regarded
as n reputable mao. He was not present at the
time he was declared elected, but wac sent r.
but knew before he was sworn IN thai tbs two
Republican judges were there, and that thu y
persisted in serving. Hobbs is under suspic on.
Plummerville, and | shall not be surpri ell
TO hear OF his assassination nt any time.
At dark tho polls closed. and the Judge OF
election who had taken the box at dinner
time picked II up anu started out into the
dark with IL under lis arm, and stopping In a
crowd VIII 70 faces could not be recognized. re-
manned fifteen or twenty mimi es talsing with
4Ho