The Springdale news., 1889-02-08
THE CLAYTON MURDER.


 ped in Mystcry-Re Reeeptiol of the Re- mains at Little Rock.
 LITTLE ROCK, Ark, Jan. 30.--The assas- | slnatlon of Colonel John NJ Clayton at | flummerFIIle last night has been source | of great excitement here all day, crowds | of people being congregated at the hotels, | In the Legislature lobhies and on the streets discussing the subject The event Is universally condemned in all quarters. A correspondent left Little Rock this morning for Plummerville. forty-fiye miles distant the scene of the tragedy. On the train were w. H. II. Clayton, of Fort Smith, the twin brother of the de- ceased; his intimate friend, Colonel 4. s. Fowler of Little Rock: J. A. Miller. edit or of the Fort Smith Journal. and James Cook, Little Rock un- dertaker. Clayton's face was as if cast in iron. It was inhexible, and not once did the lines of the expression change on the entire trip. De- casionally the tears would well up to his eyes, but they were quickly wiped away and never permitted to wet the cheek. In vain his friends endeavored to persuade him to talk, for he was silent as the grave. At Conway, the first place of any size out from Little Rock, the people were wild with excitement, and here the first au- thentic news, stamping the deed as that of an assassin, was received. Fifteen men, ten Democrats and five Republicans, boarded the train and accompanied the party to Plummerville. They were all unanimous in deploriug the crime. Leav- ing Conway, the next stop to Hummer vile, five miles east of Morrilton, the cars came to stop beside small box like depot. The platform was crowded with people, and there were groups and crowds of men to be seen in every direc- tion. There was no noise. The people conversed almost in whispers, and the in dignation was manifested by threats of lynching and demand that the assassin be captured at any cost.
 A few steps from the depot was the modest, unassuming little boarding house of the Widow McCraven, where Clayton had been stopping since his arrival on Friday last. He had a neatly furnished room, probably 12x15 feet in size. In the north end of the house there is a window opening out upon the street. A few feet distant Is a picket fence The assassin came around inside of the fence, crouehed up close to the window, and, when the profile of his victim appeared upon the thin cambrie curtain, the deadly shotgun, both barrels at once, was turned loose. The assassin could not have been five feet away from his victim, for the flame and smoke from the weapon poured into the room, and, together with the concussion, extinguished the little coal-oil lamp which had been burning on the table. Messrs. Womack and Alnutt were in the room at the time. and were conversing about various matters with the deceased. He had been walking back and forth i'll the af ,f wa preparing to sit down, the right side of his face toward the window. The con- tents of the gun entered the head at the ear and below. making hole as large as mans fist, and a number of the buck shot passed through and through. Some six or eight were removed from tn wound this morning. Womack, at sound of the gun and sight of the belchiu fire and smoke, jumped up, exclaiming:
 My God the lamp has exploded killed him ,r and at this moment Clayton fell forward out of the chair upon the floor. There was now no light in the room. and i'll the darkness Alnutt heard the blood gushing from the severed ar teries and cried out: No, he has been shot! Don't you hear the blood pouring putI'
 They made their way out and secured  egraph operator had gone home, but after the news had been given to Carroll Arm- strong. the member of the Democratic Congressional committee, he aroused the operator and sent out the first brief mcs- sages of the dreadful affair. The operator then hurried home again. This morning he Western Union sent another operator "a Plummerville, and he remained thore tn the office until the remains of the mur- lered man were taken away.
 MT. Armstrong k representing Con- gressman Armstrong in the taking of tes- timony in the contest, and has been with Clayton ever since the work com menced in that county. He Was in receipt of telegram from Com gressman Breekinridge to spare no efforts to ascertain the name of the person who committed the hallot-boX theft in that county. They were very friendly in their relations, and Armstrong hurried 10 his side as soon as he had sent the tcle- grams.
 Not man in the town knows aught of the crime. or if he does his face does not SO indicate. The town has possibly 4Q1 or 800 people, and one and all denounce the crime and are crying out for no red tape, but plenty of hemp. The stores were all open, but there was no business, the mur- der being the sole topic of conversation. About four o'clock the train for Little Rock arrived and the coffin containing the remains was carefully placed in the car and hurried away to Little Rock.
 The remains of Clayton reached here about six o'clock aud We're met at the depot by the Knights Templar and large crowd of people. Al the same hour tbe train from Pine Bluff arrived bringing up the committee appointed at the citizens meeting held there and a large number of his personal friends The committee was composed of nine of the leading Democrats of that place: ]. W. Corcoran, x. NJ. Taylor. |. NJ. Hudson, sam F. Hilzheim, j. ". Bo- cage. II. King White, Jack Swecny. \. S. Hammitt and W. $. Hooker and three coiored Republicans: Wiley Jones, <. j. Hollingsworth and Ferd Harris This committee united with the procession ut the depot and the remains were escorted to the Masonic Temple, where they are lying in state and being seen for the last time by thousands of people. Cldyton's law partner. N. F.. Hemingway, one of tue Democratic electors, arrived this evening and spent the night with the remains of his friend.
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 La Nature publishes suggestion from correspondent with a head for