Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-05
HOW IT WAS DONE.
The Clayton Brothers State the Causes Of
John Claytons Assassination.

Jonn Clayu0nS ASSASSINATION.
LITTLE Rock, Ark, Feb. 4.-General
Powell Clayton and Judge w. H. H. Clay
ton, brothers OF the Hon. John NJ. Clayton,
who was assassinated on the night of Jan
nary -, have furnished the following
statement to the public: THAT the pub
lie may understand the circumstances
leading and eliminating in assassination
of cur brother, John NJ. Clayton, we desire
over our own signatures to make the fol-
lowing statements of facts. All agree that
this was political assassination. 1t will
be, therefore, necessary for Us to refer to
the political conditions and circumstances
surrounding it. We do this in no parti-
san spirit, but only that justice may be done
to the memory of our brother and that a
knowledge of the facts which led to his
assassination may induce the people of
this state to correct evils from which this
and other great crimes have sprung, and
that however sad the circumstances may
be to US, his martyrdom may result in good
to the people of this and other states.
Although since the commencement
of the last political canvass for
state officers in Arkansas many
political crimes have been committed in
different parts of the state, in this state
ment, however, we will contine ourselves
30 limits of Conway county within which
Plummerville, the scene of this murder, Is
situated and only to those circumstances
which, in our opinion, led to the commits
so n of the crime.
Prior to the September election, during
the canvass, IL political club was organized
at Morriltcn. the county seat of Conway
county, with one Showers, fresh from Mis-
sissippi, at its head. This club soon after
a
about two weeks before the election, at a
time of profound peace in the county, the
Hon. Simon p. Hughes, then governor,
not only supplied 1t with state arms
but furnished it with full supply
Of ammunition. This was the beginning
of the troubles in Conway county. From
this time until the day of election, Slower
with his armed partisans almost daily
paraded the streets of Morrilton.
On election day their guns We're depos-
tied loaded and ready for action in a con-
venient place in the building in which
the election was held. On the morning
of that day the Republican judge of elec-
ton on his way to assume the duties of his
office on a frivolous and preconcerred
preteXt was arrested, whereupon Stow
ers, with his men, marched to, the
polls and upon his nomination and their
Totes another person was declared elected
to I'LL the vacancy. BY these un-
lawful proceedings the election board. com
posed of citizens representing both political
parties, was made solidly Democratic
Whether Showers aud his men at this time
We're acting as political club or as a COM
pany of state militia we are not advised,
but certain 1t IS that their loaded guns
were near ut hand, While at Morrilton
these things were being done the citizens
of the town of Plummerville-who We're
nearly all opposed, politically, to our
brother, while those of the farm
ing parts of precinct were his
political friends (the latter greatly out
numbering the former)-collected at the
voting place before the hour fixed by law
for opening of the polls and organized a
full set of election officers of their party.
When the two Republican judges APP
peared they found their places usurped
and the election in full blast
The result of the September cleo
ton so conducted in Conway
county was complete change
OF its political status so far as its officers
were concerned, but not as TO the state
ments of its people. Under these chan ed
conditions about two months thereafter
the congressional election occurred, John
NJ. Clayton being the Republican canii-
date and {. r. Breckenridge the Demo-
GRAFT. The day before this election VI. w.
Benjamin, prominent Republican lawyer
OF Little Rock, and one of Arkansas best
citizens, was sent TO Conway county
by the Republican state committee
with instructions to use his best endeayors
10 secure an honest election. Upon his ar
rival at the depot at Morrilton he was con-
eronted by an Infatuated mob of several
hundred citizens who threw him from the
cars, assaulted and beat him, pulled from
his face handfuls of beard and met all his
appeals TO their humanity with
kicks and cuffs, finally shooting him
in the forehead with weapon
of sufficient force TO imbed and flatten a
inlet on his skull. A short time after
MIR. Benjamin died, telling his wife before
death that his sutferings We're due to the
treatmentshe received at the hands OF the
Morriltou mob. On the following day,
being the day Of election at plummer-
vile. at the hour Tor opening the polls
the two Republican judges We're on hand
ready to perform their duties. bur were
ignored 10y the Democratic Judge. who
put III nomination two members of his
own party and upon a mere affirmative
vote without putting the negative declared
them elected and they were Installed. The
Republican judges, not being per-
United TO act, accompanied Icy the
Republican United States supervisor
undertook to open polls elsewhere bur
were notified by Democratic deputy sher-
IFS, five OF whom We're present, that they
would NOS be permitted TO 90 so. Under
these and other threats they abandoned their
purpose ana the Republican supervisor re-
turned to where the election as first or
ganized WAS being held. where he re-
manned in the faithful performance of his
duty until the polls were closed.
whereupon the election Judge by whose IL
legal action The board was organized as
before stated, look the ballot box and car
red it from place 10 place. through the
gown, followed, however, persistently by