Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-05

the faithful supervisor, Charles VAIL AT
last finding that they could not shake him
off they and the supervisor returned about
9 o'clock at night to the polling place,
finding one of the other judges there.
Remaining few minutes, he again
left attempting to carry the box with him,
which he only desisted from doing by the
insistance of the supervisor that the box
be left at the polling place with the other
Judge who was there. About one-haif an
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 back,
yvhereupon they seized the box and poll
books and carried them away.
We are informed by VAIL and other
creditable persons that the box SO stolen
contained 697 ballots, of which at least 512
were cast for John NJ. Clayton.
Upon learning of these unlawful acts,
together with many others in different
parts of this district, he (Clayton) felt it to
be his duty to institute a contest
the purpose of ascertaining the actual
vote cast for him at Plummerville pre-
cinct that he might engraft that fact in
his notice of contest, he employed a re-
sponsible citizen named Alexander, Of the
Plummervllle precinct. to obtain the
names of those who voted for him, who
obtained the names of over $50 such voters,
when on the 18th of December his work
suddenly terminated by reasons of the
events which we now proceed to detail
On the 18th of December Vail,
the aforementioned supervisor, was
lnvelgled into game of cards
at night in the back room of doctors
office in Plummerville, when he was seat
ed in close proximity to a glass door
T<b ~ Ifa
assassin, the ball piercing the lobe Of his
left ear and cutting cash in his neck
about three inches long. Wahl fed to the
house Of the aforementioned Alexander,
where he remained till daylight, after
which he reached his home and soon
after repaired to Little Rock where he
now remains for safety. This attempt
upon the life of VAIL so alarmed Alexan-
der as to cause him to abandon his work
and fly from the state
For the crimes above enumerated no
man has been arrested by state or county
nor has any official re-
ward been offered John NJ.
Clayton went to Plummeryille
and unescorted, recognizing
the futility of such precautions against
the stealthy assassins and believing that
his opponent, MIR. Breckenridge, who was
aware Of the condition of affairs in this
would be willing and able TO re-
strain his partisans. While passing
through Little Rock on his way there he
said TO Hon. Henry Cooper in response
TO a suggestion of danger: 81 do not
believe that l will be harmed,
but men who voted for me believe that |
was elected and so do /; and l will go
there even at the risk of my life," and SO
be went.
After having engaged for several days in
taking testimony, about 9 O'Clock p. N. Of
January - while in his room at his board
ing house in the act of sitting down at
4 table near q window to write
20 his mOtherless children, he was
shot through the window by concealed as
sassns a few feet from him and instantly
killed. We were unable to remove his
0Ody until 3:30p. IN. next day, up to which
line the sheriff of the county had not APP
Deared, being in the language OF his deputy
in the more important business
IF collecting taxes. Nor had any citizen
If the town made the slightest effort to
race or apprehend his murderers
The foregoing facts we stand ready to
in every essential particular,
very one of which we believe to be a ma
erial link in the chain of circumstances
and leading to the inhuman
murder of our brother John NJ. Clayton" !
[Signedl POWELL CLAYTON,
w. ii. Ii. CLAYTON.