The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-02-05
IHH CLAYTON MURDER.
Circumstances Leading to the
Political Assassination
IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS,
Statement Issued by the Dead Mans
Rro'hors-A Series of Dastardly
outragcs by Democratic Lead.
ers-AImOst BEYOND Belief

LlTTLE Rock, Ark Feb, 4,-General
Powell Clayton, and Judge W, II, Clay
ton, brothers OF Hon, John NJ, Clayton,
who was assassnated on the night of
January 20, have furnished the follow
ing statement to the public;
All agree that this was political as.
sassinatlon. 1t will, therefore, be nec-
e,ssary for US TO refer to the political con-
dItions and circumstances surrounding
It. Prior to September election and dur
ING, the canvass a political club organ
lied at MorrilltoH, the county seat OF
Connor county, with one Showers, 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 country,
the Hon, Simon P. Hughes, then Cover
nor, not only supplied itwith State arms,
but furnished It with a full supply OF
ammunition, From this time until the
day OF election, Showers with his armed
partisans almost daily pRraded thestreets
otMorrilton. On election day theirguns
were deposited loaded and ready for ac-
ton In a convenient place In the build
ing In which the election was held. On
the morning Of that day the Republican
judge OF election, on his way 10 assume
tho duties OF his office on a frivolous
and preconcerted pretext, was arrested.
HIGH HANDED ACTION,
Whereupon Showers, with his men,
marched to the polls, and upon his NOM
ination and their votes, he and another
person were elected to fill the vacancy
BY these unlawful proceedings the cleo
ti0n board, composed OF citizens repre-.
senting both political parties, was made
solidly Democratic, Whether Showers
and his men were at this time acting rs
political club or as q company OF State
militia we are not advised, but certainit
is, theiE loaded guns were near at hand.
While at Morrilton these things were
being done, the citizens OF the town Of
Plummersville, who were nearly all op.
posed politically 10 our brother, while
those Of the farming parts Of the pre-
cinct were his political friends lthe
latter greatly outnumbering the former)
collected at the voting place before
the hour fixed by law for tho open
ing OF the polls and organized u full
set OF election officers OF their party.
When the two Republican Judges ap-
pGared they found their places usurpod
and the election in full blast. The re-
suit OF the September election 30 con-
Quoted in Conway county, was CONF
plete change oEits political status, so fur
as Its officers were concerned, but not
as TO the sentiments OF It's people,
ANOTHER MURDER.
Under these changed conditions about
two months thereafter, the Congressional
election occurred, John NJ. Clayton be-
ing the Republican candidate and @. b.
Breckenridge the Democratic. The day
before this election NJ. w. Benjamin, Il
prominent Republican lawyer Of Little
Rock, was sent 10 Conway county by
the Republican State Committee with
instructions to use his best endeavors to
secure an honest election. Upon his ar
rival at the depot at Morrilton he was
confronted by an infuriated mob OF sew
eral hundred citizens who severely as
saulted him. A short time after
Mr.. Benjamin died, telling his wife
before death, that his sufierings were
due to the treatment received ut tho
hands OF the Morrilton mob. On the
following day, being the day Of election
at Plummerville, at the hour for OPEN
ing the polls, the two Republican judges
were on hand, but were ignored by The
Democratic judges, who put in nomina-
ton two members Of their own party.
The Republican judges not being per-
mitted to net, accompanied by u Repub.
llcan U. s. Supervisor, undertook to
open polls elsewhere but were notified
by Democratic Sherifls, five OF whom
were present, that they would not be
permitted to do so. Under these and
other threats they abandoned their pur-
pose and returned to the first polling
place.
An attempt was made 10 take the life
OF Supervisor Wahl. John NJ. Clayton
went to Plummerville unarmed and un-
escorted TO investigate the matter.
After having engaged for several days
In taking testimony, about 0 o'clock p.
IN. OF January 90, while In his room at his
boarding house in the act of sitting down
att table near u window to writo to his
mOtherless children, he was shot through
the window by concealed assassins Il few
feet from him and instantly killed.
The foregoing facts We stand ready TO
substantiate In every essential partiCu-
lar, every one OF which we believe to DO
a material link In the chain Of circum-
stances surrounding and leading TO the
inhuman murder Of our brother, John
NJ. Clayton. POWELL CLAYTON,
W. II. IL. CLAYTON.