New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-05
THE MURDER OF CLAYTON.
CHARACTERISTIC OF ARKANSAS DEMOCRATS
HISTORY OF SERIES OF BRUTAL CRIMES TOLD
BY GENERAL POWELL CLAYTON AND HIS
BRoTHER-THE WAY OF ASsAssINA-
TIoN MADE EASY BY THE DEMO-
CRATIC GOVERNOR OF THE

STATE
Little Rock, Ark Feb 4.-General Powell Clayton
ana Judge Clayton brothers of John NJ. Clayton who
was aSsassinated on the night Of January 90, have
FURNISHED the following statement to the public:
That the public may understand the circumstances
'ephg up to and eliminating In the assassination Of
our brother, John NJ. Clayton, We desire, over our
own signatures, to make the following statement Of
iaos. All agree that this political assassination
IL VIII therefore be necessary for us to refer to the
poiiucal conditions and circumstances surrounding
IT, We do this IN no partisan spirit, but only that
justice may be done to the memory OF our brother,
ana that knowledge Of the facts which led to his
assasSinauon may induce The people OF this State
to correct the evils from which this and other great
crimes have sprung and that however sad the circum-
stances may be u.s. HIS martyrdom may result in good
10 the people Of this and other States.
Although since the commencement Of the last
political for State officers in Arkansas many
political crimes have been committed in different parts
OF the State, in this statement we VIII conhne our
selves to the limits Of Conway County, within which
Plummervile, the of this murder, is situated,
and only to those circumstances which In our opinion
led to the commission of the crime
Prior to the September election and during the
canvass a political club organized at Morrton,
the county Of Conway County, which one Showers,
fresh from Mississippi at its head This club soon
after resolved itself into militia company, and about
two weeks before the election at time OF profound
peace in the county, Simon P. Hughes then Governor.
not only supplied It with State arms, but furnished IL
with full supply of ammunition. This was the be
ginning Of the troubles IN Conway County From this
time until the day Of the election stowers with his
armed partsans almost daily paraded the streets OF
Morrilton On election day their guns were deposited,
loaded and ready for action in convenient place IN
the building IN which the election was
held On the morning Of that day the Re
publican Judge of election, on the way
TO assume the duties Of his office, on
frivolous and preconcerted pretext was arrested,
whereupon Showers, with his men, marched to the
polls, and upon his nomination and their votes, an
other person declared elected TO fill the vacancy
By those unlawful proceedings the election board, COM
posed Of citizens representing both political parties,
was made sOdly Democratic. Whether Showers and
his men at this time were acting as political mob or
company Of State militia we are not advised Dut
certain II Is their loaded guns were near at hand
"whne at Morrilton these things were being done,
the citizens of tho town of PlUmmerville (who Were
nearly all opposed politically TO our brother, while
those of the farming parts were his political friends,
the latter greatly outnumbenng the foTmer collected
at the voting place before the hour fixed by law for
the opening of the polls and organized full set OF
election officers of their party. When the two Repub-
Lean Judges appeared they found their places usuped
and the election in full blast. The result of the Sep
tember election so conducted in Conway County, was
complete change Of its political status so far as It's
officers wero concerned, but not as to the sentiments
of the people.
"Under these changed conditions about two months
after the Congressional election occurred, John NJ.
Clayton being the Republican candidate and o. X.
Brecdnridgo the Democratic. The day before this
election, NJ W. Benjamin, a prominent Republican
lawyer of Little Rock, and of Arkansas's best
o.tirens was sent TO Conway County by the Repub'
, tea state Committee with instructions 10 use his
best endeavors 10 secure an honest election. Upon
his arrival al tie depot at Morrllton, he was CON
onted by an nhIriated mob of several hundred ciu-
gens who threw him from the cars, assaulted and
beat him. pulled from his face handfus OF beard and
met all of his appeals to their humanity with
kicks and cuffs, finally shooting him in the
forehead with a weapon Of sufficient force
10 1atten a bullet urGn his skull. short time
after Mr.. BENJAMIN died, telling his wife before
death that his suferings were due to the treatment
received at the hands Of the Morriton mob. On the
following day. being tho day of election at Plummer-
VILE at the hour for opening the polls the two Re-
publican judges hand ready TO perform their
duties but were ignored by the Democratic judge,
who put IA nomination two members of his own party,
and upon mere affirmative vote, without putting
the negative declared them elected, and they were
Installed The Republican judges not being permitted
to act, accompanied by the RepuDncan
United States Supervisor, undertook TO open
polls elsewhere, but notified by Democratic
deputy sheriff. five of whom were present, that they
would not be permitted to do so. Under these and
other threats they abandoned their purpose, ana the
Republican supervisor returned TO where the election,
as first organized, was being held where he remained
in the faithful performance of hs duty until the polls
were closed whereupon the election Judge, by whose
Illegal action the board organized, as before
stated took the baotbox and carried It from place
TO place through the town, followed. however,
persistently by the faithful supervisor,
Charles Wahl. At last, finding that he could not
shake him off, he and the supervisor returned about
o o'clock at night to the pOing-place, finding one
Of their judges there Remaining few minutes, he
again left, attempting TO carry the box with him.
which he only dessted from doing by the insistance
of tho supervisor that the box should be left at the
polling place with the other judge, VINO was there
About half an hour thereafter four masked ana armed
men rushed into the room. Al the muzzleS OF theif
pistols they compelled tho remaining Judge ana super
visor tn turn their backs whereupon they seized the
box and pol-books and carried them away we are
Informed by Wahl and other credtable persons that
the bax so stolen contained 697 ballots of which at
least $40 were cast for John ". Gay toh
"Upon learning Of these unlawful acts, toeeher VIII
many others in different parts OF his dlsict ne elay
tom felt It his duty TO institute cohte'l ior MS Se' III
Congress an Tor the purpose OF ascer'd'le Inc ao'ua
vote cast for him at Plummerville prechcr' that ne
might engraft that TACT III ms HO'i'o VI N ~ ' ~
ployed a responsible citizen named Ac1ander' OF the
Plummcrvlle precinct, TO obtain the names VI o'ei
| forty-nye such voters, when, on the l'h o.
December his work suddenly "rnhNa"o
by reason Of tho events which we now proceed tt
detail
On the 18th Of December the a4oremeh"oneu super
visor was invegled into game of cards IN tne Oacf
| room Of doctors Office In PlunmeN'hc' NJ ~
seated in close proximity to glass door, ,nfoust
| which he was shot by a would-be assassin the bal
piercing the lobe OF his left ear and cuns gash II
| bis neck about three inches long NahI neu 10 IN
house Of the aforementioned AeXahueii WIZ no lc
mancd TIL daylight after whch ne bere ,I he nnv
remains for safety. This attempt upon ule ne 0
Wahl so alarmed Alexander as 10 cause MIN 10 aDah
don his work and fly tIOm the Sldr - !,
For the crime, above enumcrdteu hp man IA
been arrested By state or county authoHtss nor ma
any Official reward been offered John NJ. Gay M Mlol
went 10 Plummervlle unafmed and unescorled hhoW
Dg the futy Of such precautions agalnstt ~
stealthy assassin aud believing thai his oppoen,, MI
nrtc knrtdge, who was aware Of the cOhii'l13n IN .
affairs In this county, would be Willie amt anu 'yiI I,
restrain his partsans while passing thlOgs1 M lit1n
Rock on his way there, he said 10 henr! W. No0Por