Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-05
KILLING OF JOHN NJ. CLAYTON.
His Brothers Charge 1t was the Culmina-
ting of a Series of Political Crimes.

his brothers Charge 1t was the Culmina.
ting of a Series of Political Crimes.
Powell Clayton and Judge Clayton, brothers
OF the Hon. John NJ. Clayton, who was assas-
sInated at Plummerville, Ark, on the night of
January 20, have issued statement to the pub
lie. claiming that it was political murder.
They assert that many political crimes have
been committed IN Arkansas since the begin
ming of the late election canvass but in their
statement the Clayton brothers content them
selves with calling attention to affairs in Con-
way county, in which Plummerville is situated
4 ne statement says: Prior to the September
election and during the canvass political club
was organized at Morrilton, the county seat of
Conner county, with 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
o. 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 Showers. with his armed par
tisans, almost daily paraded the streets of Nor
rIlton. 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 republican judge of the election, on his
way to assume the duties of his office. on a
frivolous and precOncerted pretext was ar
rested. WhereupOn Showers. with his men.
marched to the polls, and upon his nomination
and their votes another person was declared
elected to I'LL the vacancy. by these unlawful
proceedings. the election board. composed of
citizens representing both politial parties, was
made solldly democratic. While at Morrillton
these things were being done. the citizens of
the town of Plummeryille, who were nearly all
opposed. politically, to our brother. while those
farming q nc
political friends, the latter greatly outnumber-
ing the former. 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 republican judges appeared
they found their places usurped and the cleo
ton In full blast The result of the September
election. so conducted i'll Conway county was
complete change of its political status SO far
as its officers were concerned. but not as to the
sentiments of its people. Under these changed
conditions, about two months after, the con-
gressiOnal election occurred, John NJ Clayton
being the republican candidate and c. II. Breck-
inrldge the democratic. The day before this
election NJ. W. Benjamin, prominent republic
can LAWYER of Little Rock, was sent to CONWAY
county by the republican state committee. with
instructions to use his best endeavors TO secure
an honest election. Upon his arrival at the de-
pot at MOrrillton he was confrontedby an infu-
rated mob of several hundred citizens, who
him, pulled from his face handfuls of beard
and met all of his appeals to their humanity
with kicks and cuffs, finally shooting him in
the forehead with weapon of sufficient force
to imbed and fiatten bullet upon his skull.
"A short time after Mr.. Benjamin died. tell
ing his wife before death that his sufferings
were due to the treatment received at the hands
of the MorrilltOn mob. On the following day.
being the day of election at Plummervillle. at
the hour for opening the polls the two republi-
can judges were on hand. ready to perform
their duties. but were ignored by the demo-
cratic judge. who put i'll nomination two men,
beers of his own party. and upon mere affirma-
tive vote, without putting the negative. de-
clared them elected. and they were installed.
The republican judges. not being permitted to
act. accompanied by the republican United
States supervisor. undertook to open polls else
where. but were notified by democratic deputy
sheritfs, five of whom were present. that they
would not be permitted 10 do SO. Under these
and other threats they abandoned their pur-
pose. and the republican supervisor returned
to where the election as first organized was be-
ing held, where he remained in the faithful
performance OF his duty until the polls were
closed whereupOn the election judge by whose
action the board was organized, as before
stated, took the ballOt-bOx and carried it from
place to place through the town, followed
however. persistently by the faithful super
visor. Charles VAIL"
The statement goes on to recite that after
tramping around until O'Clock the Judge re-
turned to the polling place with the ballot
box. Later four masked men rushed in and at
the muZZles of pistols seized the ballot box and
poll books and ran away with them. The state
ment continues: I'VE are informed by Vail
and other creditable persons that the box so
stolen contained 697 ballots of which at least
512 were east for John VI. Clayton"
The statement then recites how John NJ
Clayton began proceedings looking TO a con-
test for the seat i'll Congress; tells how VAIL
was shot at through glass door one night at
Plummervlle and slightly wounded and
charges that man named Alexander. en-
ployed by Clayton i'll gathering evidence for
his contest, was compelled to fly from Plum
meryille through fear of his life. For these
crimes. the statement assert. mo man has
been arrested by state or county authorities,
nor has any official reward been offered"
In conclusion the statement gives the facts
regarding John NJ. ClaytOn's trip to Plummer-
willie i'll pursuit of evidence i'll his congre ssional
contest and the murder that followed. We
were unable to remove his body" the brothers
of the murdered man say. until $3.50 D. III. on
the next day. up to which time the sheriff of the
county had not appeared. being. in the Ian
guage of his deputy. engaged in the more
important business of collecting taxes Nor
had any citizen of the town made the slightest
effort TO trace or apprehend his murderers.'