The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-02-09

circumstances leading up to and culmlu-
ating IN the assassination of our brother
John NJ. Clayton, we desire, over our own
signatures to make the following state
ment of facts: All agree that this WIS a
political assassination: il will be there
fore necessary for US to refer to the pOlG-
teal conditions and circumstances sur
rounding it. We do this III no pa tlSan
spirit. but only that justice may be done
to the memory OF our brother, and that II
knowledge of rho facts which led 10 his
assassination may induce the people OF
this state to correct the evils from which
this and other great crimes have spru' e,
an that however sad the circnmSi ancPS
may he to MS, this martyrdom may result
in good To the people oi this and other
sta es. Although since the commence
ment of the last polite | canvass 'or
state officers iii Arkansas many pDltic"'
crimes have been committed in differen!
pa It's of the state, i'll thi. statement, how
ever. we will contine ourselves To Il {
limits OF Conway county. within which
Pummerville, the scene of this murder,
is situated and only 20 those circum
S ices which, in our opinion, led to the
com mission of the crime.
Prior to the September election and
during the canvass political club was
organized at MorIi.tnu, the county seat
of Conway county, with one St. Arrs. tres h
from Mississippi at it's head. This club
soon after resolved itself into IA m'lltl5i
company, ani about two weeks before
the election, at a time y! profound peace
| in the country, the Hon. Si.a0n p. Hughes
then governor. not only supplied it. with
state arms, but furnished it with full
supply of ammunition, This was the
beginning of the troubles in Conwa'
county. From this time until the d.,
of election Showers, with his armed
parbisans, almost daily p rated the stree S
of Morrilton. On election day their gun
were deposited, loaded and IT ady, fnI
action ii convenient place III the build
ing in which the election was held. On
the morning of that day the Republican
Judge of election, on his way to assume
| the duties of his office, on IA frivolous and
preconcerted pretr1t was arrested, where
upon Showers, with his men, marched to
the polls, and upon his nomination and
their votes aauther person was declared
elected 10 fill the >aa.ncy.
BY these unldN fu! proceedings the elec
ton board, composed of citizens repre-
sentiug both political parties, was made
solidly Democratic. Whether Showers
| and his men at thIs time were ncting as a
| political mob, or as d company OF state
| priitia, we are not advised, but certain it
| is their loaded guns were near at hand,
| While at Morriltnu these things we're
being done, the ciiizens of the town o
| Plummerville, WHO were nearly all op
posed, politically. to our brother, while
thnSa at tina IA nj tho ~. =
were his political friends, the latter
greatly outuum boring the former, c0llcc-
ted at the voting place before the hour
| fixed by law for The opening OF the polls.
and organized a full SET of election officers
of their party.
When the Two r publican judges APP
peared they found Jneir places usurPed
and the election in full bI st. TIL result
of the September election, so couduc.ed,
i'll Conway county WIS complete ch ~
of its political status 50 far as Its officers
were concerned but not as to the 5 mt
ments OF its people. Under these chant ed
conditions, about two months after, t. c
congressional election occurred, John NJ.
Clayton being the Republican candidate,
and G. r. BrcckinrIdge the Democratic
The day before this election, NJ w
yer.of Little Rock was sent to Conway
county oy the Republican State Commit
tee, with instructions to use his best
endeavors to secure an honest election
Upon his arrival at the depot ut Noriil-
ton, he was confronted by an infatuated
mob of several hundred citizens, who
threw him from the cars, assaulted ami
beat him, pulled from his face haudfuis
"A g l.
their humanity with kicks aud cuffs
finally shooting him IN the forehead with
Weapon OF sufficient torce to imbed AID
h,tteu a bullet upon his skull.
A short time after Mr. Benjamin died.
telling mis- wife before death that his
sutferings were due to the traI tment
received at the hands of the Morrilton
mob. On the following day, be ny the
day of election at P ummerville, at thu
hour for opetlng the polls, the two
republic Al judges were on hand, reaiy
To perform their duties, but were ignored
by the Democ' a,ic judge, who put j.
uomIuation two members # his o?yu
party and upon mere affirmative vote
without puttiug the negative, declared
them elected and they were Installed
The Repu blican judges, not being per
mtted to act, accompanied by the Repub
llcan United States supervisor, undertook
to open polls elsewhere, but were notified
by Democratic deputy sheriffs, five o.
whom were present, that they would no;
be permitted to do so. Under these .nd
other threats they abandoned their pur
pose, and the Republican supervisor
returned to where the election as iirs.
organized was being held, where he re
manned in the faithful performance Of his
duty until the polls were closed VIII re
upon 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, persistenty by the faithful
supervisor, Charles Wahl.
At last, finding that tie could not ali AXE
him off, he and the supervisor returned
about nine o'clock at night to the polling
places, 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
instance of the supervisor that the box
should be left at the polling place with
the oJher judge who was there. About
a half an hour thereafter, four MASKED
and armed men rushed into the room,
and, at the muZZleS oil their pistols.
compelled the rem aiming judge AMI sup
ervisor to turn their backs. wnereuron
they seized the box and poll-books aud
carried them away. We are inf RI d
by Wahl and other credible persons ;ha
the box SO stolen contained 697 bliloss,
of which at least s72 were cas- for John
VI. Clayton. Upon learning of these
unlawful acts, together with many others
in different parts of his district, he
(Clayton) felt 1t his duty to lie contest
for his seat in Congress. and Tor the pur
pose of ascertalnng the actual vote cast
for him at Piumnerrille precinct. tIat
he might engraft that fact in his ,tic.
of contest, he employed respo lsible
citizen named Alex lander, of the Plum
merville precinct, To "btalu the names of
over forty We of such voters. Wh.n on
the I7th of Deem Der his work Suddenly
terminated by reason Of the events which
we now proceed to detail Ga the II
of December Wahl, tine afuI e:ueutIun"d
supervisor, was inveigled into game of
cards at night. In the backroom of IA doc
tors office III Plummerville. when he was
seated III close pro lImity to glass door.
through which he was shot by would
oe ass ASSN, the ball piercing the looe of
his ear and cutting IL cash in his neck
about three iuches long. Wdhl fed to
the house OF the aforementioned Alex
auder, where he remained till daylight,
after which he reached his home. and
thereafter rppaired to ittIe Rack whera