New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-03

Will you tell me what il is, who, in your
opinion, committed the murder?'"
lie made no reply"
IL need only be said that Bentley is the man
| suspected by everybody of having had hand in
'he murder to point the peculiar significance Of
TINS testimony. Colonel Clayton then bcthought
himself of settling his brothers account He
called for the bill. 1t amounted TO some SO or So
but in addition the landlady demanded $50 as
compensation for the damage done 10 old
cotton carpet scarcely worth $40. through the
| spiillng of the blood She informed Clayton that
she mad conferred with several citizens in Plum
| mervllle and that they had all told her that
30 was not enough, but that she was willing 10
'akc that much The friends of Colonel Clayton
declared the demand to be an outrage. Colonel
Oayton hin self was in mood for bartcring
and would have paid this outrageous demand, but
MS friends refused point-blank The latter started
TO find some citizens in the town 10 assess the dam
ages, but before lie rcturned Colonel Clayton
had settled with the woman for - ;.
All this time no one had come near the house.
Looking up and down the street II seemed az if
GeS,rcd IL was as one witness described II like
Sunday AS the afternoon wore on. few
negroes gathered IN front of the house. and ioned
the group Of reporters that had arrived on the
traln from Little Rock. They were the only
human beings in sight. Long before Cobentz
and his brother had departed, under threat that
! If they did not leave the town they would be
killed. The undertaken asked the negroes 10
carry the coffin to the station. after Colonel Clay
ton had taken a last look at the lace OF his
| brother and the lid had been screwed down. They
were only too willing. declaring that the dead
man had been their friend always. Pay was Of
fercd them, but they refused it.
How different their conduct from that OF the
white brutcs in Plummerylc! Slowly the little
pGGc'SslRe pG headed made by its cooHe Clayton n' and
appealed 10 by Colonel Clayton TO tell what he
knew about the murder, and again he was silent.
And TO the pathetic inquiry how 1t was that no
one was there to offer help assistance, sympathy
or regret, the reply came, &c do not know
Finally Colonel Clayton burst out;
We'll is this town then teTr9T1Sdy re is 1t
Are its citizens afraid TO speak to me -
Il can speak only for myself, repliel Arm
strong. | am not resident OF tins town
While Colonel Clayton SaYe ms testimony
Mr.. Armstrong sat among Mr.. Breckinrldges c0un-
sci picture of abject misery. Stlll he ana not
contradict a single statement made Dy Colohcl
Clayton.
,Iulgc Mccain, the principal of Mr.. Brcckin-
ridges counsel, tried under difficult conditions
to extract an admission from Colonel clayton
that his theory of the murder might be wrong
one, and he went C-f the stupid and pucric
California tack once more, assisted bN MI ireck-
inrdge himself IL led 10 an animated coloquy
without, of course bringing out new facts IL
did show. however. one or two things worthy OF
mention; first, that the brothers OF the murdered
man had expended thousands OF dollars III thel AT.
tempt 10 ferret out the murderer Wllle thc -r''t
State of Arkansas had so far expended $50, ana
second that the mysterv-lovlng GoXcrhor VINO
made so much secrecy about his California ccW
had confded il 10 Mr. Brcckinrdgc while deny
ing any information whatever concerning II 10
the brother of the murdered man lncdenta!lN
It also showed that the Sheriff Of Conway County
had not only never done anything TO track me
murderer. but had actually done everything
in his power to c,.r'aSs 9estrnct B1' the Gr
far the severcst blow dealt Mr Brechinridge was
that which he himself invited when he asked
Colonel Clayton whether he did not tmnk that
=, al Il 1ra.I nnn 20 ntN he
murderer had been sincere. Raising his finger
at Mr.. Breckinrdge, Colonel Clayton said slowly
and mpressvely
II doubted your sincerity. Mr.. Breckenridge !
when I entered this courtroom and saw You |
seated on yonder bench Bob Pate ono side |
and Oliver Bentley on the other, in close con- |
ference
if Mr. Pate or Mr. Bentley is guilty." replied |
Mr.. Breckinridge. much confused, 81 would be the |
but not until they are proved guilty.
Rats! 4 matter OF taste quietly broke in |
Colonel CLAYTON, ~as far as ] an c9|ncernGG t|
suspected murderrrs'
In the early part of the forenoon Icrvey. the |
election Judge al the PmmmcryilLe precinct who
examined He II is who paved he way for the |
ballot-box thieves 10 do their work Under the
searching cross-eYamination Of jude Cooncf.
on points of minor details Goadcd |
into il-conceacd rage; lie boldly gave il as his
opinion that "niggcrs" had stolen the box. in |
fact he said he had believed all along that Judge
Mcclure had had hand in il in order 70 prose
cute leading citizens OF Plnmmcrvlllc ana alier-
ward pocket a fee for the work. The impcrtlncnt
Of the lawcss gang Of Democratic hoodlums who
infcst Conway County. At home, Of course he
is hero.
The committee expects 10 finish It's lahors here
by Monday night. though II certainly Will not
get through if Mr.. Brecknridgc's counsel do not
cease discovering ccws 10 the murderer Of j. VI.
Clayton in every possible direction Of the com
pass, except that in which Conway County lies