New-York tribune., 1890-05-22
THE MURDER OF CLAYTON.
An IMPORTANT WITNESS HEARD BY TIE
HOUSE ELECTIONS SUBCOMMITTEE.
HE WAS ONE OF THE PARTY THAT STOLE THE
PLuMMERvILLE BALLoTBoX-A CLEw
no THE ASSASS1NS.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TnIBuNE.1

the task Of hearing testimony and collecting evidence
in the Clayton Brccinridgc contest had before IT TO-
day an important witness in the person of Warren
Taylor, formerly Of Morillton Ark and more recently
Of certain town in the Indian Territory. the name
Of which j. for obvious suppressed. Taylor
was one Of band Of MOrrillton Democrats who. under
the leadership Of "OI Bentley. the deputy sheriff. on
the evening Of November Is, l6s6. rode toward Plum
mervllle and halted ito outskirts while three OF
the band put masks and proceeded to the polling
place, aud there, at the point of pistol compelled
the United state, supervisor Of Election and one Of
the election judges surrender the balotboN which
they forthwith carried TO where their cOniedcrateS
we're waiting and which they aftcrwald destroyed,
together with the ballots contained therein. Tho
story told by Taylor completely the piracy
entered into by these worthy representatives OF the
Democracy in Conway County, Ark 1t throws,
moreover important light upon the movements oi
~oI 7 Bcntlcy on the night Of the murder Of J. NJ.
Clayton. incidentally it also disclose, fcw Of the
methods employed aiterwad b' tlr halidozcn cut
throats murcrcrs and thugs IN holding two communl-
tic- by the throat and preventing ju,ticc from being
mctcd ont to the guilty wrechc, whom Nr. lreckin-
ridge still counts among hi, friends and admirers
Taylor turned state, evidence upon the trial Of the
ballot box thcvc, in the United state, Circuit
court Little Rock. He did this the
peril Of hi, life for threat, kill him in ho
gave the boy, away frequent enough. and
among those Who threatened him Wa, OF Bentley
the deputy sheriff and friend of Clifton K. Brccln-
ridge Great CONSERVATION prevailed among the Let
OF hpodlum, when they were appr-od Of Taylora
presence in Little Rock and If hi, rclduc,, TO testify
acan, them. III, tc-timOnr they recognized, would
send them 10 the pcnitcntiary To avoid this they
,vorc out warrant for the arrest Of fayor on a
tmmpcdup charGc which warrant va, intrn-tcd for
execution o. orc Of the faithful. y came down
to Little Rock. but before he could lay hands upon
TAYLOR the United state District Attorney. In order 10
ave his witness preferred charge against him before
a United state, Commissioners charging him with iu-
,crforn- at AN election, and With United states
Supervisor. Upon TIN, chtr-a Taylor became "A
prisoner - thc Tinted state, authorities, and was
saved from being carried back 10 MorrDn. where he
undoubtedly VolN have been murdered 10y Nr.
HIccMurld-cs friends as ,oon a he arrived.
When the trial va, over De- wa, spirited away
ont Of the state. where the Mouton thug,
wcr, unable to reach him. When the second
trial WI had Tie same tactic, were pursued ly
both paftc-. and after 10, conclusion Taylor found a
refuge lu the Indian Territory. where De- h, since re
u.,inei not DARN. to venture back into Conway
couuts where DIS lfc would NOT Dee worth an hours
purchase IL hI- pr-'uce became known.
The -tory told by Taylor day regarding the theft
4 the Plummci-vlilc ballot boA D, a, follows:
Ab,ut dar, Of ihe evening of November g. l-77,
he and about fifteen or twenty other youuG men In
Iorr.llton were informed by OF bentley and Walter
T. Wells That trouble vi, expected at RUNNER
Vile. Ihcy said That that precinct had sou" Demo
cratic and the, anticipated that the indignation o the
negro voter, Al such result would ma vent 10
serious outbreak of violence. and the presence Of dep
ttr .hcrfs Immediately became necessary 10 preserve
tlo peace The parts thu, recruited by cor Bentley
consisted mainly of deputy shciiI-, and All were
Democrats. lu passing, II may Dee stated that the
deputy sheriff, provided for hy the state ia" {" serve
Al an election must Dee recruited from the township
where the, are to serve. Ilhmmcrv!llc beng in q
,ue,r.u, township from Nogr.lltou. tle appointment
Of these Gcpuiy sheriff, Wa, clearly Illegal Iut such
ufo lrf,.ulartc, sc oi little Consequence in state
,.f,. ballot, blA -uhng a. elections is the order 81
IN, dl, and whcic murder cW~"~ no >nrprSrt
r,yl,r a.-cu, that he knew nothing of the plan to
h tno ballot boA. TN, may VIII BE- doubted.
lcrilcv must have couddcd 10 him. because It
"a. oulv recently that TAYLOR had taken AN active
mar, lo the polite of the county, and 10 some extent
had ro-cd the dl-tr-t Of tA" leaders because of his
refusal to enlist iu the ALLEGED militia company nn
reality only a Democratic club 10 which Governor
Unclc, had i--ucd arms and ammunition on the eve
~ the september election.
The party wa, al mounted and rode IN the
direction of Pmmmor, He. seven milo, distant Arv
l,r an rnc suburb of Plummcrvc. thc party halted
,ncr a short consultation thrcr mcr-""i' BENTLEY
waiter T. Vci- and W. L. Wood-wcut INTO th" town
aud .hortlv aficrNard returned with thc ballot box
,n their procession. The whole party lwn'I"'N
put pur, T. their horse and returned at rapid rate
To- MoIIIlton. Ou the way home conversation passed
between Bentley and other men In th" gar- concern
uc the manner I'm which the box had been ~'il'd MICH
u what W. aid escaped aylor. because hc Wa pres
emily put 20 the rear of the cavalcadc. He j. certain
however that b." the ballot boA in tn possession
If Ucutlcy. for vivid Aa-ho- oi Lightning ~'A
-onaIly Illuminated ~" scene ari exhibited me
box carried ly Eclucy IN front oi hIH' r''
iue upon IN, saddle. Taylor also rcm'mo'r9
,n agreement between the coD,plra"r, {" Pi"'' "i
alni ON one another i'm case thing, ,houd com" l'
their worst aud they should he hau"d up Tor inc
.ru, thcy I1d engaged in Thus one man suggest"
that the haltnr ON the outskirts "i fW"'"'''''
would enable them to swear that they had i'' pee" ."
that place that evening. and ~ {" ia" question WIN
lcntlry and hi- Two companions hih E''' """
they did while the rest were waiting for tn'u '','
would be equally ignorant. Ipon reaching N'rF'"
ton the band separated, ana i''"r "'"'
-lccp.
, few day, pa,-cd without the con-pirl"r> % WIZ
any fear a. to the r..ult- of the crime Commute" "'
Them When. however. q reward "i Tl''"' Wa '"''
lN the Republican state Committee 'or 'h' ''l"
conviction of the thcvc, of the I"mh'rN'" '"' "''
lo, tie friend of Mr.. HrcclNuu1sc "'''"' -. 'r
alarmed The boldr-t among then lri'h l" ''"-"
down the matter. ~aying that th'> con" ''"'
,ict.d when the County Jnd-r, however Qua,
ia, Grand Iury and other r.ideucr Wa ptc-'H'u l"
the United state, Commissioner t Lh'I' h""' ''
lrean 10 lOo, more serious. II "h> HH'h '"'' ""'
and Well. went about town and threatened 'N''l WV
Of the men who had been engaged ih th' '''""'' "
the Plummcrvic ballot box Win d'aIh I'D case '''N
.houId reveal ANYTHING that occurred on th' eN'''""
of November g. Among thoe 80 uI''''''.
vo. TAYLOR The Comfy Judge VINO ~"
charged the Grand Jusy in language "'," ''''
friend, Of NJ. Ercchnr go c'n'ldcrri o"'''''"
thought it prudent to rctir irom MorrIt'n' '"' ~
ha, not since then set foot OPP iiai lht'ie''h- ,u
hold Of the Arkansa, Democracy. VAIL the h't.p
.t,tcs >uucrvi.or OF Election At the Plumm'rN'''
prccinct wa, nycglcd into game Of cards n' "'"',
friend, of Mr.. Brcckinrdsc, aud shot \ '',''
marshal who had made himself altogether 700 "",'
IN attempts 10 trace the thieves ot u" i'"'
| b,llnt LoN was shot down on the highway J." "
,,,.,n, ,,iorcl CL,,ton was a--H,-inatrd while TAX
ING testimony to prove up l' No" IN F'u""'''
and George Bentley. the brother Of "'l' VII" "'''
,h. po,t of marshal and whose loyalty "a' '"7l"'"
mel death by accident IN presence "i MS o'''''
vbiI. the latter wa, showing him pistol