The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1890-08-06
THE CLAYTON KILLING.
Majority Report on the Clayton
Breckenridge Case.
The Murders That Followed the Ballot Box
Theft-The Suspicious Circumstances
and the Failure to Indict Com
mented Upon.

Lacey, OF Iowa, has prepared for sub
mission to the House the ma ority re-
port of the Election Committee upon the
Clayton Breckinr,dge contested election
case and the murder of the Republican
contestant.
Commenting on Clayton's murder. the
report says:
1.-The State and Nation were Mortified
Rewards were offered and the commun-
ity of Morrilton, near which the murder
occurred passed appropriate resolutions,
but no earnest attempt in bringing the
nurderers to justice has been made by
the local authorities The efforts Of
the Governor have been in vain. Much
Of the work done has been upon a mis-
taken idea and due weight has not been
given to the suspicion that should nat
urally attach to the ballot box thieves"
Next the report refers to the killing
Of Smith, negro detective who was in
vestigating the ballot box theft, and of
George Bentley, brother of o. I. Bent
ley, who was suspected of being one of
the thieves George Bentley at the
time was negotiating with the Pinker-
tons to give the Government evidence
and expose the guilty parties when he
was said to have been accidentally shot
by his brother. The report says there
is no direct evidence to show any GRIM
inality in the killing Of Bentley, but
declares it unfortunate that these two
killings occurred while the men were
about to give evidence to the Pinkerton
detectives
The theory that Clayton's murder was
due to the enmity OF one Hooper is
taken up, and the report says it clearly
appears that Hooper was not only in
California when the murder occurred,
but was i'll with dropsy. This theory,
says the ma iority, was naturally pleasing
TO the contestee (Breckinridge), though
the friends of Colonel Clayton very
naturally complained that SO important
a clew should have been concealed for
ten months from them, and only made
known when the Congressional investi-
CATION began.
The report, continuing. says: mo
reasonable explanation of the murder
appears except that some of the ballot
box thieves, finding the taking of the
testimony progressing, killed Colonel
Clayton to suppress the investigation.
No other motive is possible.
The necessity for the enactment Of
some law which will prevent ballot box
stealing and murder from comforting
prima facie title to a seat in Congress is
evident from the result in this contest.
Had such laws been in force as would
have prevented the contestee from
taking his seat with such title, no one
would have attempted to confer such a
title by stealing the ballot box. Evil
IDENTIFY ballot box stealing was looked
upon as joke in that community until
the awful consequences that have re-
suited have appalled, the good people OF
the country.
mo doubt some Of these men would
have been deferred from taking the first
step in the crime if they had realized
that murder would be the end. But
they crossed their Rubicon. Breckin-
ridge got the seat in Congress and one
crime followed in the footsteps OF the
other The least guilty of the criminals
dare not expose the more guilty lest the
The murder of enjamin. a we'll
known Little Rock publican, who
was killed near Morrilton while confer
ring with local Republicans with regard
TO bringing the ballot box thieves to
Justice. must be we'll known, for large
number of persons were present, hut
they are not indicted, NJ Indictments
have been found under the State Elec-
ton laws for the ballot box crime; the
murderer, of Smith is discharged with
out trial; the killing of Beatley is not
investigated, and the only man whose
crime is punished is Wahl, the Federal
supervisory, who was indicted for play
ing cards when he was shot
The contention of Breckenridge and
his counsel that the acqui1tal of the
judges and others charged with frauds
in this election should bind the House,
and that this adjudication should be ac-
cepted by Congress as proof that frauds
did not exist the report says is surpris-
ing. and the majority decline to be
bound by the action of an Arkansas jury
IN criminal case. The repoSt also dis
agrees with other legal propositions
drought forward by counsel.
The present case, continues the re-
port, has attracted attention. not be-
caxsse it stands alone as startling and
striking incident of dangers ahead for
our form of government, but because it
appears 10 be one of very bad kind. |
In the old days of the code of honor,
political antagonists often met face to |
face and eye to eye. and sought their
life. This method Of set
thing political differences has become
obsolete. and we frequently con-
gratulaoe ourselves upon the i'm
proved moral tone of our day and gen
GRAFTON. But never befsre has contest
for seat ia Congress been terminated
by the bullet of an assassin. If such
methods are suhlp tilted to in silence, the
party benefited by the cri,ae of his par
tisans quietly and without dispute re-
tanning the benefits of the death of his
com petitor. . new element would be in
trod uced in our form of government"
The resolution accompanying the re-
port declares the sea. vacant
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