Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-17
IN HIS OWN DEFENSE,
Congressman Breckinridge Speaks
Before the House Committee
on Elections.
TIE MURDER OF JOHN NJ. CLAYTON
Was Great Shock to Him, as the Two Had
Eaten, Slept and CanvasSed the
District Together.
TIE MURDER OF JOHN M. CLAYTON
A BITTER ATTACK ON JUDGE KCLURE,
whs 10 Compared With Other More Conservative South.
ep Republicans

ridge, Of Arkansas, appeared before the
House Election Committee In his own de-
frnte to-day He said that the record
failed utterly TO show that he was not
elected, but on the contrary, t showed that
he was elected. Therefore, Il was not sur
yrising that John NJ. Clayton. sensible and
wise az he was said TO be, did not want to
contest the election and yielded only upon
the requests Of the Republican leaders
Respecting Clayton'S murder. IL was per-
fectly clear that nothing more could have
been done TO find the murderer than had
been done BY the officers and people OF the
stHte. Mr.. Breckenridge proceeded with q
long statement Of the facts within his
knowledge connected with the killing OF
Clay ton and the efforts 10 discover the muir
derer.
NEioBBoRs AND FRIENDS.
lie said be had known Clayton for 20
years. They had been neighhoH and friends.
Clayton'a nomination had been most agree
able to himself and the Democracy OF his
district, although he was q strong man
politically They had canvRssed the dis
trict together, travelling often In the same
vehicle, eating at the same table and at
times sleeping together. One was Repub-
lican and an ex. Union soldier; the other q
Democrat and an e1.Con federnte soldier.
Their relations demonstrated that there
was nothing In the charges made by Judge
Mcclure OF the terrible persecution oi Re-
publicans In his district Cnyton's death
had been a fearful surprise 10 him (Breck-
inridge), rs IL was TO all Of the decent peo.
ple OF Arkansas. He had wired Clayton's
family an expression Of sympathy, and had
devoted himself 10 q search for the MUIR
derer.
He knew that whatever he did would be
miscOnstrued, and he waited to let the State
take the initiative. The Governor offered
q reward o. 81, 900 (al that the law per-
mitted), and then got the State Legislature
TO pass a special act, increasing the reward
10 $1,000.
LARGE REWARD OFFERED.
Besides this the people voluntarily sub
Ecribed sufficient money TO make total re-
ward of S11, 900. He had believed that the |
Plummervlle ballot box had been stolen by |
Republicans. There was testimony before |
the committee leading to that conclusion. |
The apparent object Of the stealing was u
contest in case the House of Representatives |
was Republican.
Be ore this election there had never been |
q complaint oil irregularities in elections in |
the district. While the sympathy of the |
people of the State was gushing out toward |
the family ol Clayton; while every one was |
urging the detection of the murderer, came |
Powell Clayton's letter to the country. Hts |
effect was un iortunate and disastrous.
The people were outraged and insulted. |
One hundred dollars could not have been |
raised for the prosecution after that publi- |
cation. He had felt it necessary to wait |
until the excitement cooled down. Seeing |
the Governor, he gave him 500 to follow up |
a clew as to the murderers, and promised to
take the stump, if necessary, to raise all the |
money needed for the prosecution.
MISTAKEN ESTIMATE.
Judge Mcclure was mistaken in his esti-
mate of the people of Arkansas. Recently
Judge Caldwell, a prominent Republican,
had been nominated to a place upon the
Circuit Bench, and the mails were heavy
with petitions and letters from Arkansas
Democrats favoring the confirmation. He
had heard that Mcclure himself was an
applicant for Judgeship.
Judge Mcclure interrupted to deny the
statement.
Continuing Mr.. Breckinridge said that
the people Of the State would look upon
McClure's appointment as o calamity. He
could not get lawyer OF standing 10 in
dorse his appointment. II was not because
he was a Republican or an ex- U nion soldier
for Judge Caldwell was both. II was be-
cause Of the different estimate held by tire
people Of the two men. If Mcclure had
had trouble, he had himself TO blame So
far NJ his case was concerned he did not
care TO have votes counted for him on q
He did not care for the seat.
He did care for the TlghEs aud feeling oi his
people
COULD NOT HARM HIM.
Let the committee decide na il liked. He
knew very we'll that when II came TO do
things in u harsh aud passionate way IL
would do him no political harm Looking
\. II in the sense OF rallying the people
around him and stirring up sentiment In
bis iHYor he had nothing TO fear. But he
did not like that kind OF politics. Ii the
was to declare the seat vOcant,
let il do so legally aud upon the lines of
law.
He commended the wise course of Repre-
sentative Evart (North Carolina), Re
publican member who came from u South
srn district by the aid of white votes, and
he most unfortunate thing for the Republ-
ian party, in a political sense, was Tor men
10 seek, like Judge Mcclure, to stand in an
.agonism TO the masses of the people.
Judge Mcclure closed the arguments in a
orief speech, treating almost altogether OF
he legal aspect of the case. He argued, in
1rie', that as the evidence showed that the
Jailots really cast were not preserved il was
to 60 behind them and take proof
II the vote.
NOT IN EVIDENCE.
Mr.. Breckenridge had declined or neg
ected to prove his vote, so that the result,
Is shown by the evidence before the COM
nttee, was that Clayton had a majority of
$50 in the district.
Mr.. Breckenridge asserted that the sub
committee had re used to permit him to
prove his vote, which had compelled him to
ely upon the exhibit made in the proceed
ngs before the United States Court.
Chairman Rowell informed him that the
criminal proceedings before the United
States Court could not figure as legal evil
1ence upon another issue. The committee
adjourned at the conclusion of the argu-
nents.