Daily Republican., 1890-05-14
WEDNESDAY. MAY Ii.lso,
: : - =
Inln lirn.Isauri,frc

A'oi'
We will soon have the whole truth
about the murder OF John NJ. Clayton
in Arkansas from the committee sent
TO investigate the case from Congress.
The committee has returned to Wash
ington and the report will shortly be
made. The committee held its sittings
ut Little Rock. the capital of the State,
and even there their lives were In dan
ger. Clinton r. Breckenridge, the
man who sits Ia the stolen seat Of the
murdered Clayton, was With the COM
mittee through nil its sittings to defend
the honor OF Arkansas. He did do
some good on the last day OF the sit
ting OF the committee by stopping in
s.antly what would have been bloody
riot, attended with the killing OF
several men, by throwing himself in
front of Armstrong, his lawyer, and
making him take aeat alter the latter
had called United States District Judge
Mcclure an Infamous scoundrel, "and
been struck in the flce by the Judge
In return.
Breckcnridge's action at leas, saved
the life of his lawyer and probably his
own as Unitei States Marshal sat in
his rear prepared for any emergency.
The committee did not 60 to Plum.
mersville, the place where Clayton
was assassinsted. as they had families
at home that they wanted TO see first,
and bad as the world is, they were not
quite prepared to shuttle oil the NOR.
tal coil The result OF tho inyestiga-
ton hns placed Breckenridge before
tho Tilltlin in "a ~ l,la cb
lie assured the cOmmLHSe before il
lett Washington .t.ast the theft OF the
ballot box a. flummersviile and the
assassinaSon of Clayton was not
--ehsrSeable to either political party.
This voluntary statement OF Brecken
ridge was proved 10 he positively uu.
true. Another untruth that Brecken
iidge tried TO impress upon the minds
ui the committee was that Judge Ben.
jamiu's murder at Meirillton, while
not justiiiahle was the result OF his
own indlseretiuus, that the attacG was
not made with murderous intent and
that his death was not due to that at
tack.
Benjamin, he said. went there as &
Government detective, Interfering
with the people, reiieating upon tApm,
and possibly Tor the purpose ui getting
some OF them into undeserYea trouble
He asked the committee 10 summon
the widow OF Benjamin and DIR.
Green az ntness TO provo his state
ment The CON miltee did as directed,
and although the Democrats did all
tney could TO prevent them from going
before the committee, they went and
10th positively testified that JuaEe
i}cniemin's death was directly duo 10
the injUrie5 lie recsiyed at MelF.i.tie.
here again Breckenridge wns pa,cd
in a very comprisiug position III regard
10 his yCrhcily.
But the mest dAstaraly OF all these
attempts to misleal and misinlorm the
committee was that in which Btecken
ridge was aided by the Governor Of
Arkansas in giving currency TO the
report that Clayton was murdered by
man named Hooper ON account OF un
old grudge, in no way connected with
politics, and that Hooper died in Cali
lorna. This eooked-up story was
proved ta Ne a bfu2en tic by Tit widow
Of Hooper aud b. others, bnl Leaves
BrecEeull4g4 without pl1 10 staai
upon.
Breckenridge has denounced tn
statements oil these political murder
as "wanton slau4era to wrong IN IN
nocent and viiiuous people, comm,
from men who Oppressed and tur.
tured the people oi Arkansas to roi
them oil their substance, 10 execun
them without trial or Indictment an
10 violate female 5oner." These b
high sounding words Tor the usurpe
OF a seat ia Congress Obtained by mer
der most foul The high character o
This Yiriuuus, abused, d0wn-tToadeI
people Of Arkansas WAS rightly est
mated by the committee who wer
AFRAID TO 90 amcnR them to take lest
nony though baekea by the power {
the Government.
1t has been made thoroughly Gle
to the committee MAT even with .
the advantages ot tile murders cor
mitied and tie stealing OF the P.ul
mersVille ball9t box where CGytr
had about $50 majority not count,
tor him, that Breckenridge was ii
elected 10 Congress and he will
doubt III few days be eigen leave
absence.