New-York tribune., 1890-05-02
OF WHlSKEi
,rcp,PH TO THE TKIRCNE. I

United States Supervisor OF LeoUion' l"
her 1883 at Plummerville, oi Which pidce He
was at that time a resident. lie mas siioe '"en'
hecome n resident of another county, not from
ohoioo but bccouse il was no longer safe for him
n remain at Plummerville. IL seems that ne
,os,ifed before the United States Commissioners
.hopt the alleged ballot-box thieves in 1888.
J,nnlicated by the testimony he gave. several Of
tho "leading citizens" of Plummerville were ar
rested. though his testimony was not sufficient
TO convict them in the subsequent trial. After
ward. he returned TO Plummervillc and was shot
at in the same manner that proved so effective in
the case of j. NJ Clayton. That Wahl was not
killed was not due to the intent of the assassin,
but =. the defect of his aim.
Charles Wahl is about fifty years of age and is a
farmer by occupation. lie does not impress one
as being particularly bright, but of his honesty
and truthfulncss there be not the slightest
doubt. He certainly is man of courage to re-
main in Arkansas at all under the present circum-
stances. His life surely would not now be re-
carded by an ordinarily prudent insurance COM
pany as an altogether satisfactory risk. The
story he told on the witneSs-sand was straight
forward and not in its material points shaken
by the rigid croSs-eXamination of counsel for Mr.
Breckenridge nor by the testimony of the sub
seouent witnesses He told the oft repeated tale
of the trouble in organizing the Board of Election
judges at Plummerville in November 1858, and
explained the part he took in it, Describing briefly
the events of the day, he came to the critical
period after the closing OF the polls. Two of the
judges and the two clerks had gone to supper
Hobbs. the third judge of election, and Wahl re-
mained alone in the room where the polling had
gone on. \ proposal by Hobbs TO go TO supper
also was promptly acceded to by Wahl. but he
insisted upon going with Hobbs as long as he re-
mained in possession of the ballot-box.
Hobbs lodged about town to a place where
he wanted to wash his hands," to his home, to
his bedroom, everywhere almost, in fact, except
back TO the polling-place: Wahl always keeping
in close company with him. and watching the
box. After supper in the course of which the
virtuous Hobbs felt greatly hurt because he
seemed to be watched like thief. the two re-
turned to the poling-place No one was there
The other election judges were nowhere in sight
Casually Hobbs inquired of Wah how many Dem
ocratic votes and how many Republican votes Ind
been cast. Wahl estimated the former
at 1875, the latter at COO Silence followed the
answer. Then a voice. belonging. as Wahl thinks
10 o. T. Bentley, though he didn't see the figure
inquired through the door whether the count Of
the ballots had begun vet.
No." said Hobbs, who shortly afterward re-
tired with Democratic friend who had Just
dropped in for private conversation In tie back
part of the room. That over. there was some
more silence. Wahl had just lit his pipe, when
the door was burst open by masked man with
pistol in his hand. who commanded Vail and
the election judge TO turn their backs. At the
same time he sweety remarked that he would
show them how the blankety- blank thing would
go Democratic" Wah did not turn his back
around so completely that be could not see in the
doorway three other masked men clad IN gum
coats, covering the retreat of him who had de-
manded the surrender of the box. Among them
he recognized o. T. Bentley, the deputy sheriff,
who has figured prominently already in these
dispatches in connection with the assassination
Of J. VI. Clayton. Outside not single
of the deputy sherlrs was in sight.
This story. which was repeated to-day VAIL
told before the United States Commissioner i'll
Little Rock under oath. In December of that
year Wahl. who seems occasionally to take lit
lie more whskcy than is good for him, was in
veigled by number Of prominent citizens Of
PummerYille into playing game of poker at the
Office of one DR.. Bradley.
Counsel for Breckinridgc, who, by the way,
ever since this investigation began, had vocifer-
ously proclaimed the intention of aiding the com
mittec in fcrrcting out the murdercrs Of j. NJ
Clayton and the thieves of the ballot-boX, here
only was a willing victim to this transaction,
but that it was actually he who suggested the
whole matter, and even went so far as TO burst in
the door of Dr. Bradlcys office in order TO get out
the cards" Ills whole line Of assistance
rendered by Mr.. BreckinTidge's counsel soon
rendered useless by the testimony OF an extremely
picturesque old negro couple, at whose house
Wahl had engaged quarters for the night,
who testified in the most positive
manner that Wah had been almost dragged into
the game of poker by Doc White another
leading citizen" of Plummervile. whom the
negro IN addition, charged with tie burning OF
'he rIumniervilie ballot-boX. At any rate after
the play had been going on for some time, Doc |
"II'e stepped out OF the glass door into the yard
lOT minute or 50. and after returning changed |
Seats at the table with Wabl Shortiv after a |
.no. came crashing through the glass window |
an,nI ~ .nG Ioor ana struck Wahl lwho had been |
eta%u almost directly in line with the door, in |
the p1ch OF The head. Fortunately the ball only |
fdaIGeu 30 @ tne skull There was a scramble for the |
y oood doo, %n some confusion, much swearing and |
a eoou ueal oi suspense while the contents of |
thc interrupted jackpot gathered from tho foor
WI VIZ uisulpu'ed among the PLAYERS The
tSongh 10 uan nan received no attention whatever,
'Hvuei nc hau Deen wounded i'm q doctor's office
ana there were two doctor, prescpI
AS sOVn ds ne was able to do so Wohl made his
sd FOR ths cri,"a iisHH-iawS No was ever arrest
no indictment was ever found Wabrs cnmnon
gI iynS , iu % ,iiS s1ne oi poker were all Democrats
of e Ss %sS 'ne Sn cny nEGepu9cn and they had some
testimony given by WstI Dh @ 1ne strength OF Tie
p the United states Commissoner's Court at Little
to be superfu0us. ~ Oo"''hcn' Soo"i'
A part Of the mornings session nj ,L ,.o,u,,i,
pS was ,aNeH up Dy counsel for Mr. Brcckin-
,dse Wig al, IN proving up bis vote in the Pnmmer-
nesses were unable either ~ roa Vi .c WhiC WIZ
were were exactly four negroes who dclared that thew
mac Sad voted for Mr. Brecknrdgc One of Of them hem
sSsc% csase 1esns snat chfs hf Ho,ea for Mr.
admitted that he was sort Of coorcd Wng.
wump," voting sometimes the Democr"tic ticket.
iSas e'es he worteS S@f GSepgsGn The third declared
Government" That neither couId reaI . or uritc
sSes sSe without without saying. A. c. Palmer onoiber Of
Sd tssSn the Committees nases that i the precinct
eniessed ,l at all when the theft Of The
wa. var announced, no regrets no cancer, On The