The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-07-28

Led to the Ruin Of q Notable
Man.
memphis Special to New York SUM-
Col. H. Clay King, the murderer
of Daniel H. Poston, sentenced to be
hanged on August II, refused to talk
to-day further than to say that he
expected the law to take its course,
that he favored no petition for COM
mutation or pardon, and that he is
prepared to die. He denounced the
decision of the court, however, as an
infamous outrage and judicial mur-
der.
On March 10, 1891, Col. King shot
David H. Poston on Main street at
noon. The wounded man was re-
moved to the private inhrmary of
Mitchell & Maury, where he died the
following afternoon. In 1884 Col.
King was engaged as the attorney Of
Mrs. M. E. Pillow, the widow of Gen.
Gideon E. Pillow, known to fame as
the hero of the, Pillow massacre on the
Mississippi river. Mrs. Pillow was
handsome, well-preserved woman Of
forty when Col. King met her. He
was a lawyer prominent in his pro-
fession, the author of several law
books; for twelve years had been
of the State of
Tennessee, and was distinguished as
soldier, having been the gallant
cavalry leader Of Kings cavalry dur
ing the war. Soon Col. King found
it convenient to move his residence to
Lee county, Ark, where he owned a
plantation, which he leased to
Mrs. Pillow. He left his family in
Memphis, however, and scandal
coupled his name with that OF Mrs.
Pillow. Three years later Mrs. Pill
low moved to Memphis. Col. King
then sent his family to the Arkansas
plantation, remaining here himself
and boarding with Mrs. Pillow, to
whom he rented the house out of which
his family had moved.
On the trial a question as to the
between Col. King and Mrs.
Pillow was asked, and Col. King,
dramatic attitude, said:
"You have doubtless read David
Copperfeld.' You remember he was
married, that he loved
another with pure love, hoping when
his wife died 10 make her his second
wife. Mrs. Pillow was my Agnes, l
was her David"
But his Agnes was afraid to trust
him, and when at her behest he trans
ferred to her all his property in Lee
county on the condition that she
would not record the transfer, she
violated her part OF the agreement by
doing so. This was the beginning Of
the disagreement which followed. The
end was that Col. King filed a suit
against Mrs. Pillow asking that she be
compelled to vacate the plantation on
the ground that no consideration was
given. This suit was kept out of the
newspapers for months, and when at
length it was published it created a
tremendous sensation.
Following the publication Mrs.
Pillow filed a cross bill containing,
among other charges, one that Col.
King had heard stories concerning his
wife from a negro that would enable
him to procure divorce from her.
This insult to pure woman Col.
King resented, and this paragraph
furnished the excuse which led to the
tragedy which followed. Mrs. Pillow
had employed David H. Poston |,
prosecute her suit. On March 10,
1891, Col. King shot Poston.
The Sun correspondent accom-
panied the murderer to Jail a few
minutes later, and asked him if he had
anything further to say. He replied
that he would make statement later.
The next day he said he had shot in
defence of his wife's honor, citing the
paragraph in question in support oi
his statement. In the trial that fol-
lowed the defence was selfdefence,
provocation and insanity, and the
strange spectacle was presented Of a
lawyer and author whose own books
were quoted on the trial. He occu.
pied the witness stand for two days
successfully battling the shrewdness o.
two Of the ablest criminal lawyers o
the State, and yet his defence wa.
insanity. The trial lasted thirty-thres
days and resulted in a conviction. Ths
jury was out only two hours. H.
appealed to the Supreme Court, anC
it was given out that he would argue
his own case. Attorney Genera
Pickles got word of his plan Of defence
and so took the wind out Of his sail
that at the last moment Col. Kin,
refused to speak. Chief Justic
Turney was taken i'll after the hear
ing, and no decision was rendered 70
three weeks. 1t was adverse to tn
prisoner on every point raised, Justic
Snodgrass alone dissenting.
Although sixteen months hav
elapsed since the murder, public in
dignation has increased rather thai
diminished, and when a petition wa
circulated asking for 4 commu.atio
to imprisonment for life another pet
ton was at once signed asking tn
Governor not to interfere. The latte
petition had twice as many signers Z
the other.
The four brothers of Poston can
ont Il, a card sAffinn forth that the