The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-11
MEMPHIS WROUGHT UP,
The Communication Of Col. H. Clay
Kings Sentence Causes Great
Excitement
He Is Struggled Out of the
City to Escape Mob
Violence.
story Of Ono of the Most Famous Crimes
in tho History Of tho
Country.

AOHHst aug LuC SAsy w00
thrown into state OF intense exoitsment
when the announcements appeared in this
mornings paper that Gov. Buchanan had
commnted the sentence OF Col. II. Clay
King, who was to have been hanged on tbs
18th inst. for the murder of u. II. Postsn.
to imprisonment for life. The Appeal
Avalanche in this mornings issue criticised
severely the action Of the governor in COM
mutinR the sentence. and this evening the
Scimitsr vehemsntly dsnounces him In
sensational editorial. These publications
! aroused intense feeling, and mass meet
ing was arranged for to-nighs, at whioh
Gov. Buchanan was to have been hung In
etIigy. IT was stated the Jail would bs at
tackled and the prisoner lynched. 80 great
was the anxiety that Criminal Judge Du-
! bose issued an order late this evening for
| the sheriff of Shelby county to deliver
King to the keeper Of the psnitentiary at
| Nashville.
Sheriff McLennon took Col. King from
Jail this evening and ont Of the city on Tho
Chesapeake d Ohio railroad en- route to
| Nashville. King was seen with the party
and there il sons fears of ATTEMPTED lynch
ing. The Louisville d. Nashville train
| leaves at 1850 tonight and connects with
the train carrying the prisoner st Mckenzie
| ut three =. NJ. 1t 10 Tumofed She ftienda Of
Poston will take shis train and overtaks
the prisoner, and il they do there viii
doubtless be another tragedy.
| At 10 O'Clock severe rain storm prA-
vailed. which it was thouabt would prevent
the indignation meeting contemplated for
II O'Clock tonight. After the rain sub
sided q crowd Of people assembled at tho
corner OF Main and Madison streets. the
most central point Of the CITY, and after
hanging in efiiRy Gov. Buckingnanl TO
q telegraph pole. set the dummy a6rs and
watched il burn. There was no speaking
| INDUCED in.
Col. H. Clay King, the assassin Of Lawyer
David II. Poston. his long-tims associate ~
prior TO the troubles which have fallen upon
MIN, kind. genial, but sharp ana nervous
acting gentleman, the type Of q Kentucky
man Of education and posi- ion. He was
born in Kentucky in 1881. bnt has resided
and praotioed law in Memphis for tie past
property by his work as an advocate and
having the premier practice in the city.
But it was not merely as brilliant pleader
shat Col. King won his way to the leading
his reputation a. the author Of Kings
Digest of Tennessee Laws" standard
work which has not only been accepted AZ
final in its authority in scores of cases Of
great Interest, but which was quoted and
used against him in his own trial. Col.
his rank in the service by sheer pluck. de-
termination and capacity in the confsder-
ate army. When ths war was over Col.
King commenced his practice ~ lawyer
aud remsined in Memphis whore profess
sional business poured in upon him.
4 David II. Poston was Tennesseean by
birth. instincts and education and had
| gown mp, studied law and won An honor
able position at the bar in his native town.
/ Memphis. For years he had been the per.
krt& \
the man who shot him down. His war
record as a confederate soldier was the
equal of Col. Kings. he having been &C.
vereiy wounded in the battle Of Psrryvills
in 1862. Poston went back TO Memphis and
practiced law. In 1868 he Was married to
of her fourth child. The children are still
living, and Poston found a second mother
for them who now survives him.
! The central figure and cause from which
sprang the tragedy is handsome, deter
mined-lookinR woman of naughty bearing
ana exclusive manner. Past the middle
age OF life, she is we'll preserved and young
looking, ana, in a certain sense, would be
a pronounced matrimonial beauty. She il
native of mississippi, and commenced her
matrimonial experience az the wife of \
man named IriRg. After hls death che
married Gen. Gideon j. Pillow. the confed-
erate commander. Since Gen. Pillows
death his widow lived in diQnitied seclusion
and hlameless life until Col. King came
upon the scene, and their names became
associated in rumors of scandal, and in
joint defiance of the proprioties and pub
lie opinion,
At that time Col. King had invested 4
good deal of money in the purchase of
farming lands in A Kansas and ennessse.
the mauagement Of which he had intrusted
to Lee thornton. Il young lawer. This man
! Thornton introduced Col. King TO his Deli
iah Of sorrow, Mary f. Pillow, who wanted
to Antrust some business TO him. There ID
Il deep suspicion that this introduction had
heen prearrangsd. and that Thornton was
merely used as n means of giving Mrs Pill
low ohanee of forming tho acquaintance
of snd thtowinR her siren influence around
Col. King. With Mrs. Pillows advent
upon the scene Col. King became changed
man. He and the widow imme lately com
bined their interests in the Arkansas prop
erty and in other ways showed that their
lives were identical. He installed tho
widow in handsome mansion in Memphis.
where he had hitherto lived in peace with
his own family. For her sake he deserted
his family, after treating them with harsh
ness and cruelty. and he even went 40 far
as to endeavor 10 obtain a divorce from the
| woman who had been SO true wife to him
and such tender mother to his children.
Col. Kings infatuAtou was NOT 80 great
but that he saw, or Thought he saw, that
the woman WAS moretanxioua about getting
a solid grip OH his property than she was Of
preserving his affection; while shs probably
felt that i'll deciding his property to her,
with string to 1t in the shape OF a solemn
promise not 30 file tho deed for record until
afssr his death, he was only holding the
word Of promise to her ear and nsant to
break ii to her hopes whenever il suited
him to become tired Of her. Anyhow, that
was tbs rock upon which they split. and
whom Col. King knew that she had violated
| her promise and made his generosity q
matter OF record, war WAS declared and She
mutual admiration catne TO an abrupt end,
| On May II, 1899. Col. King hlsd bill In
chancery against Mrs. Pillow and her two
! children to recover the decided lands, claim
ing she had improperly obtained il from
him. In answer Widow Pillow pleaded Q
$40 600 loan and that the property had bssn
decided to her in settlement Of that claila.
Still further. she claimed that her charao-
tor had been impeachsd and her reputation
! injured by Col. King = ohargea and insinas-
tions, and she asked for $4,000 damages
| against him on that soore. interviewer
into these cross bills and their replies were
serious personal allegations diacrsdissbis
alike to each party. The case was . ssnsa.
tion and the disclosures a. shocking % Nm
expected. Finally ths court gave 4 verdica
in favor of Col. King ~ to the title and
ownership of the land and against Nys,
Pillow in her suit for damages thas psae.