Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-27

One Of Tennessee Most Prominent Law
ycrs in Sight OF the G~Ilow..


carried out, there will take place in the city Of
story Is OF much interest and whose social posi-
ton il far above that Of the ordinary con-
demned murderer. Col Il Clay King shot and
killed David II. Pos.on. prominent lawyer in
Memphis, on March 10. 1891. The prominence
Of both men in the legal profession, King being
lawyer also and in q social way, together with
the sensational story brought out at the trial,
made this one OF the most celebrated murder
cases that has ever occurred in this country.
In the south, particularly, excitement ran very
high.
Col. II. Clay King occupied position In the
State Bar Association second to that 81 no
other lawyer. He had accumulated q comfort
able fortune from HIS profession and in addi-
ton TO this owned valuable farming lands in
Tennessee and Arkansas. The manager Of this
yer to whom King iutrusted the collection Of
the rents and other duties.
II was this Thornton who unwittingly laid the
foundation for his employers social downfall
ana ultimate condemnation TO the gailows. One
day while Thornton was IN Col Kings ofice
consulting him about matters relating 10 the
Arkansas property Mrs. Mary L. Pillow, the
widow Of Gen. Gideon J. Pillow Of confederate
army fame, entered. II has been said, and the
statement contradicted. that her coming wa.
prearranged- Thornton knew Mrs. Pillow and
introduced Col King TO her. Their admiration
for one another was mutual and immediate aud
II any difference In its intensity existed ID in
Col. Kings favor. King was . married man.
with q wife living and four daughters each Of
whom seemed 10 be endowed with her fathers
quick wit and brightness. Up TO the time of
the meeting with Mrs. Pillow he was supposed
to he devoted to hs family, but from thai day
all love or even display Of ordinary parental care
seemed to cease. Their acquaintance developed
into great fondness and that into desperate
love. They Joined their interests in an Arkan-
sas plantation.
King secured a handsome house In Memphis.
where be installed Mrs. Pillow in luxury not
surpassed in any other home In the city. The
bills were al paid by him and everybody In
town knew il. Furthermore, King deserted his
own family and went to live in the same house
with Mrs. Pillow. During all this time he was
endesvoring TO secure a divorce from his wife In
order that he might marry Mrs. Pillow, but ell
his efforts proved OF no avail. For some time
this irregular relationship between the two con-
tinued- Neighbors gossiped about il, but Col
King and Mrs. Pillow were apparently too much
wrapped up in each other to trouble about pub
lie opinion.
At last, however, there was q lesseninr OF the
intensity of this infatuation that by and bv
made itself apparent to the gosiping neigh
bo:s. Not until utter the killing Of Poston did
the public hear the true story as 10 what brought
this change and with it the bloody climax. It
all arose through a fancy Of Kings that Mrs
Pillow had tired of his love and was beginning
to use him solely for advancing her pecuniary
gains. In addition to this he believed that she
was in league with Mrs. King, bis own wife. in
her efforts to secure control OF the Arkansas
property. Mrs. Pillow produced evidence both
from witnesses and by legal documents to show
that he had made a viii revoking all former
ones and bequeathing to her ali his property,
real and personal, and also Q number Of deeds
which she claims he made over to her OF other
valuable lands. He denied all this In cross-bills
and by other means.
David II. Poston. one Of the shrewdest
lawyers in Tennessee in cases involving COM
plicated transfers of land. was Mrs. Pillows
chief counsel, and a. such subscribed to o depo-
sition made by her to the effect that King dur
ing the course Of his wooing had declared 10
her that he had heard from negro certain things
involving his, Kings wife, and that he pro-
posed making this the basis Of his divorce pro-
ceedings. Although this came out in the suit
over the Arkansas land nearly two years be-
fore the murder of Poston, King declared that
II ranked in his breast and that he had carried
q revolver from that time up to the final act
with the intention Of killing Poston, but that
he had been dissuaded from il by some friends
This grave accusation, together with the rupture
in the affections Of Mrs. Pillow and himself
stirred up King hot southern blood, and &C.
cording to HE code Of tactics there was nothing
left for him to do but carry out his purpose and
kill Poston.
On the morning Of March 10, 1891. Mr.. Pos
ton was walking hurriedly along South Main
street, Memphis, and just as he WAS in the act
Of lifting his hat to a lady in passing carriage
Col King ran out from an alleyway, and plac-
ing the muzzie OF SS-caliber revolver against
Poston's body, fired. The latter reeled a few
steps backward and fell in a pool of blood.
Friend. came TO his assistance and he was re-
moved to his own home, where he fingered in
agony until the evening of the second day and
died. In an ante mortem statement the
victim said that when he King coming
toward him he thought he was extending
his hand to restore their former friend
ship and that he about to return the
greeting when the shot was fired After COM
uniting his crime Col. King calmly stepped back
and viewed his victims writhing form the
ground, and slowly wiping the muZzle OF his
revolver he put it into his pocket and awaited
the arrival OF the officers to take him to prison.
There was some idle talk OF mob judgment,
but no violence was done. All efforts to secure
a trial in another county proved unavailing and
on June i the hearing was begun in Memphis.
Both the state and the defendant were repre-
scented by the greatest legal lights Of the south.
lawyers OF note coming up from Texas and Mis-
sissippi and other states. On July 8. q trife
over a month, the trial ended and the jury
brought in a verdict Of guilty Of murder in the
first degree. An appeal was taken TO all the
against King. In the first sentence the time
fixed for the hanging November 6, 1891,
but the appeal TO the supreme court delayed
matters until April Of this year. The refusal of
this court TO grant a new trial then caused the
final sentence to be given and the date was fixed
as August IL.
Here is a case with but few parallels in the
annals Of American crime. All the wealth and
high social position and influence Of prominent
people Of every honorable profession have
counted for naught in saving this mans life.
The fact that Col King had practiced law
with and argued many cases before the judge
who sentenced him TO die adds to its eytraor-
binary character. kings Digest Of Tennessee
Laws" which has for many years been a stand
ard work, was used continually by the attorneys
Of both sides during the trial. In the mans
frantic efforts TO save himself he frequently
during the course Of the trial stock hts life in
his own hands, thus overriding his counsel and
greatly hurting his case, notably when he set
upa defense of insanity and self-defense, two
wholly incompatible pleas.
Waited Two Ho urs to XIII Himself.
man found John Mccain upon a treetle