The Topeka state journal., 1897-11-22
CLAY VENDETTA.
The Venerable General CaSSiuS
Marcellus Clay
Tells a HOrrify ing Tale of Per-
secutiOns.
MARRIED A PEASANT
Because a Marriage in His Own
Sphere Was Unfortunate.
Has Had Continuous Fight for
Life Ever Since.

wife recently left his home, has given
out the following sensational interview
covering the troubles arising from his
marriage with the 14-year-old girl, Dora
Richardson:
My first marriage was unfortunate.
I married in what was called fashion
able society. 1 was forced into divorce
for causes which hGs ( never disclosed.
sued for a aliVOrce and my wife oppos-
ed it. Finding myself advancing in
years, was unwilling to die in the
hands of hirelings, so L determined to
marry again after a long period of
bachelorhood. L determined to try the
other extreme of society and marry a
peasant. Four times L attempted to
make a match. Four times my chill
dren interfered and prevented. Finally,
by accident, Dora Richardson was
thrown into my house. She was a very
interesting girl, but too young for mar
riage. 1 determined to wait, but the
intervention of my children forced me
into marr1age.If had sent her away,
young as she was, she would have been
lost, body and SOUL as others have
been lost under similar circumstances.
Her age was represented to be IA. The
marriage was legal by the law of all
civilized nations, no matter what her
age.
Then came the most cruel vendetta
ever Waged against any man in history.
L have had used against me fists and
steel, poison and dynamite, and every
other wicked device that human inge-
nuity can invent. Ponds which existed
a lifetime have been blown up with
dynamite and turned dry; horses sheep
and dogs have been killed; racks of
proVender burned up, wells poisoned,
and the water from two ciSternS near
the house turned into the cellar so that
the damp air erept up through the
floors, through the carpets, through the
desks SO that my pistols therein were
ruSted.
Il have had the grip and pneumonia
at the same time. l could get no atten-
ton. have sat up in bed and taken
q in
hand. have worked for three years
from Is to II hours a day, which left
me seven hours sleep, and that often
interrupted. Three times my large
house has been furnished from top to
bottom, and part of the time 1 have
lain on pillow for weeks without a
slip over it. The very clothes that I
wore have been stolen. One hundred
and seventy gallons of spirits, vinegar
and other liquors were stolen from my
cellar; the liquor in the bottles was
drunk and the bottles broken and put
in the manure piles so that all over my
place the hands and feet of men and
feet of animals would be destroyed.
They plundered all the house, took
up the floors and sold them or used the
plank, stripped my meathOuses, used
my lard and broke the Jars, left me
without tools and farming implements
to work with, stole and disabled all the
guns and pistols that 1 bought for my
self-defense, except a few trusty Weap-
Ons that I concealed from everybody.
and combined to asSaSSinate me at 2
o'clock in the night, but I was in my
fort, my house was built to guard
against the kuk1uX, and four good men
can defend it against 400 outsiders. That
night l had the son OF a traitor in my
room and gave him to understand that
if 1 was attacked I would blow the
brains of his son out the first thing, and
L would have done it. This held them
back until morning, when my friends
were here ready to defend me. But be-
& I,rNx L. 1DE+
and never been back.I have been three
times poisoned. 1 sleep with my pistol
near me, but the last time 1 was pois-
oned 1 could not raise my hand to take
hold of it.
But was saved by a girl that had
raised in the house from her infancy,
whom the pOisOner had ruined. She re-
Tented, brought me the remedies and
Hved.''
Here General Clay pointed to a cross
made from a checked apron, and which
was pinned to the wall.
She herself made that cross and
placed it there before they drove her
into disgrace. Before this vendetta L
had 81, 600 in bank and $4,000 worth of
and other things would all amount to
900 or $4,000. 1 had really then a
child wife, as the newspapers say"
Here he took the correspondent into
the drawing room to see the little arm
chair his wife, Dora, sat in when she
first came to White Hall.
This is an heirloom. It was nearly
100 years old, and was used by me
when 1 was child. No matter what
happens I intend to keep that chair.
THE very ones who misrepresented
Doras age TO me were the nrst 70
make war upon her. OF course, the OBJ
ject was to prevent a division of my
hereditary estate. Whenever she was
persuaded to go away she would re-
turn. These attempts at a separation
gradually lost their forces until the
present effort was made. The last time
she remained at White Hall cOntinu-
Ously for nearly a year, never leaving
the premises. What the result can be
no one can fOresee.
when I married Dora she was a
handsome and sprightly girl. After
awhile they drugged her, from the ef-
fects of which she suffers at times from
meIancholia. Then she is irresponsible
for her acts. One of the methods used
by my enemies is to get up the most
gross and infamous calumnies intended
to cause me to discard her, most of
which I know to be lies and many OF
them impossible.
I have examined into all these cal
umnies with a Watchfulness and a pen
etration which would be natural to a
husband, and I declare before the al
mighty God that / have seen nothing to
warrant them. Whether she returns or
not to remain permanently my wife
fate will decide. I have tried by all hui
man possibilities to do my duty as
husband and a citizen. have exhaust
ed my money, my time and my health.
My eyes are threatened; I can do no
more. If all is lost I have no remorse.
NV conscience is clear
Dora was seen yesterday afternoon.
She said she was going to visit General
Clay, but was still undecided as to
when she would return to remain per-
manently at White Hall.
Died-At 5 o'clock on Saturday af-
ternoon at the home of her parents
Thora Viola Wintrode. Funeral serv-
ices will be held at the Presbyterian