Political violence, suppression of African-American vote to gain/retain political office and power has long roots
in U.S. History. Kenneth C. Barnes describes political violence as "the illegal use of force to keep or increase
one's power."
Case in point, the Election of 1888 in Plumerville, Conway County, Arkansas. Armed, masked white men intimidated
voters and "stole at gunpoint the Plumerville ballot box, which contained the majority of the county's Black
Republicians vote."
John Middleton Clayton, a Republican politician/legislator from Pine Bluff (Jefferson County), who had migrated to
the state from Pennsylvania during Reconstruction ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives against
incumbent, Clifton R. Breckinridge, a Democrat.
Clayton lost the electon by a narrow margin, contested the election and went to Plumerville to investigate.
On the evening of January 29, 1889 he was was assassinated at a local boarding house.
After state and federal investigations, Clayton was declared the winner of the election.
John Middleton Clayton was the brother of Arkansas Governor and U.S. Senator, Powell Clayton. He represented Jefferson
County Arkansas from 1871-1873 in the Arkansas House of Representatives and State Senate. He also held the
position of sheriff in Jefferson County.
He was a contemorary of Joseph Carter Corbin, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, elected in 1872 and
President of the Board of Trustees of Arkansas Industrial University, now the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
They were members of the same political party. Some sources suggest they were friends.
John Middleton Clayton served on the first Board of Trustees of Arkansas Industrial University
when it was charted in 1871. Senator John Middleton Clayton authored the bill in the Arkansas Senate (1873)
that authorized the Arkansas Industrial University to establish Branch Normal College under the care and management
of the Board of Trustees.
Joseph Carter Corbin opened Branch Normal College, now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, on September 27, 1875
in Pine Bluff with seven students.
Sources:
Who Killed John Clayton? by Kenneth Barnes
Encyclopedia of Arkansas
Wikipedia
Joseph Carter Corbin, Educator Extroardinaire by Gladys Turner Finney
