Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1889 — BALLOT-BOX THIEVES. [ARTICLE]

BALLOT-BOX THIEVES.

Arrest of a Large Number of Persons Who Were Concerned in the Plnmmerrille Outrage. The federal authorities think now that the theft of the Plummerville, Ark., ballot-box on the night of Nov. 6, is at last cleared up. It will be remembered that while the judges were counting the vote that night five masked men entered the room, and presenting their pistols, demanded the box and ballots. Oi course they got them, but for months it was impossible to get a clew as to the perpetrators of the outrage. Two weeks ago last Sunday a young man named Warren Taylor was arrested oil a charge of interfering with election officers at Plummerville. He got scared and went before the grand jury, and there gave evidence which has led to clearing up the mystery. He testified that he was in a crowd of young men who went from Morrilton, the county seat, to Plummerville that night, as they understood it, to preserve peace, as trouble was expected. When the crowd arrived at Plummerville they were halted on the outskirts, and five men rode into town. Presently they returned and reported “everything all quiet,” and the crowd returned. On the way to Morrilton the five men give it out that the Plummerville ballot-box was in the crowd. The box was taken into Wells’ store at Morrilton and burned. This confession of Taylor’s was the means of having a large number of witnesses from Conway county summoned before the grand jury. Thursday, just before the grand jury adjourned, two indictments were returned, and Friday it proved that these indictments were for the Plummerville ballot-box theft. The men indicted are: O. T. Bentley Walter P. Wells and Charles Ward, charged with unlawfully seizing and carrying away the ballot box and poll hooks, and the following persons are charged with conspiracy in the stealing of the box: Charles C. Reid, Ben T. White, Thomas C. Hervey, William Palmer, Warren Taylor, Ferd Lee Gunter, William L. Woods, John C. Heard and Thad. R. Wells. Reid is the young lawyer of Morrilton who has just been released after conviction in the federal court on the charge of interfering with election judges. Young Wells is the son of one of the most prominent merchants of Morrilton. 0. T. Bentley is a deputy sheriff of Conway county under Sheriff Shelby. Deputy Marshal Faulklnburg went to Morrilton, Thursday, and arrested all these men not previously in custody and brought them to Plummerville Thursday evening. They were taken befoie a commissioner and released on bonds in sums ranging from SI,OOO to $2,000 each. Their examination will take place at an early date. They can not he tried nntil the next term of court, as the appropriation for the trial of criminal cases has been exhausted. These men are all prominent young men, and their arrest has produced a great sensation.