New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-28
mississippi Brutality and Murder.

Republicans at mass meetings, we give be.
low the statement of Mrs. Haffa, Pbila-
delphia lady, whose husband was murdered
in his house, near Vicksburg, charged by
| the sssassins with the crime of being
| schoolmaster aud a Republican. On the
| day Of the Haffa murder. Senator Gordon
and Carpet.bag Lamar-a gentleman who
| left the Legislature of Georgia to represent
Mississippi in Congress-were making
speeches at Holly Springs. OF General
Gordon, the stump-speaking stranger from
Georgia, the press dispatch to the Courier
Journal said, ale appealed to the colored
people to unite with the white people,
aud drive out the carpet.baggers." The
speeches of that day had nothing to do
with the murder, to which we refer.
but they are key 10 the spirit of the
campaign. There are men of good char
acter, who have been educated to believe
they have right to earn an honest living
in any section of the United States. and as
they object to being driven from their
homes and business, the consequence is
they are murdered. To say the Least. it is
not polite to enter the sleeping apartments
| of gentleman unbidden. and murder him
10 the presence of his wife and daughter:
but the chivalry of politics is above polit:-
ness, and the disposition Of people must
be judged by their acts. The statement of
Mrs Hatfa was sworn 10 by her at jackson
| in the presence of a correspondent of the
| Cnicago Inter-Ucea1. She is an educated
and refined lady, and has been outraged in
a manner that would shame the barbarians
of al uncivilized land. Her straightfor.
ward and simple story is as follows:
| My name is A. +. Hatia am the widow of
| William +. Haffa, deceased Mr.. Hatfa las :
| Sunday attended Sabbath school: he seemed
to feel uneasy; he thought the white people
did not treat him as cordially as usual; the
| last words he said on retiring SUNDAY nigh.
| were that he thought il was not safe for
them to remain longer. We lived five miles
west from Auburn, on the Nicksburg wagon
road, in Kinds county. Mississippi. On the
morning of the sixth OF September. 1873, a
| large party of armed men came 10 our
| house; we were awakened by the barking
| of dog: do not know how many there
] were, but think about fifty; | heard them
| come upon the gallery and touch the door
| said. who is there" Some one replied,
You'll see" Finding the door locked, they
| pryed it off with rail. We all screamed
murder murder! We kept up such
| screaming that one OF the band came
up. caught hold of and choked me
| near the door. After be relaxed lis
| hold said For Gods sake kill me, but
save my husband and children" He caught
! mold OF me again, putting a pistol at nv
| head, saying, hush The person doing
this was name WITHHELD; another person
| took hold of my arm: do not know whom:
| he violently held NE; my daughter aged
seventeen years, and my son, aged ten
| years. had gone to the rescue of their father
| az the window, where the ruifians were en-.
deavoriDg t1 remove the shutter, both sun
| plicating Tor their fathers life. NV hus,
| band said 70 them: Men, what have ever
| done 70 you'" They had forced the shut,
ters from the window now, leaving US all
| exposed They then fred twice in success.
sion. After my husband fell they fred again,
after which they ran. Icould not see which
way they ran. They did not utter a word
after the door was broken down save hush"
| by the person above named NV husband was
within three feet of the guns when fired
NV little babe was lying on the bed CRYING
After these men were gone went to where
| my husband was lying; he was on the floor,
| with the table turned over him. he was
sweiteriDg in blood. He said to NE, Take
me to the bed; give me something to
| drink got some clothing and took some
SCOT from the chimney and applied it to
the wounds TO arrest the fearful flow of
blood, thinking that if could stop it |
might save his life until l could procure
doctor, as he spoke SO strong yet, He
wished NE to take him to the bed. NY
daughter and | lifted him on the bed, when
he said Raise ne up. o. such pains Raise
lne up, mamma; I'm going to die" 1t was
now becoming daylight Mr.. S. S. White
head appeared at the house; he said,
What's the matterf l replied, "A band
husband; he ought to have doctor" Mr..
Whitehead replied: There is no use for a
doctor; he can't live" Then Mr.. Haffa
said: Mamma, raise me up; give me some
thing to drink" He then expired with his
head resting On my shoulder. examined
his body. ! found he had been shot three
times. One hole in his right side was one
inch in diameter; another gunshot wound
was in the back OF bis head, and one IN his
breast. | sent for DR.. Hicks, but he did
bot come. / endeavored TO have an in
quest held, but did not succeed; every
one deserted me; at eleven o'clock the
same day three white men came TO the
house; two dismounted and came in, say
ing, I'VE want to see if there are any mig
gers here;' replied, There is no one here
but myself, children and dead husband;'
we had no arms save an old single-barrel
musket, and that out OF order; the white
people of the neghborhood assisted me IN
buryiDg my husband; he was wrapped in
sheet and buried in rough box; my house
was rendered untenable by these outlaws:
was denied shelter for m self and three |
children by the whites: negro family took |
US in, where We remained until i secured |
means to reach Edwards depot; we were |
both engaged in teaching schools / have |
heard OF great number OF murders; am on |
my way to Philadelphia, where my parents |
and those of my husband live; the only |
thing the white people had against my hus- |
band was that he was Republican and |
taught a colored school seven miles from
our house; my school was near the house;
during the same day that my husband was
killed l saw armed bands of men riding |
through the country; 10 Stevens and his |
son Isaac (colored) were both murdered |
and horribly mutilated within quarter of
a mile of our house; heard the shots that
killed them; they were buried |
on the same day that my husband was;
Stevens had considerable influence with the
cOlOred people.
Of course this murder is a little occur.
renee regretted by the good people of
Kinds county. Murders are unpleasant
They are not political; but as the murdered
men are Republicans, there are people who
will think so. And thus the sickening
work OF driving immigrants from the State
goes on. 1t is the same old story in the
Ease of Hatfa; the good citizens are sorry;
but the Democrats have the pleasure of
znowing that they are rid of one more
,obool taanbar and one mora Panuhlican |