The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-10-07
MISSISSIPPI ATROCITIES
Story of the Murder Of an Unofending
School Teacher.
THE DEMOCRATIC POLICY CLEARLY
DEFINED.
JAcKsoN, Miss, Sept. l6.
To the Editor Of ths circirrqtt Gqset.e:

To the Editor OF the Cincinnati Gazette:
have just been present at an interview be-
tween Mrs. Haffa, a white lady whose husband
and an officer of the State taking her deposi-
ton, and the facts sworn 10 by her are as FOL,
! lows: 1--WE lived on a leased place ten miles
south of Edwards Depot, Kinds County. Have
been living there about six years. Came South
! nom Philadelphia, Pa, to engage in planting.
| For four years have been engaged in teaching
a colored school, and my husband has been
! teaching eOlored school for two years, seven
miles flom our home. He rode there on horse
| back and returned each day. On last Sabbath
| week, when he came home from Sabbath
| school, ,he said he feared we would have trouble,
as he passed Two white neighbors on the way
! and they barely spoke to him. We retired that
night at the usual hour. We have grown-up
daughter son nine years old, and a n rising
baby. At about or 3 O'Clock that night the
violent barking of our dog awoke US. got up
and asked who was there; no response. Then
1 heard noise on the porch; no one answered.
| 1 heard men all around the house, and ex-
| claimed, 'Oh, dear, we are surrounded Then
| they commenced bpealxing in the door with a
| rail. l screamed murder, and so did my chill
| dren. They forced the door open, and as they
| said, ''Spare my husband and kill me- Just
| then strong man seized me by the threat with
one hand, and put his revolver in my face with
| seized me violently by my arm. They choked
me SO could not speak. Then they broke the
| window open, and my son and daughter ran to
protect their father, standing near them
when they got the window open they fired
! through his side, one through his breast and
one through his neck. Then they all hurried
i
house nearly fifty. When they left, l
| found my husband lying on the floor, under
He said, Mamma, help me up; get me drink
of water Then my daughter and helped him
TO stay his wounds. We had no neighbors we
could call, and at about o'clock my husband
three strangers came to my house armed and
came in, saying they were looking for niggers.
L said they were welcome to search, but no one
was there but my dead husband They then
left. The road was full of armed men that day,
men, Joe Stephens, leading Republican, and
his son. at about IL o'clock in the morning,
of them were flied with balls. could not get
q Coroner's inquest on my husband, and on
coffin, and, wrapped in bloody sheets, he was
buried. As could not stay in my house, had
to take my family and go out and stay with an
get, and remained with her until the l4th inst,
when gave mp what property we had to a man
road to Philadelphia, Pa, where my parents
reside. L am destitute of money. If they had
gone. but they gave us no notice. 1 do not
know what they have against him, except that
school" : - @'O-'>'- ''' ''''''- 49,
The sad, sad story of this lady was painful to
hear. Her feelings were deeply moved as she
told it, and her poor suffering children were
gathered about her to confirm with their tears
the heart-rending recital. Mrs. Haffa is a very
intelligent and highly educated lady, and by
her bearing and CONVERSATION shows that she
ties. Her husband was an inoffensive man,
and never had any office in this State but that
of Justice of the Peace, to which he was elected.
But this intelligence gave him influence with
the colored people, and he has been relied upon
in that section of the county to look after Re-
publican interests. Hence the murder, follow
Ing within two days after the Clinton massacre.
The coloTed president of the club at that place
is to-day fugitive from his home and dare not
return, his life being threatened. Those Repub-
licans who have remained there, and are en-
gagged In gathering their cotton, have been COM
PEELED to join the Democratic club, and if they
vote at all they will have TO vote that way. A
more complete reign of terror never was inau-
gurated under any form of government. The
Republicans here have raised sufficient money
to send Mrs. Haffa and her children to Phila-
dephia.
The President having declined, for the present
to send military aid to the State authorities,
Gov. Ames has this day commenced the organ
doubt the e2pedieney of this policy. II looks
about as it would in 1861 to have called in the
arming forces of the South to preserve the
Union. Three private military companie les have
recently organized in this city, and to-day they
got large shipment of revolving Winchester
rifles. Ali of them are sworn political enemies
of the State administration, and in sympathy
with the men who have committed the recent
per, in their issue of yesterday says:
''The massacre, as the testimony will show
by the malicious intent and cold-blooded pre-
whites who came to the ground on invitation
of free discussion. The killing that was done
by the whites in hot blood was measure of
just retaliation for the inhuman and unpro-
voked murder of their comrades"
The point in this paragraph is the justifica-
ton of these murders: These are the men who
are freely Offering their services to the State
to preserve the peace and to protect life, and,
armed and organized as they are, they would
not permit arms to be placed in the hands of
any other men. You can readily see how much
protection is to be expected from this source.
thousands of arms and thousands of pounds of
powder are being distributed among the white
liners every day. We may at any time nave p
more bloody outbreak than any heretofore.
MISSISSIPPIAN.