The Brookhaven leader., 1883-11-29
COPiAu IATFEas.
The Kiltisg Of =. n. Matthews.
Two Statements and some Cons-
InCuts.

county, Mississippi:
HAzLEHuRsT, Mss, Nov. 0, 1883.
The Second Assistant Post N lster General,
Sr:-I write 10 know what shall do in
regard to mail on route No. lo,252, from
this place to Westville. The contractor,
y. p. Matthews, my brother, was on last
Tuesday morning brutally murdered: The
day previous-that is, on Monday-an
armed mob came in town and gave him or
ders not to vote; if he did they would kill
him. | will further say this mob was
headed by the Chairman of the Democrat
10 Executive Committee. On Tuesday
they came 20 the polls with shotguns, and
when my lroi her voted and turned from
the polls he was shot twice with shot
gun. twenty-four shot taking effect in his
brest, and he died instantly. Thus You
see the effect of Southern Democracy; and
j will further state that our Congressman,
Barksdale, addressed this mob the day be-
fore the election aud advised them to car
~ the election, if they had TO do il at the
muzzle Of their shOtguns. And this is not
all of their hellish work. They had be fore
this killed several colored men and one
colored woman, and crippled and whip
ped almost to death a number of others.
With this close, asking, will this thing
continued Shall men of the South be shot
shall be the case) with impunity because
they claim the only right that American
citizens can boast uf-a right that should
I've preventative of all rights? Then shall
the Government and Congress of the Uni
ted States sit still and see their subjects
hutchered simply because men do not
think slikef Respectfully,
G. f. MATTHEWS, Postmaster.
The above letter, like q fire-brand
that il is, was first sent to Washing
ton, and is now being published all
oyer the Union. Though greatly
exaggerated and untrue in several
important particulars, it has fully
enough truth in il for those who are
already prone to believe any tale of
blood and outrage whatever coming
up from the South, and the enemies
Of the South and particularly of Mis-
sissippi will make the most of it.
Dixon and Matthews both murdered
in cold blood because they were Re-
publicans and dared maintain their
opinions; Copiah and Yazoo each
offering the other a bloody hand and
saying, Let's shaker q Barksdale
figuring conspicuously in each coun-
ty,--are things that will now be
coupled and woven into q picture by
the bloody SHIRT demagosue of the
North without the slightest regard
for facts, and presented in manner
that will make the average voters
hair fairly stand Oh end.
We are Informed by the Vicksburg
Post that Maj. Barksdale has already
pronounced the statement in regard
to himself as baseless fabrication,
and says that he did not advise q re-
sort to arms or violence under any
circumstances whatever. We are
confident this is true, and we hope
our distinguished Congressman will
put this denial in a form that will
carry with il CONJUNCTION to all but
the hopelessly prejudiced.
We now invite the attention of the
reader to another statement Of the
killing of Matthews. This is by the
editor of the Copiah Signal and the
Chairman II the Democratic Execu e.
tive committee to whom G. f.
Matthews letter refers. This is an
answer To courteous inquiry OF
The LEAnER s. TO the real facts in
regard to the killing OF Matthews, in
order that vein common with others
might he the better able, after get
ting authentic information, to form
correct conclusions. We hope our
cotemporary's rudeness and incisiii-
tv will be excused aud that our
readers will hear him impartially for
his cause aud the people for whom
he speaks. We give his answer en-
tire:
IN A FALSE LIGHT.
It was our intention not to comment on
the killing of Matthews on election day,
because we believed the Grand Jury would
be amply able 10 make a thorough investi-
CATION of the affair without Cur aid, and
We did not want to appear as attempting
to manufacture or influence public senti-
ment in regard to it. Nor did We speak of
the "Coplsh County Resolutions" as they
are called, because we believe they were
clear enough not to be misunderstood, and
spoke sufficiently plain for themselves, We
have been forced, however, TO another
course by the BRooKHAvEN LEADER and
a few other sheets of it's ilk. which have
been persistent in their efforts to pervert
the facts and heap SANDER and caiumny
upon the good people of Copiah. In this
section where the LEADER i best known it
could do as no harm, but a stray copy
might turn up in some section of the conn-
try where its insignificance was not fully
known, and for this reason might attract
some attention and it might gain some
credenee to our discredit. For the benefit
of inst and intelligent pnblic we will say
that Matthews was killed in a personal