New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-14
THE HAZELHURST CRIME.
WHY P. MATTHEWS WAS KILLED.
BARKsDALE's DENIAI-THE STORY OF MRS. MAT
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. HEROIC
To

assassination of j. F. Matthews of Hazelhust
Copiah County, on election day, for the crime
voting according to his convictions and itis under
stood that some of them, including Governor Lo"
nv and the Senators and Democratic congressman
are considering the propriety of uniting in pub
lshed statement liter the report OF the DahVln'
Committee of forty respectable citizens. One OF
the men who, it is asserted partly responsible
for the murder of Matthews, is Congressman Banks
dale. who represents the district in which Copiah
| Comfy is situated. He made two speeches al
Hazehurst the day preceding the election, and II
is charged that in one of those speeches he advised
the Democrats TO carry the election, If necessary
Eat the nuzze of the shotgun"
| In conversation with TRIBUNE correspondent
! Congressman Barksdale denied that he made any
such speech or that he used language which anybody
could fairly construe rs melting 90 violence. lie
| showed statement signed by FIVE mon, whom he
described as among the most respectable citizens Of
| Copiah County and which reads as follows -
We hereby state that heard the speech referred to
and take ms method of stating that Major s1ale our
Congressman made Of no such words ana uttered no
encouraging violence at the election AMI anything TO me
contrary is false and Is SANDER TO me sp'2her We
G RSy:0u 1T '''''' '"''D- p''''' III
One of the signers Of this paper Is j. l.. Meade
| chairman of the County Democratic Committee
to the Cop ali assassination. Major BarkSlale also
submitted extracts from two letters written to him.
/ November %. by two leading and respectable cit
| liens of Hazelhurst." One of them said
Theard every word OF your speech made from the We
randa OF the courthouse ON the 9th day or November
could have escaped me- Any statement which pretends
that advised the use Of shotgs or the carving OF
tered word whck could have been construed "a advising
encouraging any form OF violence IN tnc 20 o
| every particular.
| The other man wrote.
| have seen many prominent gentlemen who heard
your remarks the procession ana also ~ night 10 the
club and all unite in saving gave utteTance to no
such sentiment much less used the words ascDed 10
Won will obtain statements from members OF our best
citizens cOntradcting 1t In every important particular
Major Barksdale was then asked if the killing of
Matthews was not political murder, and he re-
piled: Personally know nothing aboutIt. have
been told however. that it was the result OF long
standing feud between him and Wheeler, the man
who killed him. BE that as it may Wheeler imme-
diately surrendered himself to the authorities and
was held for trial in s. 900 bonds. The matter is
| in the hands of the authorities who are entirely
| competent to deal with it"
Being asked to give the reasons for the bitter OPP
position to Matthews, Congressman Barksdale read
| from the rough draft of written statement which
he had prepared, as follows:
Matthews was sheriff during the Amos regime and ac-
cumulaed large fortune ie bladed ne negroes to,
every manner antagonze them ~ their enemies. He
ned tn tb a ri the comfy In is7G his rne
was oyerhruwn. The Democrats Of the county succeeded
order restored and peace established between the races
The county debt paid In che chapter Of events he
OF n majority Of his plrtsans 10 the Board OF Supervisors
and rcu we'd the ms-oyerufrent ~ when ne WIS me
mastcrspr prior 20 1870 The county again plunged
H1 a,ns anu g5i fciiIg vb@6 had snr.sfrd
/ lstVV fha twO WAS III
| proyoIed ana were aroused 10 the necc--ity 81
recovering control Of their ana a the late election on
the day Of election there was no demonstration % force
and a large vote was p'eL ~ one oi ne precinct,
Matthews became involved In difficulty and wn- killed
lie went to ,hc polls, pistol In hand, which of ,eli was
| a defiance and provocative Of violence Ho was
| a psolutc and determined man. and 10 show
| the spirit that actuatcd hun and which lac
which IL verified by lumber OF respectable ciulru>
that IN speech before q crowd II negroes many ot
whom were armed WIN ,i"ituh' IW ''7 h,,'l' 'ir-
uon he denounced the Democrat, Of Cnphh County ~.
with 1ier violent cxpr.ssons When this ,talcm.nt was
made he standing side by side with negro WHO had
The Governor nas been charged with encouraging vio
lrncc No statement could Doe more untrue H. 4 con
scrvaye and conscientious man. After tho killing oi
r In. r, teir5r,plr,i for tr,,,, ~ enable
hlm Ia qurll IT, Governor Lowry responded by order
ing a company OF militia % the scene bat the sheriff
Ending he danger passed cpunteruaudcd the request
| troops cit the capital Whatever h. and the sheun
did 80 far from intending 10 encourage Violence
was designed 10 prevent IT, A. Ia the statement puf
porting to enanate from Mrs Matthew's, widow Of j. F.
Matthew's, have reflections 10 cast upon her. dis
claim any Intention Of charging her with wiul repre-
senation, but sure she ma, been n-ed IA reference
Governor II sent by him they placed nj
the disposal OF the peace officer and were not used nor
exhibited.
Major Barksdale's statement differs in every
spcct from that made by Mrs. Matthcws who be-
longs to one of the best families of Mississippi and
who is said to bc a woman OF education aud unusual
Intelligence. She is now staying AZ Oxford Miss,
where her two elder sons are students in the uni
versity. In part her statement is a. fOllows
Six wee@s before the election Mr. Burnett Independent
chairman w'- shot down b' a Democrat III VIA carried
III two DAYS before the election, when threats Of
further violence forced linn to leave. week before the
election bands of armed men commenced uightIiding,
whipping ana numbering negro - and driving thom from
their homes one excellent old man, VIZ, ~ years
old, rnd who Ind harmed no one. called ont OF his
house ~ midnight and shot TO death ana ms wife seriously
wounded. His only crime Wa that hc had expressed
preference 10: the anilOurbOn ticket Several others
were killed Ia similar manner. by the sat
uray before the election tL' reign OF terror had
become so great that Dr. Bartow and others brought
to idaIsinISt btt'lon directed TO the sheriff Ind
signed ny Sky Whe men, adng Tor protection or orders
TO protect themselves, and they made adiyit for the
arrest of the rioters. Bat attention was paid t. the
demand ON the same day my husband received IN the
mall letter signed by authority OF The DcuO ratio Club.
threatening his lie, and later The ddY reliable person
CAME 10 my husban and informed hlm thai ho had over
heard conversation betwecL sheriff liargravcs Meal,
the chairman "f the Democratic Committee, and others,
In which Il was propo Ell 10 depuzc him 10 out and
arrest The rioters some OF them rcnarng that 1t would
KEPT lights burning all night, expecting INC oiOrt to
a-slssinatc, and yOu well Imagine the terrible
IeIlse On Sunday armed bodies Of were riding
through the streets as on saturday. On Monday the cX
element had Increased
Congressman Barkodae To speak to the mob In the
day and again In the evening. and he did mako two
Speeches. Five hundred men armed with guns were In
line Ny husband &c home with sick daughter, and
the mob threatened 10 40 10 the house after him Our
family physician went to them and IN ormed them OF the
critical condition of daughter and pleaded them
not to 90 to the house but late IN the afternoon about
hundred OF them, with Chairman Mead at their head
rode up near our house, ana sent john McLemOIe with
note 10 Mr. Matthews. That note WAS written half
sheet OF note paper business Iand but with apparent
haste IL IN the following words; Whereas IL IL !
thought that the public interest will be subsCrvcd by
Print Matthews ab,cnting himself from the polls ON
election day Therefore he that PRINT Matthews
be ordered to keep within his own Enclosures tomorrow
Adopted by citizens OF COpdh County this the NTH of