The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-20
THE MISSISSIPPI METHOD.
Some Facts About j. p. Matthews, Who
Was Murdered Because of His
Principles.

The Journal yesterday contained a copy of
a letter to the Second Assistant Postmaster
general, from G. e. Matthews, postmaster at
Hazelhurst, Miss, giving account of the I'M
provoked murder of his brother, j. P. Matthews,
on election day. There Is at present gentle
man in this city, who, for personal reasons, does
not want his name published, who stayed at
Hazelhurst for five years, and was well &C.
quainted with the murdered man. The ac-
counts he has received of the tragedy Is that on
election day Matthews, who was pronounced
Republican, was told by an armed mob OF Bour-
bon bulldozers, that he must not vote, He did
deposit his ballot however, and in turning
away from the polls was shot dead, presumably
by man named Wheeler, drunken vagabond.
The Journals informant says that Matthews
was undoubtedly a martyr to principle
for he a man of strong convictions,
and could not be inundated. He had been or
dered to quit working for the Republican party
several times, on penalty of death, and he had
been shot at and attacked times without num-
Der. On more than one occasion he had at
tempted to get out local ticket in opposition to
that of the Bourbons, but could not find men
who dared let their names go on it. He was
harassed and annoyed in every way on account
OF his political preferences, and his life was in
constant danger. The gentleman referred to
hear of fhe murder of Matthews, for he had ex-
pected it for some time, and he had reliable IN
formation that the chairman of the Democratic
county committee was IN the conspiracy which
resulted in the tragedy. Matthews. he saidr was
a man of wealth and enterprise, and had done
more to improve the condition of the people of
mississippi than any other man in It, He was
active in every phlanthrOpic and educational
scheme, and was almost prOfiigate in his
liberality to tho poor people of his Immediate
vicinity. About Two years ago he began to
realize the fact that it was Impossible for the
colOred people there to get their rights and op-
cordingly, at his own expense, he chartered a
train to take colony of them to Kansas, where
they settled. This alone cost him $4,000, for
which he never received or expected any rec
Republican, and that at the danger of life and
property. He alone and unaded had made
determined but futile efforts in the courts and
elsewhere to secure to the colored people the
and this had embittered the white people
against him to such extent that be had to
pay the penalty with his life. He was a cripple.
and for that reason the murder even more
would have been. political liberation in the
South" said the relator of the above facts "dOes
not exist except in the minds of Democratic
stump-speakers. pronounced Republican can
not live In strong Democratic neighborhood
safely. And let me say to you, further, that all
this talk about the negroes uprising and melting
riots is foolish. They have been so bulldOzed,
and abused, and imposed upon, that they haven't
any courage left; it has been crushed out OF
them, There Is such state of terrorism in
some parts of Mississippi that the poor colOred
people don't even dare to defend themselves or
their rights, but at the first symptoms of any
trouble they hide themselves IN the woods, or
wherever they cam until il Is over Not one fifth
of them dare to vote they would like to, and
1t will continue to be ga solid South" for the
Democrats as long as this state of affairs exists