National Republican., 1883-11-30
MISSISSIPPI MunpEns.
Another Story Of ihC Mot,hows Ass"ss-
Ination Told by n CltlEen of Iinzlchurst.

Tome Edhor.
HAzLEHURsr, MISS, Nov. 25.-Bolow
give you an account of tho killing Of j. p
Matthews Mt this place on the morning of tho
sixth instant (clcction day. Thorc were
two parties in tho county (Copiah), ono demo-
cratic tho othor independent Aftor tho
nominations by tho democrats the indcpend-
onts also mado nominations As gon-
cral thing tho names presented by tho
respective parties were good mon One
or two of tho democratic nominees
woro bulldozCrs. With that oXoOp-
tion, tho candidates wcro unoXccptional.
The independents were all white and natives
of the county, except one, who is native OF
the adjoining county. There was one repub-
lican on the independent ticket; tho rest
woro formal democrats Mathews was man
of means, looked upon as the clcvorest man
in the county by alH Glasses. His liborality
and kindness gave liln some influence in the
county. lie allied himself with the inde-
pendent movcmontS aud was necessarily in
tho way OF the domocrats. On the evening
preceding the election 300 armed men
went in n bedy to, his house and
demanded that he should leave town
for forty eight hours, which he declined to
do. They then demanded that he should
keep in his house for the same lcngth OF time,
which he also declined. They then told him
that if he camo out on the streets and at
tempted TO vote they would kill him. The
next morning Matthews went to the voting
place, unaccompaniod by any ono. The man,
Il. b. Wheeler who shot him, met him at the
door and they shook hands. Tho voting was
inside house, and between the entrance
door and tho voting place there was sido door.
Wheeler invited him to this side door.
There they had minutes talk. Wheeler de-
mandod that Matthews should 20 back and
la In tIn
representative of two hundred men pledged
to kill him if ho voted. Mat thows said he
would voto or die. He then turned from
Wheeler, and handed his ballot to the inspect-
ors, and as he turned toward the front door,
the place of entering, Wheeler shot him from
the side door just as the inspector said
"voted." Wheeler then announced IL done
the job" Matthews fell dead, both loads talk
ing efieot-one in the upper right breast and
tho other in tho lower left
breast. Tho parties were friendly
before that time--that is Matthews thought
so, US Wheeler was trading with him MAT
thews being merchant). Ho had day or
two before that borrowed $25 from Matthews,
in addition to what he owed him for sup
plies. l give you, in short, the exact facts:
The offense Matthews had committed was in
selecting whom he should support, and giving
his influence in that direction. l send you
some resolutions adopted by the democratic
club. The man Mead, whose name appears
as chairman of the meeting, is tho chairman
of tho democratic executive committee of this
county. After Matthews was killed, all
others opposing the democrats were afraid to
vote, as they could not afford to be
shot down for doing that. although it may be
their right to do 80. As / said before, none
but whites were on the independent ticket.
The intimation of color line is a sham and
the merest pretext. l suppose it is we'll
known ere this that in this county several
negroes were called out of their cabins at
night and shot, q few weeks before tho cleo
tion, by the mobs selected by the chiefs of
the democracy, because it was thought they
would support the independent ticket. This
is my first attempt at giving an account of
any of these horrors, but the thing is getting
little too hard. was born and raised here,
and want to exercise some Of my legal
| rights, but fear tho time is past. w.