The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1884-01-24
CorIAn County, Miss, D,c, 10, 1893.

CopIAH County, Nj So, Dec. 10, 1889.
Editor vicksburg Post:
According to PROMISE, | propose to give
-FOUR paper a full and correct statement i'll
regard to the killing of j. p. Matthews on the
9th of November last | have had private
conversation with two OF the Inspectors OF
the E!ection. They both agree in substance:
George Rai kston SAYS that lie hsd y con-
vcrsation with Matthews that morning.
Matthews said to Bankston before the polls
opened George, | intend to vote, and then
go home and stay the balance OF the day
with my sick daughter. 3ankstcn says
when The polls were opened that Matthews
walked up to the polls TO vote. When Mat
thew g name was called out he (BanksiOn)
turned to look for Matthews name; whilst
he vas looking Tor the name of Matthews,
the gun fired that killed Matthew's. Eank-
ston says he did not zee Wheeler shoot Mat
thews hut saw Matthews falling, and tried
to get to Matthews to prevent him from fall
ing, but did not reach Mathews until he had
fallen. Bankston SAYS when the smoke
from the gun cleared away, he saw Wheeler
with double-barrel shot gun in biS hands.
| Bankston says he did not see Matthews
have a pistol in his hands, but found one
lying directly under Matthews, which he sap
posed fell from his hip pocket when he fell.
Rankston says he did not hear q word from
either Ma thews or Wheeler.
Another one of the Inspectors, Richard
Coxwcll, says that when the polls were
opened he said TO the by-standers, if they
pleased to get out of the building SO as to
comply with the law. Coxwell says Mat
thews said as Wheeler and himself were
challengers of the election, they, OF course,
| would not b. among the number to leave.
Coxwell says he thinks those were the last
worls ever spoken by Matthews. Cpxwell
says he did not see Wheeler shoot Matthews,
but heard the gun and saw Mat hews after he
had fallen. He says after looking around
he saw Wheeler with the CUR in his hands
Coxwell says he did not see any pistol in the
hauGs of Matthews, but saw pistol by the
side of Matthews after he had fallen.
| write this in justice 10 all parties, so the
public may know how to judge the matter.
believe The pub &c is entitled TO the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing else. ] believe,
without any killing on or before the election,
the party opposed to the Matthews arly
would have carried the election by at least
500 majority. / cannot say the Democrats
carried the election, for it is not so. / know
hundreds that are not Democrats, but who
voted against the oppos itiou because they
feared that things were tending toward the
old Radical party. No one can deny that the
Independents had as good men on their
ticket as the Democrats had. TO put III /.
straight edge, believe they were better
! qualified All claimed to be Democrats
the Independents, the simon pure ""
| In my opinion. there was no politics in l. !;
it was just a scramble for Office, and nothing
else. + rr' ~
do believe the killing of Matthews was
entirely rncalled for, for | believe be would
have been showed under 50 deep tina; be
never would have tried to carry an election
again. r.nt, hu- tas.t --tt fn} nr.
| / do not believe that the good people Of
Copiah county Indorse the killing of Mat
Fthews. Politics have become so rotten that
the worse element has come to the front, and
makes things What they are. am in hopes
from this on things will be bstter.. 80, fa.-
i believe the negro ought to be dsfran
chised and coloniLed, far bis franz h.se is a
curse to him and the peonle of the South.
There never will be such thing ss fair elr,-
! tons where the negroes outnumher ,he