Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-02-19
THE BLOODY SHIRT.
The Investigation of the DanviiIe and
Cepiah County Election Riots
Continued at Washington and New Or.
leans-The Evidence.

NEW ORLEANS, February 18.-The COM
mittee of the United States Senate investi-
eating the Copiah county, Miss, outrages,
resumed the hearing of testimony to-day.
d. Bell, colored, testified that he was
chairman of the Republican Executive
Committee OF Copiah county. He saw
armed men riding about. The night be-
fore the election his house was
visited by party of about twenty
five men. They took the election
tickets he had for distribution away from
him and destroyed them. They were
mixed tickets, Republicans and Inde-
pendents, and the name of Miller, Demo-
cratic candidate, was on them. Witness
was now assistant sergeant-at-arms of the
Mississippi Senate. He was given the
position, he thought, through the inf1u-
ence of r. NJ. Miller, whose name was on
his tickets. Witness declined to give the
name of the man who took the tickets
away from him.
Mrs. Wallace, colored, widow of Thomas
Wallace, testified that on Friday night
before the election, about o'clock, a
party OF armed men came to her house
and asked who lived there. Her husband
replied, Thomas Wallace" They said
they had writ for his arrest. The man
outside said he was West Dunbar, sheriff of
Osyka. Finally the crowd pushed the
door open and went through the house.
fhey attempted to throw rope over her
husbands neck, when he threw up his
hands asking what they meant to do.
One man then shot him in the neck.
Several shots were fired, one ball strik-
ing her in the arm and passing into
her husbands neck killed him. The
men then went away. She did
not know who they were. After her hus-
band was killed she went to the woods and
remained there until after the election.
Handy Fortman, colored, testified that
he was the first one bulldozed two weeks
before election. He testified to being
whipped in an unmerciful manner by
crowd of sixteen men, and otherwise mis-
treated.
Isham Gilmore, Jack Thompson and G.
l.. Oliver, all colored, testified substantially
as the previous witnesses concerning the
reign Of terror in Copiah county.
I. A. Bondurant, white, Republican,
prevailing in Copiah county pre-
ceding the late election. 1t was
caused by bodies of armed men riding
over the country committing outrages, as
detailed by other witnesses. Bondurant
was at Matthews's store, fifteen miles from
Hazlehurst, when the MOB came there and
fred with pistols and guns and shot
off cannon. Orman and Matthews
were with him in the store; the
mob shouted some one had better get
away from there. They cursed them all
the time they were around the store.
They said, Lets string them up" Wit
ness frequently met these armed men, but
they did not modest him. He related Incl
dents attending the meeting at Halle
hurst. - - The mob was there. Barksdale
said he was glad to see by the faces of the
mined to carry the election regardless of
any issue. Barksdale advised them to
hang F. NJ. Bufkin SO high that the birds
of prey could not bury their beaks in his
body.
George B. Hamilton, white, of Halle
hurst, testified concerning the killing of
Matthews on election day, much of which
has harefnforn haen nnhlishnh