St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-22
COPIAH INVESTIGATION.
Representative Barkesdale Gives His
Testimony.
He and Senator Hoar are Diamond Cut
Diamond"

WASHINGTON, March 21.-Major E. Barks-
dale. member of congress, from Mississippi,
who, according to the testimony taken by the
Copiah county, subcommittee, made a
speech at Hazlehurst, advising the Demo-
Gratis to carry Copiah, county by the shotgun,
if necessary, and hang Button, the Republ-
can candidate, was before the senate sub
committee this morning, and made state
ment under oath, in his own vindication.
He denied the charge in toto. He said his
stay in Copiah has always been characterized
with love, law and order, and in the events
of last election, there was nothing incOnsis-
tent with that record. He made two speeches
in Hazlehurst, in one day, before the last
election; one in the afternoon,
to procession of country peo-
pie on horseback, and the other in the evening
to the local Democratic club. He could not
remember whether the mounted men in the
afternoon procession were armed with shot
guns. His attention was called to the state
ments of witnesses about his speech, and he
pronounced all the assertions that he had en-
couraged violence, as false.
Senator Hoar asked, IF, in the witness
opinion allusion to his peaceable and law
abiding conduct in his county, he included
the killing of Matthews"
81 have nothing to say in reference to
that That was personal difficulty between
those two parties. 1t is before courts there
and I express no opinion.
ssYou have said the people in the county
stand high in general character, and you
have announced that there is nothing in the
conduct of this election inconsistent with
their past history. Now l wish to ask whether
if this mounted crowd went about to the
houses of colored men, whipping them,
shooting one of them, declaring as they did
it it was to compel them to vote the Demo
cratic ticket, and compel the negroes to fee to
the woods in large numbers, and that
Matthews was shot because of his influence
as a Republican leader, whether that would
change YOUR mind as to the character of the
People"
''Well, now I object. Your inquiry has
been accomplished by your statement. You
are yourself giving testimony in matter
which you PROFOUND to me. 1 think that
after the trial of Whalen for killing Matthews,
and the facts are brought to light, then 1 will
answer the question"
Senator Salisbury asked if it was right and
fair, when person was likely to be placed
upon trial for his life, to ask witness of
Barkdale's prominence to express an opinion
upon the guilt or innocence of a party and
that the party give an opinion upon an en-
tirely suppositious case, assuming that the
facts should be so and so.
Senator Hoar rejoined that Major Banks
dale had testified in regard to the character
of the elections, and the committee had evi
dence which he supposed was overwhelming
in support of the assumptions he had made
He therefore propounded the inquiry of hi:
opinion remained the same in view of thai
testimony. Addressing the witness Senator
Hoar continued: "Did you read some of thu
resolutions purporting to have been passed
after the election at public meetingW
eyes, sir; 1 have them here"
s'Well, now, may inquire whether vol
approve or disapprove of the resolution?'
81 will not answer that question further
than to say the resolutions have not been
properly understood by the public, and have
been misrepresented. If you will permit
will refer to them, so that my understanding
of the purport of your question may be clear
VIII you permit me, sir!'
''No, sir; you have stated you declined to
answer"
81 decline to answer without an explana
tons of the reasons that influence may re
ply The resolutions are on these words
(witness read the copiah county resolutions)
1 regard these resolutions simply as reply tt
threats that had been made by Matthews
himself and the clan he was at the head of
against the citizens"
''Then you mean to say you do not ap
prove them!"
II mean to say they have been misrepre
scented, and in my understanding"
''My question was not, whether the pub
lie has been properly informed, but whethe
you approve of the resolution"
''Well, my answer has been given.'
Senator Frye-''Does he know of any
threats made by Matthews? I want to know
whether the witness in his statement means
to testify he ever heard Matthews say any.
! thing of the kind he has referred to?''
Witness said, she had not heard Matthew:
make any threat, but had heard them from
others.
Frye-''You have no right as witness t.
make that answer, and you know it.''
''Witness-"Well sir, when you say yor
did not know il, or you did know it, then i
| is not the manner in which gentlemen ad
dress each other.
Hoar-"Did you not know when you are
asked, as to fact, whether you know it O.
| not, that you are not entitled to tell what vol
heard others say.''
Witness-'But you asked my opinion
| when 1 am called upon to testify to facts.'
Hoar-"You have no right to put in hea
| say testimony, when you are asked as t,
knowledged of facts. You say you are famil
| lar with the political history of Mississippi
There is one resolution to the effect tina
| Copiah shakes hands with Yazoo. Do vol
| know what that means?"
''Well, no sir, will not undertake to in
terpret that.''
'.You had no knowledge of the facts?'
81 had nothing to do with getting up tn
resolutions"
history of Yazoo which might help to inter
pref that resolution?"
81 will not answer that question. vii
not undertake to interpret that resolution
| Witness further said ''the people of Yazo
| ing in the history of either Yazoo or Copiah
which would compare with the 'Tewksbur
| horror -
| Hoar-''That you know all about
Witness-'I have seen it stated officially
|
not well acquainted with Yazoo?'
Pretty well acquainted with both, and d
not know anything so much to the discredj
of Yazoo as to Tewksbury."
Senator Hoar expressed the hope that tn
official investigation of affairs of Yazoo coun
| ty would show them to be as false as thos
respecting Tewksbury.
After some further colloquy, Senator Hoa
said: ''You have said the people of Copia
county were law abiding people, and at tn
last election they did no discredit to thei
history, in that respect. 1 call your attention
to the public meeting, largely attended, tn
day after the election, at which the peopl
were congratulating themselves upon the re
suit, pass resolutions that Copiah count
shakes hands with Yazoo, and I ask you
you con tell what that means"
Witness-'I cannot sir. cannot inter
II .