Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-02-21
MISSISSIPPI OUTRAGEs.
Voting at the Pistols Nuxxle - Mes.
Women and Children Hiding
in the Woods.

II. +. Be Dlamln white arepuolic4n, testl-
fed he went to Tail Hall precinct to vote.
Saw one man with q gun. There was con-
sid.ra disorder. Understood arms were
stacked near there. Armed men came TO his
house q few days before election. They
seemed to apprehend trouble and wanted me
to advise everybody to stay at home election
day. Wheeler was in command. They said
they had tried to persuade the negroes to vote
with them, now they were going to make them
do so. A member of the band said the CON-
pany he was with didn't find many negro men at
home as they were in the woods. Heard can
non firing Sunday evening. Think it was for
the assembling Of troops. The witness be-
lieves the movement Of armed men had the
effect to drive the colored men and some
women and children to the woods, thus pre-
venting the men from voting.
At yesterdays session of the Senate COM
mittse, J. B. Allen (whitel testified he was a
member of an independent committee. My
brother was the secretary of the democratic
committee. received q proposition from
nv brother that We both withdraw as there
was going to be trouble, but l declined. On
Saturday, before the election many belonging
to the mob came to my house and advised me
to join them, saying that if l did not do so
my house or gin house might be burned.
declined to join the mob. | saw Hayes. His
leg had been shot to pieces, and his wife had
been shot four times. ! heard more shooting
for two weeks preceding the election than
have heard before or since left the confed-
crate army in 1865. At Tail Hall election
the democrats pretended to,receive dispatches
rom various points giving accounts of the
killing of negroes. l did not vote. 1t was
understood that arms were stacked near by.
There never wae a more ridiculous report in
circulation than that the negroes were going
to rise. No white man believed this report
Noel Ramsey (white) testified; Formerly
lived in Copiah county. The eve before the
election heard ID. C. Woods say, "Matthews
will be killed and L. II. Matthews if elected
sheriff, Also Woods was the democratic
candidate for coroner.
w. w. Rufkin, (white) testified: Went to
Tail Hall to vote. Saw six men there with
guns. No colored men were there. They
had run of.
Several negroes were at the polls, but the
white men cursed them and drove them away.
heard Henry Hartman, democrat, say
when the report was received that Matthews
had been killed, that he had known for a
week that Matthews would be killed on that
day.
b. +. Gazey (white) testified substantially
the same as the preceding witness, concerning
the armed men riding over the country and
the effect produced on the colored men.
C. Williamson (white) testified: Am a
native of Mississippi. Was mayor of Hazel
hurst last year. Saw body of armed men
Monday before election. Saw three or four
men with guns election day prior to election.
Barlow and Matthews made an affidavit before
me. They charged the men with shooting
into houses in the county. l gave writ to
the sheriff. understood that some of the
men were in town ready for trial, hut there
was SO much excitement that l declined to
hold court. l did not think it prudent to
undertake the trial of any Of these men.
When Crump's house was burned an affidavit
was made against no man. The cases never
came to trial. Matthews was an honest re-
publican. He owned good deal of property
in real estate. There was nothing against
him but his politics. consider that a large
majority of the democrats of Copish county
are opposed to violence and favor law and
order. Wheeler, who killed Matthews. waiv-
ed examination and was bailed in $1,000.
Murder is not a bailable offence in Miss
issippi.
Henry Edward (colored) testified: Five
armed men visited my house at midnight
Sunday before the election. One presented
a pistol at my head and said had to vote as
he wanted me to. He asked me if would
the democratic ticket l finally promised
to vote the democratic ticket. They had put
a rope round my neck and pulled it tight.
Thos Sinclair (colored) testified: l was
candidate on the democratic ticket for sec
retary of state in 1873. Last election acted
with the independents. l went to Jackson
Thursday before the election because l did
not think it safe to remain at home. Came
back on the Saturday before election. Saw
a body of armed men. They didn't bother
me. l own 1000 acres of land and employed
hands. When I came back all the colored
men were lying out in the woods. Did not
vote myself Some few colored men voted,
but as rule they did not vote. My property
is taxed at $4,000. | would sell it for half
its value and go away, but no one will buy
it. Nobody ever molested me. Don't think
a majority of the democrats in Copiah county
favor violence. Think two-thirds of them be-
lieve in allowing the colored men equal
chances. One third favor violence against
the colored men, and it seems as though they
wanted to exterminate them. No democrats
made speeches coDdemning violence.
Richard Coxwell, (white) testified: Was
election officer. j. 2. Matthews handed me
his vote While the clerk was looking on
the roll for his name, heard a gun fred.
Saw Wheeler standing in the room and Mat
thews lying on the floor. Saw Matthews and
Wheeler talking when together short time
before Matthews fell. When Matthews fell
saw a pistol by his side. No one had come
into the room. There was nothing to indi-
cate the probability of a difficulty.
The democratic members of the committee
were requested by Chairman Hoar to have
witnesses ready Thursday forenoon.
Albert Galloway (colored) said he thought
the preliminary fight was personal affair.
Merely fair fight; the colored man was
whipped the matter should have ended there
thought the whites and blacks equally blame
able for the gathering; saw one colored man,
Davis Lewellyn, have pistol; the shooting
was wholly done by the whites; witness left
the scene of the riot in compliance with the
advice of the whites witness did not vote.
Q. Why?
A. Well, perhaps might have been safe I;
could not tell. you know; hate to own it,
was skeered.
VIM. p. Ware, democrat, merchant of
Hazelhurst, testified that he saw an armed
mob On the Monday before election. Heard
they had passed resolutions to kill Matthews.
Later in the day he overheard armed men
talking among themselves, and one said, /
knew they would back out; they are set of