Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-26

/ Inc witness continued: " On the Fri
qaya night preceding the election Print
Matthews told District Attorney Foote
| that he wanted to see us at his room.
Matthew's said that Thompson, with an
armed body of men, had murdered an in
nocent, inohensive man the week before.
and that another party would leave town
on similar marauding expedition. /
asked for their names, saying that /
would issue a writ and have every one of
them arrested. He said that the Sheriff
would probably find some excuse for re-
Iuslng to execute the writ; that the at
tention OF the grand jury had been called
70 the matter, but no action had been
taken, and that there was conspiracy to
his family.
A TRAGIC RECITAL.
"When my two sons left for Oxford Col
lege, few weeks ago." he said. u took
their hands, and, with tears i'm NV ewes
SAID, My sons, l don't know how soon
you NAV be summoned home to ayenge
the assassination of your father They
replied, with tears, We are ready to obey
tne summons Matthews said that four
OF his uncles had been killed. but their
deaths had been avenged. There were
four men whom he wanted TO Kill. Then
ne would never again lay his head upon
piIloW, Tut, being outlawed, would de-
clare war against the human race The
witness said to Matthews that he had
never before heard him utter such incen-
diary language. The witness had never
counseled Violence OF fraud to carry ON an
election. He was for more than eioht
years Attorney-General of the State.
MATTHEW'S A DANGEROUS MAN.
Judge f. E. Cooper, of the Supreme
Court of Mississippi, testified that he
formerly resided at Hazlehurst. He de-
tailed the circumstances connected with
Matthew's detalcati0n as Sheriff, and said
Ihat =. T. Matthews was regarded as a
dangerous man, and as violent politically.
Inc witness continued: ssIn 1875 heard
that Matthews had made threats against
the lives of myself and Judge Hayes. 1
was then Chairman and Hayes was a
member of the State Executive Demo-
cratic Committee. ] asked Matthews
about 1t. He said that he understood we
wanted 10 Kill him, and he had decided
mat II Killed his death should be avenged.
and that his will provided that If be
should be killed $4,000 should be used in
securing assassins to avenge him. The
witness considered the people OF CopIah
county orderly and law-abiding as
general rule.
On cross-examination the witness said
that IN 1871 be wrote Matthews a letter
saying that Matthews had been a good
Sherln Tor all classes of the people. He
mad always found Matthews as a court
officer efficient and accommodating. The
witness did not approve of the killing of
Matthew's and did not believe that the
negroes OF Copiah county would arm
against the whites.
A PEACEABLE CANVASS.
Or. b. A. Rowan, member of the Legis-
iature from Copiah county, testified that
nf fbo 10
peaceable. He believed the Democrats
would carry the election. He knew ]. p.
MattheWs. The witness identified an
arLicfe IN newspaper as a COPY of a cir
cuiar handed him in 1870 by Matthews,
brother. The circular contains violent.
ABUSIVE remarks and statements about a
number of persons, including Col. King.
Inc witness believed that the Republi-
cans Ialled to hold meetings during the
last two weeks preceding the late cleo
ton, being satisfied that they had been
beaten in the canvass.
T. q. Wall, Commissioner of FmiOra-
ton, testified that he never saw Matthews
out once. lie was introduced to him one
evening by Mr.. johnson. The witness
gave the name OF another person present.
Mr.. johnson asked Matthews how he
could consistently support Col. King for
Governor, against whom he had published
such violent circular. Mathews reDlied
that the circular was all lie; that king
was all right now; that at that time
ne Mattbews) had 500 organized men
IN Coplah county, had gotten out a circu-
lar lOf the purpose of aggravating King.
then leading Democrat, and his party
to- violence, when, " Matthews said. "we
intended to kill every white man, woman
and child in Coplah county," The wit
ness, feeling indignant at the use of such
language, lett to avoid a personal diff