Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-02-17
MRS. MATTHEWS.
Widow Of the Late j. T. Matthews, and
Her Children, the Principal
Witnesses Before the
Senate Copiah County Outrage Investi.
eating C0mmittee-Damaging
Evidence Against the
People OF Hazlehurst = C~orreberative
Testimony by Chairman Burnett, OF
the Independent Party.

NEW ORLEANS, February 16.-The United
States Senate Copiah County Outrage In
vestigating Committee recalled A. w.
Burnett, chairman OF the Independent Ex-
ecutive COMMITTEES of Copiah County,
who testified that he is d native oil Mis-
%sissippi his father resides twenty miles
from Harlehurst. Witness testified at
great length, reciting what he knew about
the outrages from common report, sub
stantially corroborating that OF l.. II.
Matthews, given yesterday, that several
colored men bad been killed, others shot
and whipped and otherwise roughly
handled, and election tickets OF b indie
pendents sent for distribution had heen
taken from them and destroyed by bands
OF armed Democrats. Witness had de-
nounced the outrages perpetrated by
them as cowardly and inhuman; his
friends advised him not TO talk so loud.
He had been warned not TO return to
Hazlehurst. He believed if!he did he
would be killed. The Republican speeches
made during the campaign were not in
fiammatory, and did not appeal to race
prejudices, some of the Democrats
speeches being threatening.
Cross-examined by Senator Salisbury,
witness said on the 9th OF September he
saw Heart and seven others standing on
the corner as he passed. Heart accused
witness OF making disparaging remarks
about him, which witness denied. Heart
called witness a "d-n liar" Witness
drew a dirk and made a lunge at Heart,
cutting his coat. Heart was at the time
attempting to draw a pistol. Both ran.
Heart, turning, fired, shooting witness
through the thigh. Witness went to
Washington in December, and saw Sena-
tors Hoar, Frye and Sherman, and fur
nished the names of those who had been
outraged. His object in going to Wash
ington was to ascertain whether the Re
publicans in the South could be protected
from being whipped, abused and muir
| dered like dogs. II they could not, they
ought to know it and quit voting. lie
| told Republicans in Washington that he
considered that an investigation of the
Copiah outrages at Hazlehurst would be a
| farce. Witnesses would be intimidated
and terrified by a mob. By a mob, he
meant $50 Democrats were riding over the
country committing outrages.
MRS. MATTHEW'S,
| widow of J. P. Matthews, testified that
herself and her husband were born and
raised in Copiah county. She will not re-
turn to Hazlehurst to live, though her
husband had property there. The day
before the November election she saw
al LII pace tiAO AOu6Ss sSNOAaA vi
them remarking that somebody had better
get away. After passing, the mob halted,
| and Mr.. McCree came back to the house
and presented a resolution purporting to
have been adopted by the people of the
town, stating that the best interests would
| be subserved if her husband abstained
from voting, and advised him to do SO,
Matthews replied that he had as good q
right to vote as anyone, and that he In
tended to vote. Her husband had had
| dealings at his store with Democrats
and Republicans alike. He was kind,
generous and charitable, and con-
| tributed literally to churches. No one
ever came to him for assistance and went
away without it. He always spoke kindly
to his neighbors, kept open house, and
entertained a great deal. She knew nc
reason for the killing other than politics.
She saw the mob on election day. After
her husband had been murdered some
came and stood about the yard, Others
had a band playing, and were firing guns.
| They seemed to enjoy themselves. She
never knew her husband to endeavor to
excite luminosity among the people or stir
up race ~prejudices. All liked him except
his politics.
MISS MARY MATHEWS,
| Miss Jessie Mathews and S. 5. Mathews,
aged respectively eighteen, sixteen and
twenty years, children of the late Joseph
Mathews, corroborated substantially the
| testimony OF their mother. Mary Mathews
further stated that on election day, when
she heard the gum, she told her mother
| she knew her father had been killed.
Miss Jessie Mathews testified further
that they were expecting Mr.. Burnett to
return from Crystal Springs Tuesday. She
heard the mob about the house threaten
Burnett's life. Her brother notified him
by letter, and his sister telegrsphed him
/ not To return.