The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-19
THE COP1AH OUTAGE.
Burnett's MISUNDERSTANDING of the Muir
dered Mans Wife and Children.

Burnett's Evidence-TestimOny of the Muir
dered Mans Wife and Children.
New ORLEANS, Feb. 16.-The United States
Senate Copiah county investigating committee
recalled A. W. Burnett, chairman of the indie
pendent executive committee of Copiah county
He is native of Mississippi and his father re-
sides twenty miles from Hazlehurst. The wit
ness testified at great length, reciting what he
knew about the outrages from common report
substantially corroborating L. H. Matthew's
testimony. given yesterday. He said that sew
eral colored men had been killed, and others
shot and whipped and otherwise roughly han
died, and Independent election tickets, sent for
distribution, taken from them and de
stroyed by b;.llds of armed Democrats. The
witness had denounced the outrages perpetrated
by these cowardly and inhuman wretches His
friends advised him not to talk so loud. The wit
ness had been warned not to return to Halle
hurst, and he believed that if he did he would
be killed. The Republican speeches made dur
ing the campaign were not infammatory, and did
not appeal to race prejudices. Some of the
Democratic speeches were very threatening.
Cross examined by Saulsbury-The witness
said that on the 9Th of September he saw Hart
and seven others standing on the corner as he
passed. Hart accused the witness of making
disparaging remarks about him, which the wit
ness denied Hart then called the witness
damned liar: The witness drew dirk and made
lunge at Hart, cutting his coat Hart was at
that time attempting to draw pistol Both of
the men ran, and Hart, turning, fired shooting
the witness through the thigh. The witness
went to Washington in December and saw Sena
tors Hoar, Frye and Sherman, and furnished
the names of those who had been outraged. His
object in going to Washington was to ascertain
whether the Republicans in the South could be
protected from being whipped abused and muir
dered like dogs, and if they could not they ought
to know it and quit voting. He told the Repub-
licans at Washington that he considered that an
investigation of the Copiah outrages at Halle
hurst would be a farce. The witnesses would
be inundated and terrified by the mob. By the
n,ob, he meant $50 Democrats who were riding
over the country committing outrageS. --i
Mrs. Matthews, widow of J. P. Matthew'S tes-
titled that herself and husband were born and
raised in Copiah county. She will not return to
Hazlehurst to live, though her husband has
property there. The day before the November
election she saw an armed mob pass their house,
several of 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
their best interest would be subserved if her
husband abstained from voting, and advised him
to do So Matthews replied he had as good
right to vote as any one, and intended to vote.
Her husband had had dealings at his store
with the Democrats and Republicans alike.
He kind, generous and charitable and
contributed literally to churches. No one
ever came to him for assistance and went
away without it. He always spoke kindly
of his neighbors and kept open house and enter
tanned great deal She knew no reason for the
killing other than politics She saw the mob on
election day after her husband had been mur-
dered. Some came and stood about the yard
Others had band playing and were firing guns
and seemed to enjoy themselves. She never
l,qph ilCh md ar,f9o
ty among people or stir up race prejudices; all
liked him except the politicians. Miss Mary.
Josie and S. S. Matthews, aged respectively
eighteen, sixteen, and twenty years, children Of
the late j. P. Matthews, corroporated substan-
tally the testimony of their mother. Mary Mat
thews further stated that on election day, when
she heard gun fired, she told her mother she
knew her father had been killed. Miss Jessie
Matthews said further that they were expecting
Mr. Burnett to return from Crystal Springs on
Tuesday; heard the mob about the house threat
en- Burnetts life; her brother notified him by.
letter and her sister telegraphed to him not to
return.