Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-20
The Col.iah County. MisS.. Outrages

Az" ""oci MAJ hs anu IL sun IlSlll5.
The Col,iah County. Miss.. Outraees.
AN Ex-CoNrsDERATE SOLDIER TEsTIFIEs AS TO THE
SHOOTING OF MEN AND WOMEN
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 20-At yesterdays session OF
the United States Senate committee tnyestirarinfr
the alleged outrageS IN Copah county, Miss, }. H.
pendent committee. My brother was secretary OF
the democratic committee. 1 received prnr,oSi-
tion from my brother tlat We both Withdraw, as
there was going to be trouble but l declined on
the saturday before the election many men belong
Ing TO the mob came to my house and advised me
to join them. saying that If did not do SO nv
house or gin house might be burned declined 10
Join the mob followed the mob over to Frank
Hayes. L saw the latter. His leg had been shot
10 pieces Win buckShot, and his wife had been
shot four times ] heard more shooting for two
weeks preceding the election than have. heard be-
Iore or since lett the confederate army in 1865.
AT TAN Holt on election day the democrats pre-
tended to receive dispatches from various points
giving accounts OF the killing OF negroes. did not
vote IL was well understood that arms were stacked
near by. There never was "a more ridiculous report
In circulation than that the groes were going TO
rise did not attend the last Independent meeting
because
MY COURAGE FAILED Me-
was advised not to go. The negroes were tirnid
one white man In Coplah county could rout twenty
nve negroes. IL was charged that Matthews was
going to arm the negroes. No white man believed
This report-not one. / owned small farm; IL
cost 5000; have offered IL for 81 500 but there
were no takers. IL could Sell out 1 would 70
away.
THREATS BEFORE THE KILLING
Noel Ramsey. white. testified: formerly lived
In Copiah county. Know ID. c. Woods. The even
Ing before the election L heard Woods say Mat
1Ia, thews would 6e Killed, and l. NJ; Matthews. If
the democratic candidate for coroner.
NEGROES DRIVEN FROM THE POLLS
w. w. Bufkin. white, testified: live twenty
miles from Hazlehurst My brother-in-law, who is
democrat, advised me TO remain at home I went
10 Tail Holt to vote. Saw six men there with guns
Were no colored men there They had been run
on Several negroes were at the polls but the
hon and ArOr. q
heard Henry Hartman, democrat, say, when the
report was received that Matthews had been killed.
that he had known for a week that Matthew's
would be killed that day.
TESTIMONY OF ANOTHER INDEPENDENT
B. F. Casey, white, testified: reside in Copiah
county was formerly democrat. For the past
1our years have been an independent. This test
imOny was substantially the same as that or pre-
ceding witnesses concerning armed men riding over
the country and the effect produced the colored
menl Witness Went To Tail Holt precinct TO vote,
but did not do so owing TO the violent demonstra,
tion made 10y armed democrats. While there he
heard $. s. StarnS yell out. "RoyS get your guns.
the negroes are coming armed They well Knew
this was not true. They knew the Independents
We're not going 10 Use force. | left the polls, and
soon after met Minister Campbell He said he
never had witnessed such outrageous conduct as at
Tai Holt lie advised me not To return there
Perry Butler made a remark While was at the
polls that 'they would get some VI the indepen-
entS before night"
REIGN OF TERROR.
f. C. Williamson. white, testified: am a native
vi MlSSlSSlpp WIS lHih vi ftdLltnufSJ last
Saw body OF armed men on the Monday before the
election Saw three or four men with guns on cleo
tiOn day. Prior 10 the election Barlow and Mat
thewS made an affidavit before me. They charged
the men with shooting into houses In the county.
gave a writ TO the sheriff understood tnat some
OF the men were In town ready for trial. but there
was so much excitement j declined to hold court.
did not think IL prudent TO undertake the trial OF
any of these men for being I'm that crowd. When
young Hart was arraigned before me for shooting
Burnet he said the Hazlehurst bar would
defend him. Witness said the bar appear TO de-
fend Hart, who was bound over TO the
circuit court. He was told that the grand
jury had failed TO find bill. The testimony
taken at the preliminary Investigation had been
submitted TO the grand jury. For some days be-
fore the election / heard rumorS that armed men
We're riding over the county day and night. When
CrumpS house was burned 2ffdavit was made
against Norman and Little. The cases never came
to trial Crump'S affidayit charged that armed
men came at night, fired into his house and burned
it. Crump finally withdrew the affidavit The
district attorney advised me TO allow Crump TO
withdraw the affidavit understood that a COM
promise had been made, Crumps losses, or q por-
ton Of them, having been made good. The better
class OF democrats Of HaZehurst did not encourage
violence. The armed men were mostly from Coplah
county. Matthews was an earnest and determined
republican. He owned good deal OF property In
real estate. There was nothing against him but
his politics.
Cross-examined, witness said: On account OF the
excitement, and because OF the fact that the crime
was committed outside my jurisdiction, thought
1t best to allow the Crump case TO be Withdrawn
Crump told me he was having lawsuit with Little
anu anu dltdlDuttu UIle burning OF Ills
house In part to this fact though politics also had
something to do with it. i consider that a large
majority OF the democrats OF Copiah county are
opposed to violence and I'm favor OF law and order
Wheeler, who killed Matthews, waived examina-
ton and was bailed in IS OOO Murder is not ball.
able offenSe In Mississippi.
CoLORED MEN STRUNG Up TO TREES.
Henry Edwards and Jefferson Shields doth ne
groeS) testified to being waited upon by armed
white men, strung up to trees, and told IL they
voted and did not vote the democratic ticket they
would be killed.