Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-02-18
THE MISSISSIPPI OUTRAGEs.


New ORLEANS. Feb. l5.-The Mississippi
committee today began developing the facss
of the Copiah murder. Leon II. Matthews,
brother and partner of the Matthews murder
ed at Copiah, was the first witness. He 10 an
intelligent, good-looking man. As iadepen-
dent candidate for sheriff. he said he canvass
ed CopiAh county thoroughly. During the
campaign independent meetings were broken
up, murders, whippings and burnings were
frequent, for % the democratic voters de-
clared. the independents must be beaten II it
took the shot gun. These outrages were com
mitted by an armed mob numbering from $50
to 800 democrats, riding over the country iu
squads. The mob began active operations .
fortnight before election.
While out electioneering, he saw one negro
named Wallace murdered in his own cabin.
Two days before election, $50 armed men
rode into Hazlehurst with cannon and held
the town for 4 week. They were addressed
by Congressman Barksdale. His brother was
the leading independent organizer in the
county. He had been alderman and sheriff.
They sent delegation to notify him not to
vote. He only replied by petitioning the
sheriff, with sixty others. to call out posse
to keep the peace. The sheriff offered to do
so If affidavits were made against the leaders
of the mob. The independents did it, and
the warrants were entrusted to members of
the mob. No arrests we're made.
colored church near Hazlehurst, where
an independent meeting had been held, was
burned the next night. Another brother of
Matthews was shot at in his house, and warn
ing resolutions were sent him. These reso-
lutlons were signed "The l50," and were
ra1l al, hx,o nc tha,
Up to election day the murdered Matthews
had been on friendly terms with the demo-
Gratis. "Erastus" Wheeler. his murderer,
had an account at his store. Threats were
made that Matthews would be killed if he
went to the polls, but, as he had no personal
enemies, he hardly believed it. However,
the United States attorney at jackson was
asked to arrest the ringleaders, but refused
because he said he was powerless.
Among the other outrages were the cases
of Frank Hayes and his wife, killed before
the election. Daniel Crump's house was
burned. Orange Kitchings and three or four
others we're whipped to compel them to give
up independent ballots. David Bell, Solo
mon Smith and others were assaulted. All
these were republicans. Their assailants
were democrats. No one was punished. Mat
thews then told the story of the killing at the
polls. and how the rest of the day band of
men, under the direction of Wheeler, the
murderer, remained in charge of the polls.
The result was that hardly any independents
voted in HAzlehurst.
II was shown that resolutions were passed
at mass meeting. over which the editor OF
the Democratic paper and chairman of the
Democratic Committee presided. They
warned Matthews friends that they must do
nothing and that no Independent move
ments would be allowed. The meeting was
held in the Court House. No mention OF
the occurrences was made in the county pa
pers. Two weeks later Wheeler was elected
city marshal, but since this investigation be.
gan he has resigned. The witness SAID that
he had since remained in Copiah, but had
kept silent on political subjects.
A son of the Matthews who was killed next
came on the stand. He is college student
81 years old, and very intelligent. He was
at home the Sunday before election, and had
been warned. by what he was told by Judge
Wharton, a Democrat, that serious trouble
was brewing at home for his father. He
told of the affairs preceding the murder. Ht
was called home by telegraph at Oxford; hs
met Secretary Of State Myers, Who sale
''What has happened?" my father is mur
dered," was the reply. eyes, know it va,
coming" said Myers, "but / didn't know
when" Armed men met him at jackson ant
accompanied him home. A crowd met hin
at the depot, but offered no violence. Durini
| the funeral the Democrats had band playing
and cannon firing. No attempt was made to
break down the boy.
The last witness was Q w. N. Burnet, who
10 lawyer and was chairman last year o
the Greenback Committee. On September
he went to Jackson to defeat . scheme Il
count out the independents by making botf
the precinct officers Democrats. He re
| turned the next day and on the morning OF
the 9Th was surrounded in the street by Z
crowd. compositor in the Leader news
paper Office drew . pistol. Burnet started te
run, but was shot in the groin. The wound
disabled him for many weeks. He says he
will 60 to Kansas and begin anew.