Daily Republican., 1884-05-20
LYing hylOcrftcS.

TOl lNiiiS ~
phcmy the Copiah murder jury taxes
the cake. Tie twelve canting liars
knew very well before they took seats
in the jury box that they intended TO
clear Wheeler, and it is well known
that had there not been SO much SAID
eyeryw here derogatory to MISSISSIPPI,
and Copiah County in particular
Wheeler would never as much as nave
been arrested and put under bonds 1of
trial. Had this jury have retired 10
their room, taken a nap OF an hour or
two, so IA not to appear i'll too great a
hurry to clear the rod-handed murderer
Wheeler, and then have returned and
rendered their verdict Of mot guilty,
as was intended from the first they
should do without giving any hypocrltl-
cal living reasons for rendering such a
verdict. they might have escaped with
only periurer's conscience, and with
out lying under the additional sin OF In
sulting Jhe Deity to bis face.
Mr. Print Matthews was one OF the
respectable white property owners OF
Copiah County, Mississippi. He was
not even carpet bagser, but was to the
manor born. lie fought i'll the Con
f4lerate army because he believed he
was doing right, and when the war
close,. he accepted the oyertureS OF =
,nagnanimous government because ne
believed that was light, and in casting
in his loJ with the Republican party lie
believed he was acting Tor the best IN
terests Of his native State and the Ma
1ion at large. The county in which he
lived was Republican county, and
had hcnored Nj Matthew'S as a leader
Under his nall"geIuent the Count!
was kept under Republican rule
This wa. too much for southern chIval
ry Copiah County, like other Rtpubll
can Counties Of the STATE, had 10 D'
bull-dozcd into ,uhjection 10 Democrat
ic dominance but it could not well b.
done " hllr such reputable men OF char
acter as Mi. Matthews was at the hea'
OF the Republican party. To get clea
of him was the great object OF tn
Democracy, no matter II he had TO b
shot in the back by cowardly cur
A system OF bull,oZIng was put IL
operation. White enirted night rider
secured the county over, whipped ant
drove inOtieuslVr CUiur.d men to tn
swamps and shot down others i'll colt
blood IN the presence OF Their families
On the day Of the election III l6S2 thes
COlorcd men Of rGura> were not AZ I'll
election. Mr.. Matthew's va, inturme
in uuIe thai II the opinion of the cit
zens Of Copidh County, the public IL
terests wUulu be brtlCr sHba"rved b
his ab.,utiug himself from The poll
and he va, ordered therefore 10 ket
within hi, own l'closurc-thdt is, til
precinct, Of his home. Matthews pal
10 attention 10 This bat went to til
polls to vote and he went early and wa
admitted into the room rs the Republ
can challenger.
Wheeler was the Democratic cha
lenger Matthews, according to WI
neSSe,, was III ms customary goo
humor He was the first 10 offer vot
He handed his uallot 10 the inspect
and stood for while with his arm
aklmbo, looking at the Inspector wi
was searching for his name on the re
istratiOn books, and while in that pos
ton he was shot in the back by " Aet
or and killed on the spot. The lAtt
had previously received gun thruut
the window from a hoy outside, al
while Matthew'S attention was dlroct'
10 depositing his ballot Wheeler impro
ei his opportunity Of slipping up b
hind him and Of ridImg the Coun
of one Of its most energetic l:epublic;
leaders.
Was Wheeler arrested? Not Il |
Ut it. But instead OF that the ChivalI
Democrats Of HaZelhurst met al
warned the Matthews family to
quiet about it, or it wJuli De the woI
for them. \ Coroncr's jury met a
cleared Wheeler, and, We blush VII
We write it, Wheeler was i.ijcrwar
elected Mayor Of Hiazrlhur,t, a" VI
dication OF his Ch;vairous work. Not
ing more would have heen heard OF t
Ease, :" = Il, the Courts were couctl
Eh. hau II no; been for the Cli,lulriua
tine press, which resulted in All inve>
gatiOn by a committee from tn" | ilt
States Senate. The Grand ,IuTi ot I
piah County found it necessary to
diet Wheeler, aud ho was according
arrc,tcd and brought to Irial. |
Jury we have referred to was sworn
rcLd"r il averdirt in accUrdauc" wi,u'
evidence. The evidence shoWel
exact facts in The statcment "" h;
made
The Hisrrahlc plea cf 7'lf-t"'.
was st up, but here va, no tr'r!
70 substanIi;.tD II 80 tl@t oi 'hr ~.
able ASSASSIN. 4 more brutal m@n
has srldun bccu r"opdrd in = ,,.n
'l ""."... .ni T,' a .,1r? a. Hta ="
last wcci, discharged N'h1cI,l and
day ac is n I'r H@".
We are not 70 NE icos' -uur.
that th" July n.'D'i" seek o1n" "|rl
nf excuse tor .0'I ~ "Wr"."oj> y
die, but when ti,' So, '.a. GA -
'ng 10 the inrv ,o'r. .r,y u.tD' in
sohInu lr"yny'' & ,d 4" "nl U'"u f.!
1mndS and purt5 Do'i; "" '-,p as
SEC their 'iuty ard dlr.",' 'f' ,'.>u Il
TN evidence, rA' 4uJ"~5 y"r'rt ot
enlightened ciris.I .uI2 a p'nHa
b" that they are Il ."' OF ptrjrrru, j
MypoCriteS.
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