Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-02-29
THB SOUTHERN oUTRAeEs.


what he knew about Bourbon eleotioneering. |
He had lived in Oopiah county for the past
five years and his voting precinct is Spencer's
Mills. Three nights before election a body
Of armed mon came to his house, broke in
the door and shot him and his wife. He was
hit in the leg and badly disabled. lie asked
them to help him up after he fell, but they
refused, ono saying to him 4; THAT is what
you good men get" Had always acted with
the Republicans, but was ordered not to vote
at the last election and did not. His wife
Fannie showed the committee where she was
shot in tho throat and shoulder at the time of
this raid
A. j. Hurd, a white man, now living in
New Orleans, was residing at Hazehurst at
the time OF the last election. On Monday
before election party Of Democrats asked
him to go with them to take the Republican
ticket from the colored men, but he refused.
He publicly denounced the killing of Mat
thews soon after he was shot, and was waited
on by party of men who presented three
cooked pistols at his head and demanded that
he take back what no had said aud leave
town. Under the circumstances he thought
it best to do both
Orange Ketchns, a colored voter had the
Independent tickets for distribution. He was
waited upon the night before election, the
tickets taken from him by gang Of Demo-
Gratis, and he put under oath TO vote nothing
but the Democratic ticket j. S. Ware and
Leo Daniel both white men residing at Jack
son, Miss. and officers of tho jackson Light
Guard, testified to taking detachment of 40
men with guns and 1000 rounds of cartridges
to Hazelhurst on election night and turning
the guns and ammunition over to Meade,
chairman OF the Democratic committee. They
did this on orders from the governor. Bands
of armed men were prowling about the streets
all night, and they heard many threats against
the Matthews family. Ben Handiford, col
ored, was visited on Saturday night before
election, carried out Of his house and made
to swear that he would not vote. Later, the
same night, another gang came, but he e.
capped them. They, falling to find him,
cursed and abused his wife He did not dare
to vote. Solomon Smith had his ticket taken
from him and was beaten over the head with
pistols so that he was unable TO 90 to the
polls.
Daniel Ctump, colored was visited and his
house fired into. The gang set fire to his
house, and when he and his son tried TO put
it out they shot at them driving them away,
and the house was burned to the ground, He
recognized two men in the crowd and gave
their names. Witness went to prosecuting
attorney, gave names aud endeavored to have
bis wrongs redressed, but was told to wait un.
til after election He was waited upon after
election by some twenty. five men and order
cd not TO make any fuss about the burning OF
his house under penalty OF death, and was
made to swear that he would withdraw his af-
ndavlts. Nothing has been done about the
burning of his house.
Frank III. Sessions (white) was present at
the meeting which adopted the resolutions
against tho Matthews family Out of some
400 people present Major Barry was the only
one who protested against their adoption,
and he was hooted down. A Mr. Bailey made
speech in which he said the pistol which he
exhibited WAS the most convincing argument
TO be found. Bailey sspeech was very incen-
diary and loudly applauded.
On Monday a number of witnesses we're
called by the Democrats. Uriah Misaps
testified that he was a Republican and cir
cult judge under the Republican regime. All
/ the male members OF tho Matthews family
were regarded as fighting men. Print Mat.
thews used violent language and was uuscrup.
| ulous in politics.
Judge T. J. Wharton Of the oh judicial
district testified that he had more trouble re-
garding grand juries in Copah than in any
other county in the district. On the Friday
night preceding the election Print Matthews
had complained to him and the district attor-
ney that one Thompson with an armed body
OF men had murdered an innocent, inofen.
sive man the week before, and that another
party would leave town on a similar maraud.
/ ing expedition. | asked for their names,
saying that l would issue a writ and have ev-
cry one of them arrested. He said the sher-
i'll would probably find some excuse for re.
fusng to execute the writ that there was a
conspiracy to murder his political friends,
himself and his family. when my two
sons left for Oxford college few weeks ago. -
ha oaf - Naa NIat- L.. L. IA
in my eyes, said: My sons, l do not know
how soon you may be summoned home to
avenge the assassination Of your father.
They replied we are ready to obey the
| summons. Matthews said four of his un.
clss had been killed, but their deaths had
been avenged. There were four men whom
he wanted to kill =; then he would never again
lay his head upon a pillow, but, being out.
lawed, would declare war against the human
race.
Judge 7. Z. Cooper of the supreme court
OF Mississippi testified that ne formerly lived
in Hazelhurst 'In 1875" he said, II heard
that Matthews had made threats against the
lives of myself and Judge Hayes. l asked
Matthews aboutit He said he understood that
We wanted to kill him, and that he had de-
clded that if killed, his death should be
avenged that his will provided that if he
should be killed, $1,000 should be used in
securing assassins to ayenge him" The wit.
ness considered tho people of Copiah county
orderly and law abiding as general rule
L. W. Brown, clerk Of the circuit court,
who testified on Tuesday, considered Mat
thews q violent man, and thought he alvays
went armed. j. l.. Meade, chairman of the
Democratic committee, testified that he did
not encourage fraud or violence. The wit
ness attributed the excitement preceding the
election to the fears of the people that the
Matthews crowd would get possession oil
the county government, and ruin the people
de presided at the meeting and approved the
resolutions adopted after Matthew's death.
The committee finished its labors on
Wednesday and adjourned to meet in Wash
ington on the call of the chairman. mum.
Der Of witnesses were examined but no new
facts were brought out. The Democratic mi
nority discharged some 20 witnesses summon
ed by them without putting them upon the
stand.
The DanVIlIe Investigation
On Monday the committee had Congress
man John s. Wise, readjuster, before them.
He stated the issues of the Virginia campaigns
since 1881, and gave evidence to show that il
was the delihente purpose of the Bourboni
to create race prejudice and unite the whites
against the blacks as their only chance fol
success. In the last campaign representa-.
tive Bourbons had stated in his presence re-
peatedly that until they could revive the race
issue they could not hope 10 win their con
test. He asserted that from beginning tC
end they had sought not to win colored votes
but to make the coalition party SO odious tC
the ignorant whites as to make them band to
gether against it. He submitted documents
and pictures used as campaign documents.
The first witness called Tuesday morning
was Stephen Long (colored). On November
20 he was at Schol6eld's hardware store and
saw two white men loading about 1875 double
barreled guns. When he left Seholhsld'i
store he went TO another hardware store tc
buy pocket knife. Saw a white man there
loading double barreled guns. Rufus Hatch
EFT (colored) was in VASES hardware store on
the first Monday in October. Charlie Hol
land said to Vass isn't them boys come
yet?" Vass said mot yet, but have the
bill of lading for them. am expecting them
on every train. l ordered 800 of them. "
Then Mr.. Gerst came in and said if the
"boys' did not come soon there would not be
any time for practice. Witness was at the
post Office the Friday before the riot and he
heard a white man say 1.-THE white folks
are going to rule this town il we have to kill
all the niggers."
Several colored witnesses described the ri