The state journal., 1884-03-01
TWO BOURBON 0UTRAGES.
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESSIONAL
INVESTIGATING COMMITTEES.
Democratic Witnesses Examined at New
Orleans-Their Statements of the Con-
ditiOn of Affairs In Co piah County.
Miss.-Cengressman Wise and Sem
ator Vance in Antagonism
THE oUTRAGEs IN MISSISSIPPI.
Democratic Witnesses Examined Yester-
daY-

democratic Witnesses Examined Yester
| day.
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 26.-The Senate
committee investigating the election out
RACES in Copiah county, Miss, yesterday
examined the following witnesses called
| by the Democrats
Uriah Millsaps testified that he was a
Republican and circuit Judge under the
Republican regime. He considered that
Copiah county was one of the most con
servatlve in Mississippi Matthews had
been candidate for sheriff for the past
fifteen years until the last election. He
was only elected once. All the male
members of the Matthews family were re
garded as fighting men.
Judge T. j. Wharton, of the Ninth
Judicial district, testified that he had
more trouble regarding grand juries in
Copiah than in any other county in the
district. 1t had been generally asserted
and believed that the grand juries of the
county had been manipulated in the in
terest Of one party with view of prose
cutting their political opponents. Mat
thews was represented as ruling spirit
in such manipulation.
The witness continued: On the Friday
Matthews told District Attorney Foote
that he wanted to see us at his room.
Matthews said that Thompson, with an
armed body of men, had murdered an in
nocent, inoffensive man the week before,
and that another party would leave town
on a similar marauding expedition. l
asked for their names, saying that would
issue a writ, and have every one of
them arrested He said that the sheriff
would probably find some excuse for
refusing to execute the writ that the at
tention of the grand jury had been called
to the matter but no action had been
taken, and 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." he
says, 81 took their hands, and, with tears
in my eyes, | said: My sons, do not
know how soon you may be summoned
home to avenge the assassination Of your
father. They replied, with tears in their
eyes, we are ready to obey the sum
mons.
Matthews said four of his uncles 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 on pillow, but, being
outlawed, would declare war against the
human race
Judge J. E. Cooper, of Mississippi, tes-
tilted that j. p. Matthews was danger
GUS man. considered people of Copiah
county orderly and law abiding as a rule.
He did not approve of the killing of Mat
thews, nor did he believe the negroes Of
Copiah county would rise against the
whites. DR.. E. A. Rowan, a member of
the Legislature from Copiah county, testi,
fed that the canvass of the last election
was very peaceable.
E. G. Wall, commissioner of emigra
ton, testified, that he never saw J. p.
Matthews but once Mr.. johnson, who
introduced him, asked Matthews how he
could consistently support Colonel King
for Governor against whom he had
published such a violent circular.
Matthews replied that the circular
was all lie; that King was
all right now; that at that time he (Matt-
hews) had 500 organized men in Copiah
county and had gotten out the circular
for the purpose Of aggravating King, then
a leading Democrat, and his party tovio.
lence, "when," Matthews said, eve in
tended to kill every white man, woman
and child in Copiah county"