The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1921-01-20

less topic for discussion at public
gatherings in town and country.
Copeland was born in Jackson
county Miss, in 1928. He was
hanged, having been convicted Of
murder, on October 80, 1867, in
Perry county, in that state. DR..
Pitts, who was then sheriff Of
Perry county, had charge Of the
execution. While confined in Jail,
after his conviction, Copeland re-
lated to the sheriff the history Of
his life and crimes, and from the
notes made by him at that time,
DR.. Pitts prepared his book. Cope
land had kept diary through
many years, and from this he re-
freshed his recollection in making
making his statements to the
sheriff.
Copeland very early in life be-
gan to study how, to cheat, de-.
fraud and swindle his comrades
and schOOlmates out of their mon
ey, pocket knives and other things
he took fancy to, and his dispo-
sition was such that he found
great pleasure in seeing the other
students whipped or punished in
some way, whether guilty of
wrongdoing or not. He confessed
to having lied on several fellow
pupils for the mere pleasure Of
seeing them whipped. Heregard-
ed his mother as being responsible
for his wicked life in these words
written by him: my mother
would always protect and indulge
me in what I would do, and being
so INDUCED and protected, this
excited me to commit crimes of
greater magnitude. And / am
frank here to say that my mother
has been the principal and great
cause Of all my crimes and mis-
fortunes, by stimulating me to the
commission Of those deeds that
have brought me to what / am"
First Stole Pocket Knife.
At the age Of IL years Coueland
began his criminal career by steal
ing pocket knife entrusted to
him by the wife of a neighbor and
relative. At ID, in connection
with one of his brothers, he stole
a wagon load of pigs from a rela-
tive, carried them to Mobile and
sold them for $50. Encouraged by
his success in this pig-stealing
venture, though suspicion was
fastened on him, he attempted a
second time to steal his neighbours
pigs, but this time the evidence a.
gainst him was sufficient to war
rant his indictment by the grand
jury of jackson county, and he
was indicted for larceny. Being
advised by his counsel that there
was little hope of his being &C
Quilted on this charge if brought
to trial, at the suggestion of his
mother he consulted a man named
Wages, who was afterwards prom
ine1lt as a member of the clan, and
they decided to burn the county
courthouse, and thus destroy the
Indictment. They did this, and
thereby Copeland escaped further
prosecution on this charge.
The success of the plan to burr
the courthouse suggested by Wa
ges brought about a close intima.
cy between him and young Cope
land, and finally Wages revealed
to Copeland that he, Wages, was 9
member of clan of criminals
thoroughly organized, with large
membership, extending over 9
considerable territory, and en-
gagged in stealing, robbing ant
| like crimes, and invited young
Copeland to join. Copeland
promptly accepted the invitation
and became member. 1t thus ap
pears that the gang of crimianls
later known in tradition and II
history as the Copeland Clan,
was organized and was operating
before JAMES Copeland knew o1
it's existence.
The "clan" was a regular or
ganization, with officers, Wages
being the president, with head
quarters at Mobile, the particular
place of the meeting of the mem
bers being known as the wig
wam.' There were signs and 8
password by which members
could recognize each other. Eacf
member took am oath that hi
would not betray the clan or any
member of it, nor reveal any OF