Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 March 1884 — MURDER NO CRIME. [ARTICLE]

MURDER NO CRIME.

A Review of the Evidence .of Mississippi Outrages—Work of the Pistol and the Whip. j_ The Situation Worse than the Senate Committee Expected—An Organised Conspiracy to Hill or Lash Republican Voters. ’ tNew Orleans Cor. Philadelphia Press.] In the six days* testimony which it has ocenpied in listening' to some fifty witnesses the Mississippi Investigating Committee has ascertained a state of facts Worse than its members expected to find. It has been amply proven that last fall tho elections were carried by the Bourbons only after a reign of terror by mobs, headed by Democratic politicians and abetted by Congressmen and State officials from the Governor down. In some counties the Independents were counted out; {n others they withdraw their tickets the week before election. In Copiah, where a few brave men were at tho head of the opposition, the Democrats drove the negroes to the woods by murdering sonic and whipping others, broke up Independent meetings, patrolled the county by night, and by a regailarly organized and armed mob, disregarded ail appeals of peaceable people for the punishment, of these crimes, held public meetings approving the use of force, picketed the polling-places with armed men, drove away Republican officers of election, and notified their leaders not to go to tho polls. ■ - < . ■ POOR MATTHEWS' FATE. The strongest and best Republican in the county, a man that every witness, Including Democrats and clergymen, has testified was an honorable, peaceful, and wealthy roan, was notified not to vote. He expressed his intention of dcung so. The mob under the lead of the Chairman of the Ceinopratio Committee drew lots to see who should murder him at the polling place. Knowing that he was in danger, but persisting in voting, he was unresistingly murdered by the chosen assassin, an old personal friend. I?o sooner was it done than the news was telegraphed all over the country that Matthews was kllTcd, and the victorious Democracy drove off Republicans, threateningthem with Matthews' fate. A few weeks later the tnurderer is chosen City Marshal, scut as a delegate to a prohibitory convention. and becomes a prominent candidate before the Legislature for the position of Commissioner of Railroads. None of the criminals are punished. Grand juries, ministers of the gospel, Sheriffs, Mayors, and practicing attorneys are silent. Arson and murder are not considered ■crime. The best men in the community swore that, while they did not approve of these proceedings. they did not dare to object, on account of universal terrorism. They adopted a more civilized plan in Hinds County, as testified to by United States Attorney Ware. “What!” demanded Senator Saulsbury. “Over there they counted the Republicans out. Do you call that civilized?” “Yes, compared with deliberate murder, as it was In Copiah,” was Ware's reply. No one can doubt that there was Intimidation. Thomas Sinclair, a very intelligent colored man, who was a candidate for Secretary of State in 1869 as a Democrat, d d not dare remain in the county, and went to Jackson at election time. He had been a Democrat until two years ago, but he left that party because he thinks they mean to exterminate the negroes. “I was a slave,” he said, “and by hard work I have accumulated money enough to buy 1,000 acres of land with stock, with a steam mill, but bad to sell for half the assessed value and leave the oounty.” He has taken no part in politics of late, but he does not feel sale. DRIVEN TO THE WOODS. A thorough system of terrorization pervaded, the armed mob driving the colored men to the woods, and election day forming a cordon of men with shotguns about the polls, so that many Independent inspectors refused to act and hardly any of their party voted. The murder of Matthews was telegraphed and sent to every polling place, causing great joy among the Democrats, and convincing their opponents that it was no use to vote. “We are going to carry this county, no matter If we have to All men,” as testified by a dozen witnesses, was’ the current talk among the Democrats. Matthews, the most prominent Independent in the county, was selected to be butchered as an example for the i est. Richard Cogswell, Inspector of the election, testified that he saw Matthews shot. He was it* the robin with five Democrats. The moment he deposited his ballot Wheeler shot him dead. Wheeler's son-in-law, also armed, was keeping guard at the door. All the testimony shows that the killing was a de iberatc plot. Cogswell had heard some ono say that Matthews carried a pistol to shoot Democrats with. “I don’t blame him if he did,” blurted out Senator Frye. But that is all the evidence so far in that direction. On the other hand, Noah Ramsey, a young white man. swore that he beard Wood, Democratic candidate for Coroner, say the day before election that Matthews would be killed any way, and so would his brother if the latter was elected Sheriff. Henry Hodges said, at Tatlhola, when the news of the murder came; “I bavo known for a week it was going to be done.” Walter P. Ware, a Democratic storekeeper at Hazlehurst, swore that Mead, Chairman of the Democratic Committee, told him that, in accordance with agreement with a Democratic club, he had ordered a cannon fired as soon aB Matthews was shot; he bad advised Matthews to leave, but the latter had been promised protection by the Sheriff, Sheriff Hargraves has been accused of trying to deputize Matthews to quiet the mob, in order to have him shot. WilHameon, the Democratic Mayor of Hazlehurst, testified t at be does not think that Hargraves did it solely for that purpose. WHAT WHEELER SAID. J. T. Dameron, a well-to-do merchant at Jackson, saw Wheeler in a street-car Feb. 14, and beard him say to a young man: “Hoar’s Committee is coming down here. If I get a crack at him I’ll kill him, too. I told Matthews not to vot# 1 . but he did, and I killed him. I did not do it on my Own accord, but jfor the Democratic party. It* fell to my lot, and I am the man who did the dirty work.” Finally Dr. A. P. Pitts, a cousin to Wheeler, pfter a long series of questions, admitted, though reluctantly, that soon after the election Wheeler acknowledged to him that he filled Matthews simply because he had been chosen by the Democratic regulars. A CLEKOVMAN'S STATEMENT. When a Baptist minister, of Hazlehurst, Sained Lomax, was on the stand, be said he as a straight I emocrat. Nothing could jturn him from his devotion to bis fellow-f-eurocrats. He bad beardof Matthews being Killed, but was not prepared to call it a murder. He found it was nctsa.e to express an opinion in public, and be would not do so. At a meeting of Prohibitionists the present month, the majority being Democrats, they voted to send Wheeler to Jackson as a representative, to induce the I e/islature to (grant a prohibitory law to Copiah County. Me thought Matthews a fair representative citizen, although a Democrat. He said he Would not vote for an infidel. “ How about murderers?” asked Mr. Hoar. {The question was evaded. Tbe committee ■was anxious to ascertain tbe popular feeling in Copiah. Lomax said: “I think the mumpers of the mob are generally law-abiding, orderly citizens. It includes the most respectable and influential Demo irate, as a general thing, I think our people may be oppo-ed to the mob rule. I never heard any one denounce Matthews’ killing much; some disapproved it. Ex-Represents.ive Miller told me privately be thought It best not to do it* BARKSDALE'S SPEECH. Congressman Barksdale is shown to have made a speech advising the mob which paraded and (hen attended in a body to carry the election, no matter what the issue, and expressed bis hope that Frank Buffin, an active Republican, would be banged so high the birds sf preyoonld not bury tneir beaks in b«»n- - Parson Mlllaap was present While he did

not remember the exact words, Barksdale's speech had been so violent and Incendiary that be could never vote for him again. Ho had done so believing Barksdale to be a respectable man. A ROPE AROUND MTS NEC*. Napoleon De-mar, eo'orod, testified to hav- j lDg bees visited by armed men before the ; election- They threw a rope over bis neik, j and made him kneel dow - and swear that he i would vote the Democratic tickot. Ho did vote it because hfe feared violence if be 1 failed to do ro. William Robertson. Co-oner ‘ at Hazlehurst when Matthews won killed, test- > tlfie l that Dodd and Ware advised him not to hold an Inquest, as it was Unnecessary, it be- j ing well known who killed Matthews. I ntor In the day he saw Wheeler, who admitted j that he had done tk«‘ kilting. Ware Is folated j to the Matthews family. j Swelling the Outrages —Some Ad'lillanal Testimony. J x : Frank Hayes testified that the third day before the election armed men came to his house and broke in, and shot twice. His wiic was Jshot in the shoulder.- They wont out then, and be ran dawn and jump-id off lbgallery, and was then shot in tho log. He fell, and one of the party suid: “That is: what you good men get.” Witness did not i vote at that election. Tho shot he received i laid him up two months, and be cannot work ■ ybt. Mrs. Frank Hayes (colored i was shot in the throat the day before the last election. Hho showed a bullet hole in her left shoulder. Was shot in four places. Witness was in bed when the men curae and broke into in thouse. T. D. Hurd stated that- when he denounced the killing of Print Matthews ut Ha/.leburst three men presented pistols ut him and ordered him to leave town. Orange Heldshings, colored, swore to the way he was raided and deprived of the Independent ticket. ' r— — ■ J. 18. Warehite lives at Jackson. Is {secretary of the Jackson Light Guard. The night of the last election he was ordered to carry forty guns and 1,000 rounds of cartridges to Hazlehurst. M.-i J. s. Meade at tbe Hazlehurst depot, wno sa d he was ordered by the Sheriff to receive them. Turned the guns oyer to him and took a receipt. Moado hud a body of armed men wtth him. Hen Standiford was visited at 1 o'clock by armed men tho Saturday night before elec- I tion. Got- up and opened tho door for the j visitors, when he was seized and carried out t of the house and forced to swear not to gutol - the election. —At A o’clock - the same night j another squad tame, when witnx-s slipped out into the darkness. The gentlemen cursed I and abused hl.s wife before they went away. Witness had alwaya voted split tickets, supportlilg Democrats when they were good mon. ! Did not vote alter that. Solomon Smith, colored, was called on at his house the night before election- just before day. They demanded the election tickets’which witness had, and beat him over the head with a pistol, knocking him down. They got the tickets. They wero Independent tickets. They then wont away. Daniel Crarohat, colored, lives in Beat 3. The night before the election, just afteh 10 o’clock, some parties came to bis house and fired several shots into tbe door. Witnoss recognized two men, whites. Little and Norman. They set Are to his house, and when witness and his son attempted to put it out parties fired at them and prevented all efforts to extinguish the flames, and his house was burned up. Subsequently he made an affidavit, when he was visited by about twentyfive mon, including Mr. Little, Newman, and others, who ordered him not to make any fuss about tho burning of his house, for if he did they would kill. him. Witness promised to go to Hazlehurst to withdraw tbe present affidavit. ■ Frank M. Sessions was at a meeting at Hazlehurst the day after election, when the resolutions warning the Matthows family to keep out of polities were adopted. The meeting was in the Court House and some 4iJO people,' mostly Democrats, were present. The resolutions were adopted. Maj. Barry objected to the resolutions eo far as they applied to the Matthews family and wished that! part stricken out. He rose twice to urge this 1 action, but was met by cries of “No, no.” j The resolutions were adopted, Maj. Barry alone voting no, as far as witness could hear, amid much noise and confusion. After the resolutions were adopted Mr. Daily made a speech, saying that fad had gohe into'Beat 3 to stump the county, but be found he could do more electioneering in tho saddle than on the stump, and he had fonnd the most convincing argument to be a pistol which he drew from his pocket. The speaker said his friend Wheeler was the best eleeiioueerer be had ever seen. Wheeler’s arguments always convince. Witness had not taken much Interest in politics on either side. Had been in the Confederate army. Mr. Baity in his speech said that if the Democrats who had gone off to the Independent party would come back they ought to be received kindly, but, if they would not, what shall be done? • A voice in the crowd cried: “Kill ’em off.” “No,” said Bully, “I cannot advise that, but I believe you will kill them without advice.” The speech was greeted with app.ause. J, T. Hull, editor of the Tribune, formerly an Independent paper at Jackson, said that in Hazlehurst, last fall, two Democratio papers were published. One of them was full of incendiary utterances; the other, though Democratic, was inclined to bo fair and give the news on both sides. Because its editor would not indorse and approve of the outrageous methods adopted by tbe Democratic bulldozers, tbe varions clubs declared his paper a foe to the Democratic party, and had resolutions published withdrawing their support and transferring it to tbe inoendlary sheet. This paper headed Its election reports; “Copiah shakes hands with Yazoo.” Col. Bridewell, an Independent lawyer of Copiah County, bad been a Democrat qp to last fall. Two years ago, he said, the Independents carried the county by a good majority. After the outrages the vote was 2,000 Democratic and 875 Independent, although three weeks before the Democratic papers acknowledged, that tbsir -oppoaenta were. stronger than ever befor«r'“‘~’“ _ '" -—J. M. Goff, Orange Kitcbins, Solomon Smith, Mr. King, father of the Mayor of Ha lehurst; Hunt, a young- man who was driven from home, and several other witnesses testified that tho Independents were forced to give uptholr meetings and no more wens hfdd.