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Oxford Eagle, January 23, 1902
Writes a Letter to his Son, Baxter Mathis
And Also one to his Parents, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Mathis,
who Reside in Chickasaw County.
Before his trial and conviction, Will Mathis dictated
letters to a New Orleans Picayune reporter, which lie desired to leave
to his parents and son. The letter was published in the Picayune, and
widely copied throughout Mississippi. A number of our subscribers have
requested to see the letter and we give them below, as transcribed by
the reporter. The writer was requested to leave out all provlucialisms
of speech and "to write it nice," and the request was complied
with.
MATHIS LETTER TO HIS PARENTS.
To Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Mathis:
"My Dear Father and Mother: I want you to know
how sorry I am that I have given you so much trouble. I know that
I have broken your hearts, but the cause of my going wrong was not
because you did not do your duty in bringing me up. You both did all
you could to make me a good man, and after I got to drinking and got
on the downward track, you both did all you could to get me to lead
a better life. I don’t want either of you to blame yourselves
for what I have done and what you couldn’t help. If you live
until my boy is old enough, I want you to warn him against drinking
wine or whisky. They lead to all other sins and have brought me where
I am. I have been reading my Bible and trying to make peace with God.
I hope my sisters will be the comfort to you in your old age that
I ought to have been, and repay your love better than I have done.
Forgive me, if you can, for bringing you so much trouble.
Your son,
WILL MATHIS.
MATHIS’ LETTER TO HIS SON.
To Baxter Cleveland Mathis:
My Dear Son: It is with a heart full of sadness that
I write you this from the county jail where I am now confined. I am
in an iron cell 8 by 16 feet, where I am kept day and night. Everything
in the room is a stove, an iron bedstead, a hard mattress and some
blankets. If you live to be old enough, I want you to visit the place
where your father spent his last days, and let my fate be a lesson
to you. My cell is the second one on the right. As you look in, I
hope that you will realize that right here, I spent many an hour of
fear and anguish on account of your welfare. Many a time I have hugged
you to my breast, and while I loved you with all the tender affection
that a father can feel for his baby, I had rather you had died in
infancy than to follow the life I have lead. One thing that is the
earnest wish of your loving father is that you do right in all things
from the time you are old enough to know right from wrong. Love and
obey your kind mother and try to be a comfort to her, and make up
for the trouble I have caused her. Your life will be just what you
make it. You can make it a success or a failure. You will find that
people will watch you closely on account of what you father has done.
But you will get credit when you do right, and condemnation when you
do wrong.
You will meet with evil temptations but never submit
to the first temptation to do wrong. Be industrious and economical;
love and fear God, and success will drown your efforts. Remember that
poverty does not degrade your or make you unhappy. Nothing will degrade
you but sin. The wages of sin is death. Above all never touch whisky
or any strong drink. Never think that you can take one drink without
it harming you. Every drunkard has seen the time when he could let
the drink alone. Intemperance has ruined more men than every other
evil in the world. When whisky gets the advantage of a man, he is
fit for no business or position in life. All the demons of hell combined
could not contrive or invent anything that would be a worse curse
to humanity and work for Satan as whisky. And I want to say here that
women could put whisky and drinking down if they tried.
When I was young my life was promising, I was the
idol of my parents, and well thought of by everybody. There was nothing
to keep me from growing up a good man, but I learned, to love whisky.
At first I wanted only to take a social drink with friends, but I
kept on taking it until the appetite grew on me and I could not stop.
It led me to where I am now. Never touch it my boy. Remember your
fathers warning, and grow up a good man. Forgive me the wrong I have
done you. Your loving father,
WILL MATHIS.
THE REPRIEVE OF MATHIS AND LESTER
The postponement of the hanging of Will Mathis
and Orlando Lester, for the murder of the two Montgomerys last November,
was doubtless a disappointment to many who are anxious to have these
criminals pay the death penalty for their heinous offense against the
law. In fact, every right-minded citizen is of the opinion that the
execution of these murderers should take place as soon as it could be
legally done. But there is another matter deserving consideration. If
Mathis and Lester had been hung on the day appointed by Judge Lowrey,
there would be no evidence that could be produced that would convict
Whit Owens of the aiding in and abetting the crime. From facts brought
out during the trial in January, it is evident that Whit Owens was the
instigator of the deed, and it is believed by many that his true connection
with the crime has never been disclosed. Those who have the matter in
charge believe that it is but right just to defer the richly deserved
punishment of Mathis and Lester until Owens can be meted out justice
also, for, without the testimony of Mathis and Lester, there would be
danger of having this arch schemer and leader in crime, turned loose
upon our community again, in a few years, with his evil ways not improved
by the trifling punishment of imprisonment. The delay of a few months
cannot harm any one, and a guilty man would probably go unpunished,
and many might suffer in future years, by recklessly hastening the punishment
which is certain to come in due time. We beg all interested in upholding
the majesty of the law, to possess their souls in patience, as undue
would cause one of the leaders in the crime to evade the penalty of
his deed.
MATHIS’ FAREWELL LETTER.
Will Mathis wrote this farewell letter to his wife
last Saturday, under the impression that no respite would be granted,
and that he would be hung on Tuesday:
"My Dear Wife — If I have to part with
you the 24th, please don’t grieve after me. I feel
prepared to meet my God. Remember, Jesus had to give up his life in
this way. He knows how hard it is to be took wrongfully and I feel
I have got all the sympathy that he can have for any one. Try and
live a Christian life and come meet me when you die. Raise Cleveland
right. Don’t let him keep bad company. Please don’t let
your pa raise Cleveland if he gets out of trouble. You know he has
taken my life away from me. You know his belief and his wrong way
of doing. He is not fit to raise a boy. You know I left home and give
him and Orlando possession and tried to prove myself away from home
to keep from telling on them. You know I have to pay his debt with
my own life, and I think that is enough without giving him my baby
to raise. I wish you could tell me, and tell me the truth whether
you aim to stay with your pa if he gets out or not. I think you could
stay with my people until Cleveland gets large enough for you and
him to go to yourself. Cordie, I don’t ask you to tell anything
on your pa, but I do ask you to remember me as a kind and true husband,
and if they swear lies on me I want you to go on the witness stand
and tell the court they have lied. My prayer to God is that you and
Cleveland get along well and have plenty and be liked by everybody.
So goodbye, your loving husband,
"WILL MATHIS."
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