“Who is this Bentonville Taylor, where did he come from, and what his character as established by himself? It seems he came to Ellisville, Jones county, Miss., about the time or shortly after Copeland was brought from the Alabama penitentiary to Mississippi to be tried for the murder of Harvey—pretending then to be a Yankee school master seeking employment—having with him a woman whom he introduced to that community as his sister and assistant teacher. They obtained a school; he and his sister took board in a respectable family located in Ellisville, Mr. Parker’s. They had not been there long before reports got out in this family of such a nature that is perhaps improper to publish. However, Mr. Parker ordered them to leave his house. The trustees of the school forthwith called a meeting, which resulted in the discharge of both. They were promptly paid off; the woman left for parts unknown, while he has been loitering around in the adjoining counties in a way anything but satisfactory, ever since. He got out a license to plead law, defended Copeland in his last trial, and then was brought from Williamsburg, Covington county, by the Mobile prosecutors, to there serve their purposes, in the most reduced of external condition and centless, but returned in the finest suit of attire, with plenty of money in his pocket—the rewards of his services in Mobile for falsehood and attempted deception. And this is the respectable lawyer from Mississippi, as represented by one of the prosecutors. A cheaper and more degraded instrument could not have been found in all Eastern Mississippi. A poor subterfuge to resort to such a man to lie men out of deserving censure. How readily it seems the prosecution knew where to place its fingers to subserve the purpose. A few more such licks will nail the truth of Copeland’s confessions to the cross forever.” But read the documents now in possession, from the best and most respectable citizens of Jones county, about this man: THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, } PERRY COUNTY. } This day personally appeared before me, A. L. Fairly, a Justice of the Peace, in and for the said county and State aforesaid, Franklin J. Mixon, who makes oath in due form of law, and on oath says that Bentonville Taylor stole from this affiant a bridle and girth, while this affiant resided in Jones county, Mississpipi, at, or near, Hoskin’s ferry in said Jones county, in the month of March or April, 1858. Sworn to, and subscribed before me this twelfth day of April, 1859. A. L. FAIRLY, J. P., P. C. Signed, F. J. MIXON. * * * * * STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, } PERRY COUNTY. }