The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-03-01
LOCAL MATrnRs

rtdtss0 JUG CJBe yEHfeFd9Y.
recur to 4 again chiefly to explain 81 matter Of
justice 10 our own citizens how be came 70 occupy
any relation to Clay street Chapel -
About the) FIRST of January last the Rev DR..
LEE, Editor ,of the Christian Advocated received
letter purporting to be written by Minister ia
the New England Conference of good standing.
informing him that young Preacher in that sec.
tion-a man of talents and eloquence and one that
always drew large egations-desired to come
South, partially accocnt OF his health and be-
cause circumstances operated against him there
which would not effect him here DR. Lee showed
this letter to the Presiding Elder of the Richmond
Circuit. who Immediately wrote on for the yoan4
Preacher to come, provided he could bring proper
credentials OF his good standingl in the New Eng
land Conference
Some shortfime after this, the Presiding Elder
received a letter from j. w. COOPER informing him
that Dis wife and himself would be here by the 18th
OF January. The Presiding Elder on learning for
the first time that COOPER was married man wrote
to him second time telling him not to come on
that the Circuit which he designed placing
him, needed single man, and that it would be i'm
possible to employ married one.
Regardless of this admonitiou, COOPER came on
at the time appointed by himself declaring III al he
had failed to receive the Presiding Elders letter
After getting here, COOPER was treated in the
kindest manner. The station preacher at Clay
street Chapel being then in very bad health CooP-
Err applied for his place, but the members of the
church refused to entertain any proposition from
him, until their minister should positively RESIGN
his station and not even then unless he could
with the proper credentials of his good stand.
ing in the New England Conference Couper then
informed Mr.. JAS NJ Taylor and others that he was
an employed Teacher in High School, in South
Groton, Mass. that he was here in vacation that the
following Monday was the appointed time fnr the
reelection of Teachers and that he must get home
by Saturday in order to report himself to the
Board OF Trustees as a candidate for reelection
Finding that COOPER was without means he was
furnished with enough to take him home and given
haiti hia 1l-l l,
would be written to and employed, provided every
thing was right
Some short time after this Mr. Taylor received
letter from Cooper, dated Jan. 81, in which he
announced that a Mr. FROST had been elected in
his place, and that as it likely he would not be
able to obtain a situation there for some three
months he would help the congregation at Clay
street Chapel upon verysaccommodating terms
The Minister at Clay street Chapel having ten.
dered his resignation from ill-Eealth it was atonce
determined to accept CeoPER's offer and he was
written to by the Presiding Elder who offered him
the post provided he could bring the proper Gre
dentias and certificate; but in few DAYS after let
tiers were received from the North representing
him to be man of VIGOROUSLY bad character, when
Mr. Taylor wrote to him at once apprising him of
what had been received, and telling him not to
come. Regardless of this admontion, he did come
on, and brought his wife with him. Upon his ar
rival he was asked for his credentials and as he
did not have them, the congregation refused to re
ceive or countenance him. The reader knows the
balance
We briefly referred, yesterday to the charge of
having poisoned his wife, upon which Cooper was
tried in England. The following letters 0rom
large bundle) as they were produced and read at
theinquest upon the body of Mrs. Cooper, we pub
fish not only showing in part the grounds of the
arrest of Cooper but as being quite curious and
remarkable in their way
The first of the two is from Cooper to Miss Ec-
kersey, and is without date as most of his commu-
nlcatlOns were:
utfU Hp1T de19 He1VPSt i canpnt foil how,
it Is, but feel much in reference to you that
cannot pursue my business for thinking about you
! am strongly impressed that you mean to break
me off. don't know why | should have this i'm
preston, but have it and | cannot shake it off l
cannot think you would be so cruel, yet this has
come over me and don't know how. | shall not
be happy until have seen you, and have had some
conversation with you. TO all appearance the
time is not far distant when shall be left alone save
my dear little child But if you give me up then
am undone Should it be 80, | would rather die
than live. 1t is only for you desire to live; as |.
am quite sure | cannot be long blessed with my
present partner, and you the person of her
choice. You are mine, too, and to be forbidden
you, would be the greatest punishment that could
be inflicted upon me. Do me as soon as you
Come and spend much time as you can
here If you don't, then must conclude that it ia
as have supposed.
Yours, most atfectionately J. G..
The following is supposed to be reply to this Or
some other OF Cooper's numerous letters 1t is
very extraordinary letter-either exceedingly art
less or strikingly diplomatic and guarded-especal-
ly where it says "were it true that Mrs. Cooper
would die Tomorrow, have no business to be EN-
gagged to you to-day Certainly, were Cooper in
cned to administer poison to his wife, this letter
would hardly stop his purpose. Clearly not that
part where she promises not to engage herself to
any one:
Mr.. CooPER-Dear Sir: write these few lines
to inform you, that cannot feel happy nor have
any peace of mind. so long as have any engage
ments with a married man. | sure that the
blessings of God can never rest upon US. Mrs
Cooper is an injured woman. How should like
to be her place? | consider myself at liberty
whatever may be the consequences. | don't say
that | am going to engage myself | have no
thoughts OF 1t. No, not at all. You will never
prosper, myself either, under any engagements
now. | have done my duty-at all events, with
God. know that if it were true that Mrs CO0per
acre to die tomorrow have no business to be en-
gagged to you to-day. will not. You must see the
propriety of this l beg you will make this matter
your prayer to be set right. Do attend to your
Duty and seek the blessing of God Let us keep
His commandments holy, and then we shall have
his blessing. Let the Lord take Mrs Cooper at his
appointed time. | beg you will attend to her. How
could we expect to prosper, not keeping Gods
CON. mandment! Y0a hare neUer pr0spered since ace
first made the engagement Remember, that if you
destroy yourself you will kill me.
remain yours, affectionately,
ANNIE EcKERsLEY.
This letter was written about two months before
the death of Mrs. Cooper, an event, judging from
Coopers letter, very decidedly anticipated, if
desired by him. What occurred after Cooper's
trial and acquittal of the charge Of numbering her.
does not appear; whether the love affair with the
pious Miss Eckersley went any farther, we cannot
say.
Poor COMPLAINT. Edward Cannon ap-
peared before the Mayor yesterday morning to an
swer the charge of assaulting and beating Samuel
H. Whipple the day before Whipple stated that
he owned two boats-a small one and large one
which were tied up in the creek at Rockets
that some one came to his house and told him that
Cannon was breaking them loose-that he fastened
to the place and found that the accused had broken
the lock fastening the small boat TO the large one,
and that Cannon was about showing otfin the large
boat. Witness had told the accused that he could
not have his boat, that he bought it for his own
use Cannon refused to give it up, and the witness
continuing his objections, Cannon seized him by
the hair of the head and threatened to kill him.
Other witnesses testified that the river was rising
very rapid and sweeping off the goods from the
wharves and that Cannon wanted the boat to aid
in saving them When Whipple came down, Can
non endeavored to induce him to get into the boat
ard oil n he pror,erty hut he refused N do