The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1883-08-17
Thomas DilIin's Death The Cans.
that Led TO IL.

rather long. the following ietfei from
= valued friend. III regard 20 the di*f
'culty which led 10 The murder or Mi
iDillin. as we have no disposition fo n,
Nr. Cooper an Injustice. and will ori,
add that the Courier's article In regarf
20 it, and which our correspondent think
'nisrepreseDts the affair. was based upo1
the sworn testimony OF the Witness.
before the Coroner. which shows tiai
Thomas DilIin was not armed At an, and
for some considerable time had said
nothing at All 10 Cooper, though the,
had been qnarseiing IA hour or 80 before
and that IN tue meantime Cooper had
been seated ~ fence coruer. with MI
head resting on both hands, apparently
thinking closely:
FER ths c>sner.
NEVADA. Mo-, August 5;h, 1883.
En-. o. CcunrKR = Dear Sir: noticed
'in The columns of your paper an article
headed "A Foul Murder namely: tie
shooting Of Thos. Di.lin by O-ro Cooper.
The latter party being ny brothet-in-isw.
and heretofore bearing good reputation.
hiss prompted me 10 investigate this sal
affair very closely. have corre.ponded
with dlsintere-ted parties ot good stand
ing IA Your county 10 ascertain the fru;h
|"f The statement In your former issne. /
am friend or justice. and IL Osro Coon
er has fouily murdered Thos. DilIin.
without Just Cause, agree with you in
you statement that be should be tried
speedily aud . just punishment meeted
OUT 70 him, but as you have given such q
one-sided view Of this case. | think II
right 70 keep nothing back. but allow
the citizens Of Dubois county 10 hear both
s'ues and Judge for themselves, as to
whether Ihos. Diliin was foulIv mur-
derec, or Osro Cooper defending him
self and property. will therefore give
he particulars e. given me BY friends Of
both parties: Last fall Sam Dillin. II.
and John Dillin, pnt in tract Of land
on the Lennon farm in wheat. both
being equal partners. Some time during
las, Spring John Dillon sold his inter-
est 70 Ozro Cooper for GiOO. cash. A|
short time sfterwArd be (John Dillon,|
took bis departure from Ireland. then
Ihos. Dillin claimed be had purcka assd
the crop, aud informed seversl parties
that Cooper should not have the wheat.
Thus matters stood unfil harvest time
approached. When the wheat was
ready 70 cut. Thos. Dil,in forbid cooper
~ harvest ~; but 0sro Cooper not fear
ing HE threats. cut bis portion or the
wheat. Then Thos. Diilin tell O.ro
Cooper that the wheat all belonged 70
him lTh0s DiiIin) and defies him u fak Z
i. Cooper then brings snit and allows
the matter % rest until ; short time be-
fore threshing time. when be sees Dillin
snd informed him that he bought the
wheat and paid for Il, and does not wish
70 have any trouble over II. Finally
Thos. Diliin agrees il osro Cooper would |
Withdraw The spis and give him haif.
they would thresh the wheat together.
each paying half the expense. Oerol
Cooper agreed 70 this, and as YOU stated.
withdrew The suit stating .hc had
agreed 70 give Ihos. Lillin what be !
He then saw Thos Dillin 4
and enquired when he would be ready |
70 thresh. Diliin replied next week
md agreed 10 let Cooper know ii time.
which Cooper sgreed 70, and was msk |
ing his arrangements accordingly. The \
next evening. Cooper not having noticed
Mr. Diilin or son about the neIrhbor- !
hood, and having been informed bv
various persons that Di;lin had said |
Cooper should not have any of The wheat.
he concluded 70 60 and zee II every !
hing WAS al right. He did 20. and
onnd upon arrival, that Dillon aud sonI
lad possession Of the wheat and were
about through threshing. and several
cams were IN waiting 10 transfer The
wheat 70 market At Washington: and "a
he very time Thos. Diilin told Osrol
Cooper he would he ready 10 threeh
lext week. the machine Was setting III
he disputed wheaf-ficld Parties Who
we're present say Thos. Dillon snd sam
Dillon, jr., abused and cursed Osrol
cooper. He retired 10 . fence corncrI
md set down taking the abuse good
laturealy. Thos. Dillin endcavored 70 /
make him pray, and remarked The was
yoing 70 hell shortly and was going 10
AXE some one else with him. SO mat Il
err continued until they were ready, 70 4
commence loading the wheat; then
cooper stepped forward and forbid them
oading the wheat and h1nling II ofrli
intii the wheat was divided. or be re-
'e;vsd satisfactory security that he,
would got his Ahare. Sam Tillin, III. did
iot heed the ordfr aud was putting 4
rex into ono OF tio sc0ns when COOPER
'kught hold 0t the sack and forbid II. L
sam. Dlilin, jr., then bit Osro Cooper
With . billy--s0mc say. others that be
lappca him n the face; Cooper then
irew biz revolver and fred. voundingI L
Sam Diiiin. jr.: Thos. ni'.in thrn drc "
revolver, and Cooper seeing III fred
.rst. with faial results. / think j. hutl
asiice 70 nl parties implicated that the
aets be given ns thew really nrc. YonI
tate In yonr article in tho Courier "thatI
Cooper went intending 70 have trouble II