Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-03-06
Murder and Robbery.
Pensacola Advance Gazette.l

Pensacola Advance Gazette
Our community was horriied last
Wednesday morning, to find that
peaceable, quiet and good citizen had
been brutally murdered during the pre-
vious night and left lying in his blood,
while the house had been robbed OF all
the money and other valuables the
demons chose to take.
Mr.. Joseph r. Cooley has for some
time kept family grocery store on the
corner of Chase and Cevallos streets,
which, tho some distance from the
business portion of the city, is surroun-
ded BY number of dwelling houses
and hls also several business houses
us close neighbors. Mr. Cooley had
no clerk and, being single man sleptin
his store, and was in the habit of open
ing his doors pretty early every morn
ing. On Wednesday morning the store
remained closed until the attention OF
those living in the neighborhood was
attracted, when a friend of the de-
ceased, Mr.. Byrnes, went to the back
door, which he saw was ajar, and enter
ing, found the proprietor lying dead on
the floor with his skull crushed and an
axe, the weapon used in the murder,
near by. The cash drawer and desk
had been rihed, and Mr. Cooleys watch
was taken, altho' the chain was still
hanging in his vest.
Mr.. Cooley at the time he received
the death blow was evidently IN the act
OF weighing some meat, a pretext used
possibly to draw his attention from the
attack, and was struck just back of and
above the left ear, with the poll of the
axe, the blow crushing in the skull
bone and necessarily producing almost
instant death; his teet were near the
counter and he lay squarely upon his
back, tho, he must have been placed in
that position by his murderer who,
after robbing the body and the money
drawer, evidently extinguished the
lights and closing the door, left the
scene OF the dastardly deed.
Judge ShackeIiord empanelled Jury
OF inquest and summoning DR.. w.
Moffat had a post m07tem examination
made. when the cause of his death was
revealed. At the present writing,
Friday morning, the jury has not COM
pleted the investigation nor rendered
verdict.
The body was taken charge of and
prepared for burial by Mr.. S. B. Hutch
Inson, undertaken, and was yesterday
morning inferred at st. Johns ceme-
tary.
Mr. Cooley is originally from New
Providence, a village adjoining the CITY
OF Clarksville, Tennessee, and has been
a citizen of Florida for several wears.
He has half brother, Mr.. w. d. Booth
who lives at Cantonment and who came
down Wednesday afternoon when no
titled OF his brothers. death.
Mr.. Cooley was one of the most peace
able and quiet men in the city and pos
sessed the confidence and esteem of all
who knew him, and his murder was
undoubtedly effected solely for the sor-
did purpose OF robbery, as lie was sup
posed to have considerable money in
his store, tho, there's no telling now
how much he did haze.
This cold-blooded and brutal muir
der and robbery calls for the utmost
vigilence in ferreting out the perpetra-
tors to justice. The protection OF the
lives and property of our citizens de-
mands that the authorities leave no
stone unturned to unearth the desper-
ate Williams who thus murder and rob
the people, and we call upon the Gov
ernrr to offer a suitable reward for their