The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-02
THAT MILITARY JURY.
Private Cooper Writes an Improbable
Tale to Governor Tillman.
Especial to News and Courier.

Tale to Governor Tillman.
Especial to News and Courier.
COLUMBIA, April Ex-Governor Till
man takes a good deal Of comfort out
of somewhat late letter he has received
from Private Cooper, who sat On the
military jury at Darlington. 1t ex-
plains itself and is given for what it is
worth:
SALLY, S. c., April IS, 1894.
B. R. Tiilman, Governor, Columbia,
S. e. Dear Sir: Having sat on the
jury in Darlington in the case Of in-
quiry concerning the death Of Frank
E.Norment and others, I wish to in
form you that I did not understand the
verdict as reported by the foreman,
Mr.. j. A. Mooney. I understood him
to have read that those men came to
their deaths at the hands Of McLendor
and Cain, but not whether it was in
self-defence or wilful or feloneous.
There was not anything said about
that. If I had understood it the way
be has reported it I would not have
signed it, for my opinion is it was self
defence. I remember he said that there
were few words he had left off, and
he went on writing again. He said
that he wanted to fix it up right. [
don't know what be wrote. I remem-
ber he said when we went in the jury
room that what we did would have no
weight at all in Court. I want to tell
you that was never on jury before,
and I did not know what I was there
to do. I had no instructions in the
court room nor anywhere else.
Yours, J.C. COOPER.
P. ST. am a backwoods farmer and
know nothing about jury rooms or law,
for we are trying to obey the laws of
our country. 1 am Tillmanite to the
core, but I want every man to have
justice.
CAPT. J. A. MOONEY SHOWS sTHATTHERE
IS NO TRUTH IN PRIVATE
CooPER's STATEMENT.
GREENvILLE, April 23-Capt. J. A.
Mooney, chairman of the Military
Court of inquiry, which sat in connec-
ton with the coroner's jury at Darling
ton and made a report accusing the
State constables with murder, will
publish statement tomorrow in the |
Greenville News in reply to letter Of
J. c. Cooper, of Fort Motto. Cooper |
was a member Of the court. In bis |
letter published Sunday he insinuates
that he did not understand what he
was doing when ne signed the report
and that be was misled or over-persua-
ded by Capt. Mooney to sign the doc
ument. Capt. Mooney will show that
the court was appointed by the regular
channels, the non-commis-
stoned officers and privates being cho-
sen by captains of heir respective COM
panies without any prearrangements.
Names of members of the court were
telegraphed Immediately to Governor
Tillman and were presumably accepta-
BILE to him, as be made no objection.
Instructions were given to the Court
by Gen. Richbourg and were read and
in the presence of them all,
and specifically authorized each men,
Der to file if he wished separate re-
port giving his views of the evidence.
Capt. Mooney has the fac-simile
water press copy of the report, showing
that nothing was added to or taken
from it after it was signed. He states
hat it was thoroughly discussed by the
members Of the court before being writ
.en, and after it was written was read
over to them twice at least and repe-
.itlons occurring in names, ETC., were
corrected with the assistance Of Capt.
Harvey, of the Gordon Light Dragons
and other members. Capt. Mooney
vas made chairman Of the court from
;he fact that he held the senior COM
mission.
PRIVATE MISTER, OF sPARTANBCRG,
CONFIRMS CAPTAIN MOONEY.
lGreenville News.
The following communication dated
April 22nd, was received here April
I'D, the same day on which Captain
MONEYS communication appeared.
It was written before Mr.. Mister could
nave seen Captain MONEYS statement,
out agrees with it in every particular:
SPARTANBURG, S. c., April -.
To the Editor of the GreenVille News: