Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-28
A MOB IN WOMAN'S ATTIRE
Unique Feature of a Lynching
in Maryland.
JOSEPH COO SNG HANGED
IS
The Murderer Of Y and Sister-in-law De-
9 q to Pray.
PROTESTED hSaNNOCENCE TO THE LAST
The Details of the Affair Were Arranged
After q Baseball Game-The Sheriff
Had Made Little Effort to Pro-
tect the Prisoner.
PROTESTED HsSNNocENcE TO THE LAST

La fldltd, Mu., June zf.-JOSepn COCK
ing, who was awaiting trial on the charge
of numbering his wife and sister-in-law,
was taken from the jail at Port Tobacco
early this morning by "a mob of his fellow
county citizens and hanged to a bridge.
The mob was composed of about thirty
masked men, half of whom, in addition
to their disguises, masqueraded In wo-
mans attire. The rickety old Jail build
ing was in charge of Washington Burch.
an aged colored man, who, after some
little show of resistance, handed over the
keys to the crowd. Cooking, who had
been awakened by the sound of voices
outside, had arisen from his bed, and
was partly dressed. He finished his toilet
silently and followed his captors without
a murmur to the bridge, which Is about
200 yards from the prison. After placing
a moose about the mans neck he was
asked by the leader of the gang to con-
fess his guilt but said he was innocent
and had nothing to confess. Asked to
make his peace with God, he replied
that he did not feel like praying.
The men then, without more ado,
pushed him from the rail ofthe brige, and
the wretched man dropped 10 feet. After
watching the body swing slowly to ana
fro until they were satisfied that their
victim was dead, the mob silently dis
persed. Sheriff Wade, who lives about
sixty yards from the Jail building, was
not awakened by the mob, and knew
nothing of what had occurred until a1ter
daylight
Meantime Burch, the colored janitor.
came to La Plata and awoke states
Attorney Posey, who, with Magistrate
Sutherland and Dr. Owen, drove to the
scene of the hanging and cut the body
down. 1t was removed to the Jail and an
inquest ordered.
There has been desuItory talk of lynch
ing Cooking since he was returned from
Baltimore on May 81, but no one seemed
to give much credence to the reports.
Certainly Sheriff Wade took no extra pre-
cautions to protect the mans life.
1t is said that the determination to
lynch Cooking was arrived at after q
baseball game at Hilltop yesterday az
ternoon, the scene OF the horrible trags
edy After the game the advisability or
hanging Cooking in order to- save tho
county the expense of trying him was
discussed 1t Is alleged that the croWd
was composed of some of the leading
residents of the county, and that the
proposition to lynch the accused was dis
cussed as calmly as If they we're planning
a baseball game. After all arrangements
had been made the men dispersed ana
met again near the Jail at Port Tobacco
shortly before midnight. Little time was
lost after the assemblage and In less than
half an hour after their arrival the
had come. o
Cooking was born in England In 1861
For several years ne has been the propri-
etor of a country store at Hilltop, nam
let nine miles from this place. On the
night of April 20 his wife, Mrs. Mary
Cooking, and his sister-in-Iaw, Miss Dali
sv Miller. were murdered In their rooms,
being beaten and hacked to death with
a batchet Cooking himself was found
living on the floor of the cellar, his CLOTH
ing bespattered with blood and severai
slight scratches about his face ana
hands. His feet we're tightly bound with
a piece of rope. His story was tnat TWO
men had entered the house and after as
saulting him had bound him and thrown
him into the cellar. He explained the ap-
sence of the cord about his hands py
stating that he had severed 1t by means
of a piece of broken glass. An investi-
cation followed and 1t was decided that
Cooking was the murderer, and perfect
chain of circumstantial evidence pointed
to him as the murderer. He was indicted
and taken to Baltimore for safety, the
excitement having been so great that the
authorities feared violence. After rev
weeks stay In the Baltimore jail Cock
ing was returned to La Plata for prelim-
mary hearing. His counsel asked that
the case be tried In St. Mary's county ana
the case was set for trial In the next term
of court at Port Tobacco. Since MS re-
turn Cooking has ben morose and taci-
turn He refused to discuss the murder
or his chances of acquittal on the grave
charge against him.
Several theories have been advanced
by residents of the county, but the real
motive for the dastardly deed has never
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