The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-01-09
THR WILSON'S AVENGED.
Simon Cooper, Who Murdered Five
People, Lynched by a Mob.
MADE A DESPERATE RESISTANCE.

Finally Captured In a Cabin Five Miles
from Sumter and Started for tho Jail.
The Mob, However, Decided to Save the
Expense of Trial.
SUMTER, S. c.. Jan. 9-Simon Cooper,
the negro outlaw, who on ThuNday muir
dered three members of the Wilson family
anda colored servant while fleeing from
justice for another murder, was lynched
near here yesterday. Cooper was cap
tured by the sheriff's posse and was being
taken to Sumter when the mob decided to
lynch him. The deputy sheriff, aided by
two men, resisted the lynchers, but were
overpowered. A rope was thrown over
limb Of tree and as the man swung up
ward the body was pierced by more than
150 bullets. One bullet cut the rope and
the corpse fell to the ground where the
coroner found 1t some hours later when he
went to hold an inquest.
Cooper was captured In a cabin five
miles from this place. EARLY yesterday
morning Jake Dargan, colored, went to
the house of w. S. Burkett, a white neigh
Dor, and said that Cooper was at his house
asleep. Burkett rode to Sumter with the
news, and deputy sheriff, with posse
of nine men, Immediately left. A. woman
and man were In the house with Cooper.
He sent the woman out and later sent the
man to buy him ammunition in Cam
den, given him a sample shell. The man
rode over to the posse and gave them the
shell.
Cooper was well armed, and kept up a
continuous fire The house is small and
n in hpt 10
could not at first come within range with
any degree of safety. Once Cooper came
out of the house with gun, and was TAX
ing aim when Mr.. McCown fired at him.
Cooper Immediately dropped his gun and
seemed to be hit. He did not shoot, but
returned to the house.
Cooper's steady fire kept the crowd
under cover for some hours. About noon,
however, an advance was made and the
posse closed iIE Several men posted them
selves at the door, and as the outlaw step
ped out he was seized by the hands. AS
he stood facing tho crowd n shot was fired,
and Cooper dropped with rifle ball
through his cheeks. He was not badly
wounded, however, and as he rolled over
made an attempt to get his hand to his
trousers In his shirt razor was found,
while beneath his trousers band was
loaded revolver. Cooper was drunk, and
after the shot became almost unmanage-
able.
A search of the cabin revealed Win
chester rife, two revolvers, u valise filled
with cartridges and number of TASKS,
some empty and Others filed with whisky.
On page torn from blank book was
written; Remember that killed myself.
There never was man that could take
me. Simon Cooper"
Cooper was placed in wagon with Mr..
Mckagen of Sumter and Mr.. Turbiville
Of Florence, and the party started for
town, with the crowd Of nearly 100 men
following, There were mutterings of
lynching, but the trouble did not culmi-
nate until Greenswamp was reached,
about two miles from Sumter Then the
mob demanded Cooper's surrender, the
officers were overpowered and the negro
lynched as related.
The coroner's jury returned a verdict
that Cooper ''came to his death at the
hands of mob whose members are un-
known to the jury"