The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-09-14
COOK IN STATE PRISON
TWO OTHER NEGROES ARE SUS-
pIDIONED OF IMPLICATION.
PRELIMINARY HEARING TO BE HERE
Squire Todd Of Eagle Rock Will Probably Come
With One Of Them To-Day-.White, the
Other Negro, Seems to Have
Suddenly Disappeared.
Suddenly Disappeared.

At the last term of the Superior Court
In Wake county Berry Cooke submitted
to murder in the second degree and
Judge Robinson sentenced him to twenty
years at hard labor in the State prison,
which sentence he is now serving. The
people Of the county are familiar Win
the trial. There was little evidence
against Berry and the principal witness
to testify that he was the murderer OF
Rosa Morgan was the little boy OF
the deceased. However, the States
case was made when Berry was placed
on the stand, for under the mastery
.cross-examination of the Solicitor he
failed to give proper account of him
self on the night of the murder and in
the minds of those who heard his testi-
mony no doubt remained but that Berry
Cooke was the guilty man. He and
his counsel, e. A. johnson, both recog-
nized that the case had gone against
Berry when he left the witness stand,
so next morning, rather than risk YER
dict from the jury, his counsel submit
ted to granddaughter, and the above SEN
tence was imposed.
In the trial there were two witnesses
against Berry who were themselves at
first not without suspicion of having
murdered Rosa Morgan. They were two
negroes-one named White and the 9th
er Ches Pace They said that they
were sleeping on a porch not for dist
ant, and heard Rosa Morgan's screams.
A shirt belonging to Pace was found at
a branch not far from the murdered
woman's house. but Pace swore that he
left it there several days before the muir
der.
According to reports which have been
received here it seems that further evil
.dence has now developed and other par
ties may now be tried for the murder
or implication in the murder of Rosa
Morgan. Justice of the Peace Green
Todd, Of Eagle Rock, in Little River
township, has written County Attorney
J. G. l.. Harris that there is evidence
against ether parties and Mr.. Harris
has written him to bring the parties to
Raleigh and hold preliminary hearing
in this city. They are expected here to-
day to conduct this hearing.
Berry Cookies attorney was seen last
evening and asked if he knew anything
about the additional evidence which has
come to light recently. He said that
reports from Eagle Rock state that
White told several parties that Berry
didn't kill Rosa but he knew who did,
and that Pace has made some state
ments of the same kind. He says also
that it can be shown now that Pace
had on the shirt which was afterwards
found at the branch on the afternoon
before the murder. He added further
that White has skipped or at least it
appears that way, for he cannot be found.
Pace is being held for the examination
and viii probably be brought to Raleigh
for that purpose to-day. The attorney
believes his client was innocent and
says that the only substantial evidence
against him was his demeanor on the
stand. However, his guilt seemed very
plain then, but the new evidence in the
case will be awaited for with great in
terest, for if he is innocent he should
be released. 1t is more probable, though,
that this evidence will go to show that
there were accessories in the commission
of this crime