The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-01-13

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Shooting through the house was stop
ped and Mr.. Stansill took some of
those who objected to the surrender
aside and endeavored to persuade them
to agree. Ia the meanwhile. Mr.. Sam
Chandler, who vas with Mr.. StansIli's
crowd 10 the rear of the house contu-
ued tae par!ey with Cooper and told
him to come out Cooper came ou: Of
the back door anG was met at the steps
By Mr.. T. W. Lee aud Mr. John K.
Barrett, who covered him with pistols
and made him keep his hands we'll up
above bis bead. After he had walked at
least ten steps from the house and was
surrounded on all sides by men who
rushed up from all sides, be was struck
over the head from behind with the
barrel of rife The blood ran down
over his face. Mr.. Stausil, Mr. w
B. Boyle, Mr. B. D. Mitchell aud sew
eral others took bold of him and the
satcbel was removed from across his
shoulders. One or two men went to
look for rope with which to tie him.
Duriug this time Cooper, who was
plainly druok, kept up continual
oursiDg, ard several times attempted to
lower his hands but never got tbem
down below the level Of his shoulders
AS far as the writer could see from a
distance of 30, more than three feet-as
Mr. Boyle threatened to shoot hln each
time if be did not hold them up.
When one of the crowd ordered Cooper
to stop cursing be said. -
Iii kill you." He vas shot 10 the side of
the head, first with a pistol and then as
he reeled, in the side of the face with
shot gun
Mr.. Stansill, who had bis hand 90
Cooper when he was shot, gave expires.
sion to the feeling Of many of the
crowd when he exclaimed, as he turued
away when Cooper fell: MY God. |
thought bad white men with me"
When Cooper was searched, while
lying on the ground, pistol was found
stuck down inside the fsont of bis
trousers. When he was shot down
% one knew be had a pistol. When
he was struck 90 the head with the rife
barrel his haods we're up above his
head
When the crowd wanted to shoot him
while gasping on the ground, where be
fell, be was to all ioteDts a dead man
when some of the crowd wanted to
shoot him at St James Church he was
to all intents dead mau when be
was dragged from the wagon; hanged
to a tree and riddled With bullets at
Green Swamp he was was to all intents
a dead man..
This is the story. The public can
form its own conclusions from the facts.
We have related the facts as re wit
messed them up to the shooting at Dar-
gan's house. Subsequent events have
been related as told to us by some of the
most reliable men in the community.
We condemn the manner in which
Cooper was killed, because to shoot him
down 10 that manner was breakiog the
word Of Mr.. Stansill. who was chosen
leader of The crowd, and Mr. Chandler
and others, who promised tiat he should
not be killed; because when shot he
was ae far as the crowd knew, unarmed;
because be was in the hands Of four or
Eve strong men, who could have held
him securely had he attempted to draw
a weapon; because trial and execu-
ton according to law would have been
a greater punishment aud more effec-
tive example to law breakers and would
have shown that the people Of this
county we're respecters of law. "hich
they we're supposed to be attempting to
uphold when they went out to capture
Cooper; because the reckless shooting
in the midst of the crowd was perilous
to the nen who were nearest Cooper
and the large crowd surrounding him;
and because it was, in the circumstances,
unnecessary and from our point of view