The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-05-13
ARGUMENT IN
q COOPER CASE.
Senator Gray's Able Plea
For Acquittal By The
Jury.

| Sotales SOurt Dtstrlct attorney tAnuegrlf
opened for the governments He said il
| part:
So far as am concerned shall confln
myself to prose ntation Of the facts. Thos
facts are found in these various books 1h
figures were made at the time when the
transactions occurred by persons who hat
no idea that 1t would ever be your mis-
fortune to decide the integrity OF mar
whom you and have known for years
and have respected. They did not know
that ], rs an officer Of the govern ment
should BIO called upon to prosecute o man
who for years has been my friend. Let
me say, go to his credit as it may, that ur
to the time of this matter this defendant
bore reputation which had never been
| questioned
Mr.. Boggs told you the story. The die.
so far as he Is concerned, is cast. He 10.
turned here voluntarily. He had no occa--
sion to lie. If there Is any question of ly-
Ing In this case want YOU 10 stand Will
liam N, Boggs on one side. and the men
| who assisted him on the other and judge
who has occasion 10 lie. Bu6 when you
judge them for perjury Oh that stand
10 SO charitably Remember that the
shadow Of the pehitentiary is upon them.
William N. Boggs has suffered the tor
lures of hell for this crime.
Take the documentary evidence and, in
my opinion, you can leave William n.
Boggs out Of it. With Boggs out of it
you must, in my opinion, find this defend.
ant guilty in manner.
Mr.. Vandegrift then reviewed the owl
dencc as furnished by tho checks and the
books.
Mr.. Cooper testified that he was q law.
yer and an editor; a man who has tray
oiled abroad, professional, a busire and
literary man. A man having hig dc.
gree of intelligence, drew his Chez. for q
thousand dollars on bank in which his
account was overdrawn. The same is true
OF the other checks.
lido not believe that when E. T. Cooper
drew that first check he realized the enor-
nifty of the defonse. l know Ezekiel 4
Cooper too well. know that he was and
is naturally an honest man. Like Others
no wanted to get money without the sweat
Of his brow.
1t is II question of whether William N.
Boggs tells the truth or E. 7. Cooper told
thetruth.
Wedo not have to depend upon W. N
Boggs. These kilograms ualne: Call on
you for $1,000; Call on you for S2OQO'
Call on you for $1,000" Is this man
child who lived in the back woods who
never heard of check or of the stock Lar
kets Better II he never had. What wonld
a reasonable man have done. Why, tho
first thing he would have done he would
have gone to this man and said these peo-
pie are looking to me for these. ! want
yon to quit this thing. That is what he
would have said ( ho had not been in it.
William N BOggs was on the verge of ruin
You how, out of his kindness, helheld back
a check of $3.50 for man. This man held
him in his power and from that day 1T was
progression of checks; vultures living
upon young fellow who had no idea OF
the dangers of that kindly act.
He would have told you, had no been
asked, that when this started t. II. Cooper
did not intend to commit q criminal act.
Boggs tells you that Cooper knew that he
was using the funds of the bunk. They |
both knew it, One of them has passed on
to his punishment; the other with all the
power OF able counsel Is holding on, at
tempting to wrest from justice that " hich |
belongs to it. The government persecues
no one; 1t proseCutes them until they arc |
declared innocent or guilty.
No one would BIO happier than l II Eze-
kiel L. Cooper could be acquitted l CAN
not prove him innocent. Wherever you
go through the case the testimony of vii.
liam N. Boggs Is borne out by the facts.
have done my duty. You can find
verdict either way-lny conscience is clear
Your duty Is to be done. He is charged /
with juring the stockholders. Consider
that. They haue some interest in this /
Remember, that the rights of the
Deonle among whom we live must be
SENATOR GRAY REPLIES
Senator Gray replies to Mr.. Vandegrift.
He said in part am glad that my friend,
the defendant in this case has seen fit to
,all upon me in his hOurof trouble, came
Is his friend to stand by him in this trial
his trial of his lifc-and will stand by
lin to the end. knew him as boy; I
lave watched HMM his career. I know
hat his career is blameless. stand here
md askyou to believe with me that he is
innocent of this charge. 1t Is but the
d cath from mans nostrils who saysthat
Ezekiel 4. Cooper had knowledge of a
rhine
You are here to say whether no knew
hat he was robbing that bank. II is
implc question. 1t is not complicated
With accounts Mr.. Cooper admitted it.
DO not be disturbed or drawn aside from
liS great central inquiry-what was the
of this man of the crime of
William n. Boges? You have to do with
he question-what was the intent when
William n. Boggs induced him to loan
lin his checks?
These checks were given because, as he
aid, and Cooper said, that because Boggs
vas teller OF tho bank, it would not do to
ave checks coming in signed in Boggs
ame. Cooper weakly consented.
Mr.. Boggs told Mr. Cooper that when
C saw a good chance to buy to do so, and
Q would honor tho check. Cooper be-
oved, and has reason to believe that
'ogg5 was able to pay the checks. They
'ent on. He was doing Mr. Boggs be-
est, Anything improbable in the story?
'ou arc told by Mr.. salisbury and Others
hat MIR. Boggs was supposed to be for
innate in specula'ions. Cooper is not
lone in this. All the s23 00) did not come
t once. They came in one mon tn Or two
lonths or longer.
Now that the curtain has been drawn
side and the hideous skeleton disclosed
! Mr.. Cooper the only one who had no
ght to have confidence in Boggs. An in
,lligent, Well-conducttd young man,
'oggs ingratiated himself with tho peo-
10.
II he had said to me, Loan mo your
heck for q thousand dollars, would not
ave hesitated about even making it good
Rough l would not have given 1t without |
10 money in bank.
Poor Cooper did the same. Kind-hearted
Q never went back on Il friend. Couper {
as in Philadelphia often. Unfortunately
0 got into this stock speculation, which
as ravagng Dover worse than yellow
yer. Gambling is something which only
10 grace Of God can keep In subsection.
there was an indictment charging
COPPER with being foolish the jury could
,nvict him without going out OF the box.
he checks were given.
Boggs reached the end. He came to