Evening journal., 1899-07-25
COL. COOPER S FUNERAL
He Died in Prison But ALI
Delaware Honors His Memor, ,
BURIAL A REMARKABLE ON.


SUNDAYS NEW YORK HERAL d
CONTAINS AN INTERESTIN G
STORY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH
OF THE POPULAR, BUT UNTO R
TUNATE. DELAwAREAN.
The New York Herald on Sunday
contained a two-third page illustra ted
article on the life and funeral Of Col
onel Ezekiel T. Cooper. 1t is as fol
lows:
"A free railroad pass and the flow
ing bowl We're the real causes of poor
zekes downfall" said one Of his close
friends at the funeral OF Colonel
Ezekiel Il. Cooper, who died in the, New
Jersey penitentiary, and was buried
near Dover. last week. YES and
zeke was murdered by justice" added
another mourner, a well-known lawyer
of Delaware.
The curtain was being run,g down
on one Of the star characters Of the
most remarkable criminal event in the
history of Delaware. And the last
scene Of the final act was Il strange
climax to the entire play. Seldom is
it that a man convicted OF an offense
and sent to the penitentiary to wear
convict's garb maintains or increases
the friendship Of those who know him
best and those among whom he lived.
Yet Colonel Ezekiel T. Cooper did this.
He was drawn in the awful maelstrom
of the looting of the First National
Bank, of Dover. Del, Of s1O7, 900 by
William n. Boggs, the trusted teller.
He was in sight of freedom, and his
friends were preparing to give him al
warm welcome But at almost the
very moment when his efforts to Sc
cure a pardon from President McKin-
ley failed. he was called before a
Higher Judge TO plead his case. Colo
ne3 Cooper's funeral was in every way
remarkable. His body was brought
from the penitentiary to the home Of
his sister, Mrs. Charles II. Jolls. in
Wyoming, four clergymen participated,
one OF whom is a former Republican
leading men from all
parts Of the state gathered at his bier,
strong men shed tears Many OF the
mourners drove for miles from old
Sussex county and the remote parts
of Kent county to pay a tribute to the
dead man. and to show that Federal
courts, juries and indictments did not
rob him of their respect.
Political feeling in the little family
State of Delaware is intense on all oc-
casions. About everyone knows per-
sonally everybody else, and the poll
tice are family quarrels. The politics
are so warm that for three years the
Republican party. now in a majority,
has been bitterly divided. There are
Addicks Republicans, who hate Regu-
lar Republicans, and both dislike the
Democracy, while the latter fight both
factions Of Republicans.
In all this political strife Ezekiel T.
Cooper as a prominent Democrat was
a central figure. Yet when death came
upon him quickly was the word OF
sympathy passed, and Addicks Repub-
leans Regular Republicans and
Democrats assembled together at his
grave.
Illustrative of this feeling read what
the Dover Sentinel, the organ Of the
Addicks party in Cooper's own county,
says OF him.
INTENSELY PARTISAN.
Mr.. Cooper was an intense partisan
in politics, and in the fierce heat of a
political campaign he naturally made
enemies; but under the influence Of his
inborn geniality and good fellowship
these enmities were speedily forgotten
and no man held against him any long
lived hostility. Most excellent virtues
shone conspicuously in his life Let
these live and shine in every memory
of the man. and as to his errors let
every lip be as silent as the grave that
encloses his mortal remains"
And the Milford News. of his home
county and the Regular Republican Or
gan says ''His little acts Of kindness,
the example Of genial disposition, the
many acts OF courtesy-all these must
not be left out in the reckoning. His
friends will admit his faults, yet love
him; and in years to come. eyes will
grow moist as gray headed men will
tell their sons Of the big hearted and
genial Zeke."
Speaking of Colonel Cooper. Super
intendent L. S. Moore. Of the New
Jersey penitentiary, declared that in
his keeping he had Yale and Harvard
graduates who had fallen victims Of
temptation, and men Of the highest
walks OF life. but there were none in
lfba institution of fhp same brilliancv