The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-12-09
JURY SAYy SHOOTING
WAS AYO|DABLE
Verdict After an Investigation
OF Cause of Prisoner
Whites Death.
T is NOT SATISFACTORY
s%ympthies of People of Sioux Falls Ar,
With the Warden Who Was Forced
to Shoot Unruly Person in
Self Defense.

Sioux Falls, S. d., Dec. 6.-The said
Robert White came to his de.th by Il
shot fired from a revolver had and
held by Frank Hogan. a guard OF the
said state penitentiary. That the said
Frank Hogan acted under a command
and instruction given by j. N. Cooley,
being then and there Il deputy warden
of the said state penitentiary.
We, the jury, also find that the boot
ing and killing of Robert White in the
and by the means aforesaid,
should and could have been avoided"
The above is the material part of the
verdict rendered by Il ron jury
which was summoned to investigate the
death of Robert White. a prisoner in
the Sioux Falls penitentiary, who died
from a pistol IL which was in
stituted authority of the p~enitentiary
and making a murderous assault on
Deputy Warden Cooley.
Needless to say, the nature of the
verdict has created something of a sem
sation in this city. Nevertheless, with
due Difference to the opinion of the
three members of the jury, the people
of Sioux Falls and South Dakota, when
they know all the facts in the case
facts which cannot be disputed-de-
cidedly will not agree with the verdict
of the jury.
1t is also recommended by the corr
oner's jury that the grand jury. now
in session in this city, investigate into
this matter forthwith" Deputy War
den Cooley has the reputation of being
n of the best and most conscientious
men who nave ever been connected
with the Sioux Falls p~enitentiary in
an official capacity, and there is not
the slightest grounds for believing that
the grand jury will return AN indict-
ment against him.
White. owing to his extremely ugly
disposition, which led him on frequent
to create a reign of terror
among the other inmates of the prison,
as we'll as among the guards, would
probably ave met his fate long be-
fore he did had he been an inmate of
other prisons.
He vas entirely untamable. No 9TH
er prisoner in the institution caused so
much trouble as he. No Kin Of pun
ishment employed in the penitentiary
had the slightest effect upon him. TIE
dungeon and solitary confinement
subdued him only for the moment. He
was f~oul-mouthed in the extreme and
exceedingly dangerous to the guards
and his fellow prisoners.
Immediately prior to The fatal shot
being fired by Guard Frank Hogan,
White had defied the officers from his
cell and poured out upon them a tor
rem of foul abuse.
When Deputy Warden Cooley and
four guards entered the cell for the
purpose of Handwriting White and re-
moving him to the dungeon he made
a murderous assault upon the deputy
warden, and doubtless would have
killed him had Guard Hogan not fired
when he did.
Whites death, While regretted. was
the result of an accident. He was shot
in the thigh for the purpose of wound
ing him, but, as might not happen
again in a thousand cases where men
are shot in the fieshy part of the leg.
the bullet glanced and entered his
abdomen, causing his death.
In view of these facts the friends of
Deputy Warden Cooley are confident
that he will be fully eXonerated.