The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1906-03-16
Report on Cooper Case-FoUnd
no Evidence TO Exeulpa'e
Cooper or Fix the Crime
Upon Any Other Person
Assert That Crime is on The
Decrease in DeSofo County.

We, the Grand Jury, being duly
sworn to diligently inquire and true
presentment make, beg leave to re-
port We have carefully inquired
into and examined all the Witnesses
that have come before our body and
have found indictments against AL
parties violating the law wherein the
evidence set before Us was sufficient
TO indict
We are glad to report 10 your Hon.
or that we fud crime in DeSJto
County, State OF Florida, on decrease.
We learn tins from the witnesses ex-
amIued.
We beg leave 20 further to report
that upon reporting 20 the Court on
last Friday we stated Co the Court in
our General Presentment that we he'd
again examined witnesses to ascor
any evidence that would tend in any
manner to eXculpate |. +. Cooper,
who was convicted three years ago
for the murder of j. III. Bowman, or
that would warrant us in indicting
any other party or parties as prin-
cipal or accessory to said murder,
and that as a result OF our investiga.
tions we found nothing exculpating
Cooper or nothing that would war;
rant us in indicting anv other person
for said murder. WheTeupon your
Honor instructed us that inasmuch
az the Governor had advised that he
had stayed the execution of Cooper
in order that the Grand Jury at this
term of the Court might make
further and more compile investiga-
ton OF the matter, your Honor in.
structed US to return to our rooms
and make a full and more complete
report as to the Cooper case, and
upon request of Mr.. j. w. Brady,
your Honor instructed the Clerk TO
summons every witness that he, Mr..
Brady, desired to testify before our
body relative to the killing of j. II.
Bowman. We thereupon had sum.
mons issued for eighty eight Witness
es; the names of thirty nine of said
witnesses being furnished by Mr..
Brady, and all of whom were sums
moned before our body to testify
Several witnesses live beyond the
Jurisdiction of this Court and and did
not appear. Out of said number
furnished by Mr.. Brady, twenty two
testified before our body, fourteen in
the presence of Mr.. Brady and eight
we're examined after he had with.
drawn from the Grand Jury room.
At the request Of Mr.. Brady we
permitted him to come before our
body and examine as many of his wit
nesses as he saw fit. He examined
only fourteen and stated that he
didn 7 care to examine any more. We
then thought it wise to have all
witnesses that he had on the ground
testify, SO that We could ascertain
whether or not they knew any ma
terial facts az TO the assassination of
Bowman.
We also turned over TO Mr., Brady
all the documentary evidence sent
us by Governor Broward and gave
him permission TO present TO us any
evidence in the form of affidavits OF
oral testimony that he desired or
knew Of that would in any wise tend
to clear up the matter under Investi-
CATION.
We have lett no stone unturned in
our investigation. We have spared
nsither time nor money, and we beg
leave TO report that we have not
found anything to warrant us in in~
dieting any other person for said
murder, neither have we found any
thing exculpating |. K Cooper. In
short, we leave the case just where
we found 10.
We request yonr Honor to direct
the Clerk that in case any witnesses
who have been supoenaed sppearlater
that your Honor direct the Clerk
Of the Ciruit Court TO take their
affidavIts as TO whether or not they
know anything relative 70 the killing
Of II. Bowman
We beg leave TO further report
that we have had all the testimony
in the investigation OF the murder OF