The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-11-26
BEFORE COURT
IN TENNESSEE.
NPH0LD ARMS OF JUSTICE
"When the Men Did Come To-
gether All of Them Were Arm
ed," CommerciAl-Appeal.

Duncan B. Cooper, his son, Robin J.
Cooper, and John ID. Sharp, have been
indicted on a charge of murder in the
first degree.
The father and son are charged with
shooting Ex-senator Carmack to death.
Sharp is charged with maliciously
moving, melting, counseling, hiring,
commanding and procuring Duncan B.
Cooper and Robin Cooper to do the
murder.
The tragedy in which Senator Car
mack lost his life has created a tre-
mendous and profound sensation
throughout the nation.
1t was unexpected and unlocked for
and it was therefore, the more shock
ing.
Partisan politicians, partisan editors,
men moved by personal likes and dis
likes, friends of the dead, friends of the
living men quickly moved to excite
ment in this state, are trying the case
before the court of public opinion.
The verdict of these men in the end
will be made up to accord with their
alignments or their first impulses.
The friends of Cooper say that he was
goaded to desperation under the merci-
less fire of the dead EDITORS sarcasm;
that when he saw Senator Carmack he
sought to talk with him and that a
street fight ensued. Other friends of
Cooper said that when he accosted Mr.
CarmaclI the latter replied with pis-
tol shot.
Friends of Senator Carmack say that
his death was the result of conspiracy
to take his life. They say that father
and son, ascertaining that it was the
senator's daily custom to walk along Il
certain street, meet him there, open
fire upon him, and that the senator's
quickness alone saved him from being
murdered without getting chance of
attempting to shoot at his slayers.
These close friends of the Coopers,
who were the enemies of Carmack,
claim that the Coopers were on a mis-
sion of peace which ended in an un,
lool<ed-for collision.
Those close friends of Carmack in
Nashville, who are Cooper's enemies,
say the coopers started out on ajourney
bent upon assassination.
Others say it was street fight the
elimination Of bitterness of feeling be
tween two men, into which the son o.
one ofthe principals entered.
Employees of the paper of which
Senator Carmack was editor, say they
were apprehensive that there would b.
trouble, and they urged the senator tC
arm himself.
Friends of Cooper say they were also
apprehensive of trouble, and they urg
ed Cooper not to provoke persona
difficulty and to avoid all occasion
from which a personal difficulty nigh
arise.
The friends of Senator Carmack ant
the Coopers, while urging peace o
suggesting the danger of difficulty
evidently had little thought that
tragedy was so nearly imminent,
they had not so thought, some of tn
associates of Senator Carmack--thos
who suggested that he arm himself
would have been with him at the tim
of the meeting, and the friends of CooT
er, had they been more than remotel
fearful of a collision, surely would hav
taken such action as would have pre-
vented it.
These facts remain undisputed: Whe
the men did come together all of ther
were armed, one was killed, one wa
wounded. One is dead, the son lie
guarded in Il hospital, the father is i
Jail, charged with murder, and Shar
is in Jail, charged with aiding and abe
ting the crime.