The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-12-25
SHARP KNEW OF
cOOPER'S CRIME
..,s,sE HEARD SHOTS he TOLD
,,0TNEss DUNG WAS KILL
ING cARMAcK.
If HAD ALSO EXPRESSED MALICE
s,,oro Testimony Against Assassins
A5aJoeo at Yesterday After
noon Session.

NASHVILLE. Tenn, Dec. ga
= no afternoon session of the Crimina
j. nourt Yesterday Judge Hart contin
h nod the bearing of proof on the ap
i 0Bcation of Dune and Robin Cooper
q and John D. Sharpe for release from
,si on bond. Fifteen witnesses were
examined and much important evil
dence was brought out.
The most notable Of this new test.
W mony that was brought out by the de.
tense, much to their disappointment,
we're the statements of Miss Mary
skefington, state librarian; and Carey
A. Folk, and some additional points
IN Mrs Eastman's story of the tragedy
that we're only developed by the pains
taking efforts of the defense.
Miss Skefington's testimony was of
startling nature, relating especially
to the connection of John d. Sharpe
with the case, but pointing with equal
clearness and certainty to the fact
that the whole assassination was care
fully planned. She stated that she
was walking down Seventh avenue, on
the east side, and had reached a point
IN front of the Lea home when she
heard the shots and met Mr.. Sharpe
coming towarde her She asked what
the noise was.
Shooting" he said.
Who's shooting?" she asked.
- Visibly nervous, General Washing
ton said, sharply: well, what was
bis reply?"
It's Colonel Dune Cooper killing
Senator Carmack."
Miss Skef1ngton further stated that,
without her invitation, Mr.. Sharpe
turned and walked with her across
the street and down to the entrance
Of the Polk Flats, where he left her
and went down to the body. He re-
turned in a short while, and she asked |
him if he was not testing. He replied |
that he was not, and said: He's
dead"
General Washington made strong
effort to shake Miss Skeflngton's |
memory as to the testimony, but she
stated that she was positive as to the
words uttered, and every effort to
destroy the effect Of the evidence was
trutless.
Carey A. Folk was another witness
who told story that caused a sensa-
ton in the courtroom. He stated
that he was walking west on Union
street, on the north side OF the street,
when he passed Colonel Cooper, who
was walking in the same direction as
himself. There were two men stand
ing on the corne rof the street, one OF
whom he afterwards recognized from
the pictures in the papers as Robin :
Cooper, and Colonel Cooper was twen- !
ty or twenty-five feet from them, walk !,
ing toward them. E,
Robin Cooper, nodding toward the
north with his head, said, in sub :,
stance: Are you going up this way?" =
Colonel Cooper replied: mo; I'll :.
wait a while yet"
This was about two minutes before
the shooting.
In desperate effort to destroy the
force of this testimony, the defense /
tried to show that the reason Colonel
Cooper promised to wait was that the
climbing If the grade up Union street
had tired him out, and that his re-
mark meant that he couldn't go north n
until he got to Vine street. F
There was also an attempt to dis. h
credit the testimony because Mr.. Folk b
mad not spoken of 1t to the reporters tt
on the night of the tragedy. but Mr.. IL
Folk explained that he had thought 1t G.
best not to have this evidence pub tt