Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-19
judy IN cARMAcK MURDER
TRIAL GIVES PARTIAL vER-
Z -
pIcTsIN COURT.
SHARP GIVEN FREEDOM,
pIsAoREEs ON cooRERs
3ury Summoned to Court and Reports
s That Il 10 HopeIsssly Deadlocked on
Two 4 Principals in the Tennessee
asJary, Sent Back to Deliberate
n Fuvti,srs

q
today Judge Hart sent the sheriff to
ask the Cooper-s Sharp jury If it wished
40 report. Promptly word came back
khAt no. agreement had been reached.
The court considered moment and
said: r will bring in the jury any
how. Bring in -the defendants" There
was hustle and scurrying Of depu-
ties thru the corridors and defendants
entered. When the jury arrived it was
polled. Judge Hart said:
''IIave you reached verdict, gentle-
men n
I've are lopelessly tied as to the
Coopers.'' said Foreman Burke. but
we find John Sharp not guilty.
You will retire. gentlemen, and con-
slider. further as to the other defend
ants
The Judge then discharged Sharp
from custody. Sharp SAT- stolid and in
diftezent. but his wife came near
breaking down, SO great was her joy.
The jury returned to their room to
deliberate further.
A Remarkable Case.
The Compensatory trial, just COM
pleted, has been one OF the most re-
naarkable murder cases. In the. history
az the south, not only because Of che
prominence of the principals in the
tragedy. but because OF the reasons
that led to the killing.
~ . nj
ficer In the confederate army under
Forrest, and man very prominent in
democfa tito state politics, once lived at
Columbia Tenn. In that town also
resided Edward Ward Carmack, a
young lawyer, who also did some news
paper work. Cooper bought the Nash-
vile American and induced Carmack
ia. come to Nashville as its editor
whether the men ever were in thor
bugh accord, Is q disputed point. Car
mack, s friends say not. Colonel Coop
er swore on the stand that they were
close friends until Governor Taylor
opposed Carmack for reelection to the
senate. This fight was long and bitter.
Asfeature Of twas q series of joint de-
bates, and .CaFmack lost. Cooper sup
ported Taylor, but Robin, the boy who
killed the SENATOR. supported the lat
ter. e
Politics Back Of Trouble.
Malcolm r. Patterson was governor
OF the| state at the time Of the. Car
snack,Taylor fight, and he announced
his. candidacy for reelection. Carmack,
JuSt beaten for the senate. was urged
into the race for governor against
Patterson. This was last June, and the
fight between the men for the demo-
cratic nomination Tas the most spec
tacular ever seen in Tennessee. Again,
Joint debates were arranged, and again
the feeling between the factions grew
very bitter. In these debates, Cooper
charged that Carmack assailed the
scoloneps good name. Cooper was an
ardent Patterson man and the governor
of the state described him as my clos
est personal and political adviser"
Again Carmack lost, and month be-
fore the election, became editor of the
Nashville Tennessean. He had made
the race on the prohibition platform.
and while he did not get the nomina-
tion, he did secure enough representa-
stives to assure the passage Of the So
called statewide liquor bill.
IN the meantime, Governor Patter-
son and former Governor Cox, once
deadly enemies, were reconciled. The
Tennessean charged that Colonel Coop
er brought this reconciliation about,
and referred1to It in humorous and
sarcastic vein in its editorial columns.
Carmack also intimated that, to save
Governor Patterson, the democratic
leaders were preparing to trade Bryan
TOR the governship. Colonel Cooper was
chatting under the comment, and be-
coming more incensed every day. On
Sunday, Nov. 8, the day before the
killing an abusive editorial appeared
dn the Tennessean.
Colonel Cooper Incensed.
Colonel Cooper upon reading this
editorial. sent the famous message to
sCarmack: IF my name appears in the
Tennessean again, one of us must die"
The warning was delivered to Senator
Carmack by Ex-State Treasurer Craig,
Carmack said that Colonel Cooper's
threat had made cessation of the ed
itorials ible-that if the Tennes-
sean never again used Cooper's name,
the public would believe that the paper
had been lbluffed and it would lose
caste. So on Monday, Nov 9, the day
Of the killing, there appeared in the
Tennessean this editorial:
@The Diplomat Of the Sweibund."
.sTo Major Duncan Brown Cooper
who wrought the great coalition, who
achieved the harmonious confluence of
incompatible elements; who welded the
pewter handle to the wooden spoon;
who grated the dead bough to the liv-
ing tree and made it to bloom and
bourgeon and bend with golden fruit;
who made playmates Of the lamb and
the leopard and boon companions OF
the spider and the fly; who made soda
and vinegar to dwell placidly in the
same bottle and who taught oil and
water how they might agree-to Major
Duncan Brown Cooper, thes great dip
lomat of the political Sweibund be all
honor and glory forever"
What happened next is history. The
states witnesses said that Carmack
was shot down from behind, while he
was Ia the act of raising his hat to
.lady-Mrs. Eastman. The coopers
swear that they walked across the