Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-03-26

/ Of course. all this refers to the Coopers
not Sharp, whom we had acquitted
Early this morning the man who was
| holdlng out Tor ten years agreed &c
! twenty years and the six who were vot-
ing for first degree verdict agreed to
| this verdictH''
! John Sharp hurried to the courthouse
when he heard of the verdict and was
soon closeted with the defendants and
thelr counsel. Mrs. Sharp was in court
when the jury reported and comforted
the two daughters of Col. Cooper with
her presence and sympathy.
John j. Greener signed for $4,000 on
each bond. Several others had been
sent for and telephoned that they would
come as quickly as automobiles would
bring them. In a few moments Walter
| balance.
Sign for $4,000 Bail
Il will sign for a million for these
men," he remarked. James E. Caldwell
later signed for So, 700 on each bond
and 81. B. Chadburn and C. w. Ander-
son for $500 each on each bond. This
makes the total bonds in both cases
$4,000, although only $4,000 was
asked
There will be no further proceeding in
the case for about a week.
Was Remarkable Case.
The Cooper-Sharp trial has been one
of the most remarkable murder cases in
the history of the south, not only be-
cause of the prominence of the principals
in the tragedy, but because of the rea-
sons that led TO the killing.
Col Cooper, a former officer in the
Confederate army under Forrest and a
man very prominent in Democratic
state politics. once lived at Columbia.
Tenn. In that town ALSO resided Ed
ward Ward Carmack, a young lawyer,
who also did some newspaper work.
and induced Carmack to come to Nash
vile as its editor. Whether the men
ever were in thorough accord. is a dis
puted point. Carmacks friends say
not Col. Cooper swore on the stand
that they were close friends until Gov
Taylor opposed Carmack for reelection
to the Senate. This fight was long and
bitter. A feature of it was a series of
joint debates, and Carmack lost Cooper
supported Taylor.
Malcolm r. Patterson was governor
of the state at the time of the Carmack
Taylor fight, and he announced his can
didacy for reelection. Carmack, just
beaten for the Senate, was urged into
the race for governor against Patterson.
This was last June and the fight be-
tween the men for the Democratic nom
ination was the most spectacular 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 colonefs good
name. Cooper was an ardent Patterson
mantle governor on the stand de-
scribed him as my closest personal and
political adviser" Again Carmack lost,
and a month before the election became
editor of the Nashville Tennesseean. He
q
platform, and while he did not get the
nomination, he did secure enough repre-
SentativeS to assure the passage of the
so-called statewide liquor bill.
Writes Scathing Editorials.
In the meantime Gov Patterson and
former Gov. Cox, once deadly enemies.
were reconciled The Tennessean
charged that Col. Cooper brought this
reconciliation about, and referred to it
in a humorous and sarcastic vein in its
editorial columns. Carmack also init
mated that, to save Gov. Patterson, the
Democratic leaders were preparing to
trade Bryan for the governorship. Col.
Cooper was chatting under the comment,
and becoming more incensed every day.
On Sunday, November s, the day before
the killing, a scathing editorial appeared
in The Tennesseean
By local self-government, Carmack
meant the fight against Prohibition. The
liquor interests, led by the governor, de
clared in favor Of local option and of
letting each community settle the saloon
question for itself
Col Cooper upon reading this editorial
sent the famous message to Carmack
IF my name appears in The Tennes-
seean again, one of us must die" The
warning was delivered to Senator Car
mack by ex-State Treasurer Craig. Car
mack said that Col. Cooper's threat had
do of
possible-that if The Tennesseean never
again used Cooper's name, the public
would believe that the paper had been
bluffed and it would lose caste.
So on Monday, November 9, the day of
the killing, there appeared in The Ten
nessean this editorial:
''The Diplomat of the Sweibund."
''To Maj. 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 living
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 was not simply for the purpose of
falling on somebody's neck or of having
somebody fall upon his. There are hon
ors and dignities and offices and substan-
tial rewards to be Observation-Disclosures
that go TO heal the hurt that honor
fees'-and these things were talked Of
and considered.
But, no doubt the main thing was
that Gov. Cox agreed to join himself
with Ban Murray, Dune Cooper and
Spared Hill and aid them in their bat
tie for the holy cause of local self gov
eminent taught oil and water how they
might agree-to Maj. Duncan Brown
| Cooper, the great diplomat of the po-
litical Sweibund, be all honor and glory
forever"
The Rest Is History.
What happened next is history. The
states witnesses say that Carmack was
shot down from behind, while he was
in the act of raising his nat to lady
Mrs. Eastman. The Coopers swear that
they walked across the street to reason
with Carmack and that he opened fire at
once, wounding Robin who, thereupon
and in selt-defanse fired the shots which
killed the editor.