The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1909-02-21
FIRST WITNESS
FOR DEFENSE
HE SAID SENATOR cARMAck WAS
FIRST TO DRAW HIS PISTOL
AND FIRST TO SHOOT.
He Told an Entirely Different Story
from That Told by the States
Witnesses-Nashville Court
Room Crowded.

Nashville, Tenn, Feb. 20.-The ad-
Journment of a day seemed only to
whet the appetite of the curious pub
nc interest in the trial of Col Dun
can B. Cooper, Robin ]. Cooper, and
John d. Sharp.
When court opened today one OF the
largest crowds ever seen around the
Nashville court house awaited the ar
rival OF the deputies. One reason was
that it was rumored that Col Cooper
would be the first witness for the de-
tense.
Another story lad it that a mvster-
lous witness from Missouri who saw
the shooting and who had been threat
ened with death if he testified. would
appear for the state. AS the result
the deputies had no easy time in hand
ling the throng. Although the attor-
neys on both sides had promised to
be ready to proceed promptly this
morning, there was a tedious DELAY of
nearly an hour. Counsel for state an
peared first, then came Judge Ander-
son, who asked the further indulgence
OF the court for half an hour.
After considerable DELAY il was do
clded by the defense to put Robin
Cooper on the stand. He is the son
of Duncan Cooper and himself one of
the three charged with the murder of
Senator Carmack. He was on the
stand for long time and related the
story of the killing as he saw II. He
told of the movements of himself and
his father before the tragedy, said that
Senator Carmack was the first TO
shoot and gave other testimony in the
case
Young Cooper was told by the lead
ing attorney for the defense TO tell
his story of the killing. He said that
Senator Carmack fired twice, the first
bail going through his shoulder and
the second passing through his COAT
sleeve. He said that both of these
shots were fired by senator Carmack
before he fired the shot which killed
the editor.
Before going on the stand today
cooper was put under an X-ray in
order to determine whether or not the
bullet was still in his shoulder. He
testified that while lying in bed at
the hospital he found the bullet on a
sheet.
Young Cooper testified that when he
and his father left the office of Judge
Bradford on the afternoon of the kill
ing his father had consented that the
differences existing between himself
and Senator Carmack over the edi-
torials in The Tennesseean, Carmack's
paper, be amicably adjusted.
He stated that he and his father
We're on their way to Governor Pat
terson's mansion when his father dis
covered Senator Carmack coming up
the street. He told his son that he
desired to speak to the senator and
went up to him.
Young Cooper declared that he en-
deayored to persuade his father not
to go up to Senator Carmack, as he
feared trouble, but that he insisted
although he tried to pull his father
away Then It was that he said the
quarrel ensued and that Senator Car
mack fired twice before he fRobin
"COPPER" hfed upon him.
lhe testimony of young Cooper was
listened to with great interest by the
large crowd in the court room It diff
feped materially from the evidence of
the witnesses for the state who saw
the tragedy especially that of Mrs.
Eastman, with whom Senator Car
mack was talking when he was shot
down