Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-03-05

the defense in the Cooper-Sharp trial for
the murder of former Senator E. w.
Carmack is almost completed
This does not augur an early termina-
| ton, however. On the contrary, probably
the bitterest fight of the case Will come
| In the offering of rebuttal testimony.
The crowd this morning was smaller
than it has been any day since the case
began. The balcony was well filled, but
downstairs only a few seats were occu-
pied. The attorneys for the state were
in their seats early, but counsel for de-
tense went into conference just before
court was opened and remained away
until nearly 10 o'clock.
| Upon their arrival in court they called
] DR.. R. L. Thompson, a druggist. who
has a store at Church street and Eighth
! avenue, across the street from the Tulane
hotel and the Tennessean offices. Thomp-
| son was in his store the afternoon Of the
| tragedy and heard of it about five min
utes after it happened.
Saw Carmack Before Tragedy
did you see Senator Carmack before
! the tragedy?'
'He came into my store about ten min
utes before 1 heard he had been killed"
I What did he do?"
He bought a drink Of coca-cola and a
) cigar
| "Then what?'
"He left the store and went east on
I Church street towards Seventh"
! That's ALL"
1--WE may recall this witness for cross
examination, but excuse him now" said
| Attorney General aGrner.
Call w. NJ. Setter" said General
Washington. of defense.
] II wish to ask If Mr.. Setter has not
I 49,, l.. h., Ill 49,
Part of the time" said the witness.
''You did not hear DR.. Carpenter testify
! yesterday as to the noise made by the
discharge of a revolver?" said Judge An
| derson.
mo, sir"
The witness said he was assistant su-
| perintendent of the city workhouse and
was an expert on firearms. He had
carried a Colts automatic since they
! came out and declared that the bullets
fired from one were not steel-jacketed
but were covered with copper over the
lead and then with some hard compost
| tion. He said he could cut one of these
| bullets with knife, and did so.
That's ALL" said General Washing
ton.
J You are an expert on firearms and
know their mechanism inquired Gen.
| eral Garner, for the state
| II am
can you tell whether the cylinder of a
Smith & wesson 3S-caliber revolver can
be turned by the finger without pulling
the trigger"
Some can, some cannot"
'T hand you Senator Carmack's revol-
yer. Examine it and tell whether or not
| the cylinder can be revolved without pull
ing the trigger"
The witness experimental and said:
'It can be turned only by pulling the
trigger"
Testimony Contradicted
This fatty contradicts the testimony OF
S. j. Benning yesterday. who swore he
! saw Senator Carmack testing his revolver
a few minutes before the tragedy, by
whirling the cylinder with his finger
The witness showed the jury how rapid
ly an automatic revolver can be fired
and explained that black powder cart
ridges left a smoke. The defense said:
I'VE concede that Senator Carmack' S
gun was loaded with black powder"
do you concede that Col. Cooper's pis-
! toll was loaded with black powder. too?''
mot yet We may later"
! The witness was excused and W. S.
Morgan was sworn. He was In his room
| in the Polk apartments overlooking the
scene of the tragedy the afternoon of the
! killing. His rooms. however, wera not
on the Seventh avenue side and he could
not see the affair from his windows. He
heard the shooting and went to the front
/ of the building. He reached the court 10
| the apartments and met Mrs. Eastman.
! She was hysterical.
Quotes Mrs. Eastman
Did Mrs. Eastman tell you what Col.
Cooper said?'
/ Yes, sir. She told me Col. Cooper
/ said
/ 1--WE object" came from Attorney Gen
eral McCarn.
Did she say Col. Cooper said: That is