The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-02-25
EXCITING DAY IN
COOPER TRIAL
STATE ON CROSS EXAMINATION
Offers TO PROVE col.
CooPER DEFAULTER.
WHEN COUNTY CLERK
OF Mauri County, Tenn, He Misused
100000, Assisted by M. r.
Polk in Early Sos
The Editorials.

Nashville Feb. "a After a day rf-
plete with exciting incidents. and in
teresting DEVELOPMENTS. the session
Of the Cooper Sharpe trial for the
murder Of former Senator Carmaek
cioseI with Colonel Cooper still upt II
the stand. The direct examination of
the Colonel which began early yestar-
day morning lasted until nearly on
today
Almost the first thing the state did
on crcss-examination was TO an
nounce that II would try to prove
that Colonel Cooper was defaulter
to the extent of over 100000 while
clerk and master in chaneery or
Mauri county
This ~ eipitated bitter fight and
tie state winning a partial victory
stfaightway sprang another surprise
1t resurrected some old legislative
records concerning an investigation
into the defaleatiOn of State Treas
'urer NJ T. Polk in the early SOS. IL
offered to prove that thousands of
dollars of the states money was in
vested by Polk with Cooper aud
others in Mexican silver mine
scheme. a walnut log scheme in
North Carolina. and scheme 70 tuy
the Nashville American.
Cooper admitted that there W re
Irregularities i'm his Office of clerk
and master in chancery, but said they
were due to bad management and
poor bookkeeping and that every del
lar was made good
He admitted that Polk was his
partner In the ventures named, but
declares that he Cooper nayer
handled a dollar ~ the money and
had no knowledge that It was taken
from the states strGngbox
Cooper's cross-examnation today
reached only the commencement OF
the trouble between him and Car
mack. the early editorials. Tomorrow
the state should reach the actual kill
ing.
The Fatefu Editorials.
The entire time Yesterday was oc-
cupied by the defense with Colonel
Cooper own counsel questioning him.
and when court adjourned they init
mated they were about half through
They had taken him over trouble,
commencing four years ago and
brought him down to start from his
sons office to the governors man
sion. II was during this walk that
the senator was killed.
Colonel Cooper made an excellent
witness He appeared very cool, col
lecteI and almost dsinterested. The
only time he showed any emotion
was when his counsel was reading
the editorials which led up to the
killing
The editorial OF Sunday November
8. the day before the killing, was
read BY Judge Anderson. This was
the one entitled Across the Muddy
Chasm."
Before Judge Anderson began TO
read. General Washington asked Col
onel Cooper il he was at that tine
private citizen.
Il was and stlll am" said Colonel
Cooper.
Senator Carmack was not then
running for any Officer
NO. sir"
As Judge Anderson read the edi-
torial he sat on the side of the table
of counsel for defense. facing the
Jury gave close attention TO the
Jury gave closer attention to the
reading Of this noted product from
the pen OF dead senator, which came
the day preceding his death.
Counsel for defense then Indicated
2 desire to read one OF the following
dav. Monday. November .. entitled
The Diplomat of the Zwiebund ="
! This editorial appearing on the morn
| ing of the day of the killing, was
real by Judge Andersen.
Please state. Colonel Cooper. II
you read all the editorials in the Ten
nessean before this killing" said Gen
eral Washington.
Il did"
"Had YOU read the one Of Sunday.
November s when you had the con
versation with Mr.. Craig"
| Il had
"Had you read the editorial of Nc
tvpmber when YOU hal the confer
ence in Mr. Eradfords Offices
Il had-at the Watauga club.
At this point General Washin ston
said they had just got TO priut
where they could stop; that he had
Ito go to the supreme court TO collect
q Judgment aI.i he requested an All
iournment. This was at l2;l5. Jaise
lTIart agreed TO the Adjournment