The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-02-26


nation Gen. Garner was quiet and con
siderate in his handling OF the wit
ness. and his questions were so wen
taken that only one objection 70 them
was sustained By the court through
the afternoon. While he was quiet
and considerate, the witness. after the
hrst few minutes. was decidedly IN
comfortable. In less than an hour
the cold sweat was running from IN
der his ewes. He was licking his lips,
and was twisting and squirming in
his chair. turning first one way and
then the other, hitching his chair back
on its hind legs, swinging his legs
over the arm of the chair, nervously
fumbling about with his hands, and
betraying his perturbation in every
move
Before the cross examination was
over he became afraid to answer a
question. He attempted 10 dodge and
,evade all that were asked him, but
the attorney always quietly insisted
on an answer to the question asked,
and usually, after repeated trials, was
able 10 hold the witness down to some
definite statement.
On the defendants side of the court
room the lawyers showed by their
faces that they were deeply worried,
as they saw the carefully constructed
story picked TO pieces without mercy.
John sharp did not have the cool
calm. wellbalanced poise that char
acterized Robin Cooper but no one
could have withstood the fire of ques-
Itions that were directed at him by the
attorney. The story was too weak TO
hold water, and when Ave O'Clock
came it was gaping in every joint
At that point Gen Garner stated tha'
he desired to open on new line OF
, questions, and that as the hour was
late, he suggested an adjournment
r until this morning The court acted
J favorably on the suggestion.
; When Sharp took the stand ne tolo
+ his story of the killing, denying al
participation in or previous knowledge
of it, but it developed that he was ar
, eve witness. and he gave much testl
!, monv for the Coopers, telling Ions
A and complete story. His story wa
first told to his own attorney, and n
! had no trouble with it at that time.
But Monday afternoon he met MI
Waterloo in the shape Of a masterl!
cross examination from Gen. J. B. Gar
ner, who broke the fragile story int
!. little bits, tore the shreds of the stor.
: apart from each other.
In fact. it may be said that MI
l. Sharp told two stories, so differen
g were his statements on direct exam
= nation by Gen. NJ. H. Meeks AM
! cross examination by Gen. Garner. Il
a both cases he denied all participation
in or knowledge of any plan to XII
Senator Carmack, and he told tn
same story Of his movements up I'll
the time he left the Coopers at tn
corner Of Seventh avenue and Unioi
streets to both attorneys, However
{ from that point on he is involved i
hopeless and inextricable confusion
and at the close of his examination
there was only one point in whlc
they we're alike. Both stories still
contradicted every other witness tina
II they came in contact with. includin
. each other
1t The contradictions between the ste
N rie swere made more glaring becaus
10 of the fact that Gen. McCarn, in nj
e, cross examination of Robin Cooper
le confined himself to having the defend
b ant go over his statment again. ant
n even aided the witness in impressin
r. some parts of it more clearly upon tn
jury.
a. Then, with the story of Robin Coop
% er fresh in their minds. John d
'e Sharp took the stand at 11:30 O'Clock
ana lot al IlOul anu d HoALg uhuSl w.
u direction of Gen Meeks, told nj
n story It was a strange story in man.
d ways a patchwork sort OF story, tina
e first agreed with the story Of thu
n Coopers and also explained as far a
'e possible, the statement OF John Sharl
4 to Miss Skeflngton. 1t was stor!
8 that presented many weaknesses, de
II nying the testimony of Carey A. Foil
8. as to the remarks made on the corner
70 and the statement of Miss Skefingtol
= that he said to her, It's Col, Dun'
IS Cooper killing Senator Carmack.'
r He was only able to account foi
IS this very damaging statement to he
by declaring that he began to fea
" trouble after he left the corner, anC
o took one glance back, and in this
l. glance he took In the whole scene anc