Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1909-03-19
JURY ACQUITTED SHARP
BUT CANNOT AGREE
ABOUT C0OPERS
Report TO Judge Hart That
They Are Hopelessly
Tied UP In the
Case.
SHARP'S BROTHER SAYS
CASE IS NOT ENDED
lntlmdteS to Friends That More
Will Follow History of
the Famous Case
Ended at.
Nashville.

Nashville, Tenn, March 19.-"We
are hopelessly tried up as to the
Coopers, but we find John Sharp not
guilty."
This was the response of Foreman
Burke of the jury in the Cooper.
Sharp murder trial shortly after noon
today when Judge Hart called the
jurors before him and asked il they
had reached a verdict. The Judge
thereupon ordered the jury back to
consider further as to the Coppers
and directed that Sharp be released
from custody.
Sharp set stolid, Indifferent, during
the proceedings. Not so his wife.
When she grasped the significance of
the verdict her eyes filled with tears
and she seemed about to break down.
Her sister soothed her, as did the
daughters of Colonel Cooper, who,
with tears glistening in their eyes,
congratulated her.
Court adjourned until 1880 p. m.
As he left the court room, Reid Sharp
the youngest brother of John, re-
marked to some friends: A
This is not the end of this case:
The Cooper Sharp trial just com
pleted, has been one of the most re-
markable murder cases in the history
of the south, not only because of the
prominence of the principals in the
tragedy, but because of the reasons
that led to the killing.
Colonel Duncan B. Cooper, a for
mer officer in the Confederate army
under Forrest, and man very prom
lnent in Democratic state politics,
once lived i'm Columbia, Tenn. In that
town also resided Edward Ward Car
mack. a young lawyer who also did
some newspaper work. Cooper bought
the Nashville American and Induced
Carmack to come to Nashville as its
editor. Whether the men ever were
in thorough accord is disputed
point. Carmacks friends say not
Colonel Cooper swore on the stand
that they were clo'a friends until
Governor Taylor opposed Carmack
for reelection to the senate This
fight was long and bitter. A feat
ire Of il was a series of joint de-
bates and Carmack lost. Cooper sup
ported Taylor. but Robin, the boy,
who killed the senator. supported the
latter.
Malcolm r. Patterson was gov
crnor of the state at the time of the
Carmack Taylor fight and he an
uounced his candidacy for recollection,
Carmack, just beaten for the SEN
ate was urged into the race for
governor against Patterson This
was last June and the fight between
the men for the Democratic nomina-
ton was the most spectacular ever
seen i'm Tennessee. Again, joint de
bates were arranged and again the
feeling between the factions grew
very bitter, In these debates, Cooper
charged that Carmack assailed the
coloners good name. Cooper was an
ardent Pattelton man-the governor
on the stand described him as my
closest personal and political adviser"
Again Carmack lost. and a month be-
fore the election became editor of the
Nashville Tennesseean. He had made
the race on the prohibition platform
and while he did not get the nomina-
ton, he did secure enough represent
atives to assure the passage of the
So allied state wide liquor bill.
In the me9ntime Governor Patter-
son and former Governor Cox. once
deadly enemies. were reconciled The
Nennessean charged that Colonel
Cooper brought this reconciliation
about, and referred to it in a humor-
Gus and sarcastic vein i'm it's editorial
columns. Carmack also intimated
that, to save Governor Patterson. the
d mocratc leader Rere preparing
to trade Bryan for the gCvornorship.
Colonel c roper was ctafing under the
comment, and becoming more in
censed every day on Sunday, No
vember s, the day before the killing.
the following editorial appeared iu
the Tennessean:
ACROSS THE MUDDY CHASNI."
I'VE trust there will be no unseen
ly :ibaldry on The part of the base
"u'"ar concerning tn, happy reunion
Of 'ong sunderad hearts Which was
accomplished in the j'yAus rCCuncil-
iation OF His Excellency, Hon. NJ r..
Patterson and His Excellency, Hon.
John Isaac Cox, All honor to this
happy reunion of congeEial and con
huNible spirits separated by evil fates
although both for each other. All
h.r,r O., ntfur -