The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-02-23
Failed to Account For Bullet,
Which Passed Through Car
mack's Neck From Rear
On Stand Today.

Nashville, Feb. 23.-Sharp was on
the stand at the resumption of the
Cooper trial today. Sharp was more
cool than when examined yesterday.
Attorneys for the defense hope, II is
said. to straighten out points in re-
direct examination on which the wit
ness was confused in the cross-exam-
ination. The usual big crowd was
present.
As an eye witness to the street duel
In which Senator Edward Ward Car
mack lost his life, and in which Robin
Cooper was severely wounded, John
Sharp, in direct examination, told of
the details of the tragic affair as he
viewed them from the intersection of
Seventh avenue and Union street.
Only those intimate with the theory
OF the defense. and a few with whom
Sharp had discussed the affair immel
diately after it happened knew that
he was an eye witness. He admitted
that he had told several people that
afternoon what he had seen, but that
he had not discussed ii publicly, for
many reasons. His testimony. there
fore, caused quite a sensation.
He told In substance the same story
that Robin Cooper told He related
how Senator Carmack drew his pistol
and advanced toward Robin Cooper.
He related that Robin Cooper jumped
10 the sidewalk and Senator Carmack
stepped into the gutter. He told of
the first shot and how II was fired
how the second shot, after mere
fragment of irferval. followed the
first, and how Robin Cooper drew his
automatic gun and returned the fire.
He described the figure of Senator
Carmack as he stood with his left side
exposed and his gun and his eye di-
rected toward Robin Cooper. He
heard the first shot OF the automatic
the second and then saw the head of
Senator Carmack turn and his body
totter as the third and fuaa bullet
sped on its deadly mission.
| Sharp was on the stand for four
hours.
sharp POOR witness.
When court adjourned last night
in the midst of the cross-examination
of John ID. Sharp, the honors were
even between the state and the de-
Tense in the Cooper-Sharp trial for
the Staying of former United States
Senator Edward w. Carmack. Young
Robin Cooper, under a bitter cross
examination of nearly four hours.
held his own with ease.
John ID. Sharp told his story well |
under direct examination, and made !
a good impression. But he was
turned over to Attorney General Gar
ner. of Maury county, for cross-ex-
animation. His cross-examination is |
of the rapid fire order. John Sharp /
is man of high temper. and Garner
soon had him beside himself. He
contradicted himself on many minor
details. but never on the more i'm
portant particulars. Once he got on
dangerous ground. On direct ex-
animation, Sharp swore that he saw
the killing. and that "Carmack fell
after Robin Cooper had fred three
times"
One of the bullet wounds. a neces-
sarily fatal one. pierced the senator's
neck within one-sixteenth of an inen
OF the spinal cord and Came out
under his tongue "a sharp, svore
that Carmack was facing young
Cooper, aiming a revolver at him.
this wound would be impossible to
reconcile with the statement. On
cross-examination Sharp said, how
ever. that Carmack turned his head
just as the second shot was fired. He
did not explain how the senator could
turn his head far enough to permit
the ball to enter the median line OF
the neck en- a straight line. The state
pushel Sharp hard up to nearly D.
M, then asked that a continuance be
granted until today.
The examinatin of Sharp didn't last
long today. After he completed Dun
can Cooper was called to the stand
He declared he brought Carmack to
Nashville 10 become editorial writer
on his paper, and they remained
friends until four years ago, when
Carmack and Taylor were rivals for
the senatorship, Cooper supportingl
Taylor.