New-York tribune., 1909-02-25
ACCUSE COL. COOPER
OLD CHARGES REVIVED.
EmBez4Iement of S10O.0O0 Alleged
at Trial in Nashville.

Nashville Tenn. Feb. 24.-Charges Of sensa-
tionaI nature against Colonel Duncan B. Cooper
we're made at the Carmack murder trial To-Day
when Captain Fitzhugh. for the state. began the
cross-examination.
After the jury. had been ordered 10 retlre ZAP
tain Fitzhugh said:
We propose to show that this defendant. Colonel
D. B. Cooper. is a defaulter and embezzler to
the extent Of over 100000 We propose 10 prove
this beyond doubt and thus TO show to the jury
Just how much credit they should place in his
words We propose to go further and prove by
court records his brothers came into court
and admitted that the defendant is defaulter
We propose TO show that he embezzled from
estates from widows and orphans. from the county
and from the state and from the very records kept
by him prove It.
But there is a further for this question
We have heard of the coloners deep sense Of honor
how stung he was by few sarcastic editorials But
we will show that he was openly accused OF en-
bezzlement, yet he never said the town was not
big enough for him and for the men who made the
charges"
ATTORNEY General NcCarn followed Fftzhugh and
declared that they would carry these dishonest
transactions from 1883 down 10 1915 and that they
not too remote.
Captain Fftzhugh began the cross examination
by introducing bonds executed by Colonel Cooper
in 1870 as clerk and master in chancery Of Maury
County. This followed by a bitter hght
MONEY LOST IN SCHEMES?
way sprung another surprise 1t resurrected some
old legislative records concerning an investigation
into the defacation Of State Treasurer NJ T Polk
in the early sos. 1t offered to prove that thou
sands Of dollars of the states money was in
vested by Polk with Colonel Cooper and others
in a Mexican silver mine scheme. walnut log
scheme IN North Carolina, and scheme to buy
The Nashville American
Colonel Cooper admitted that there we're irregu-
larities in his Office of clerk and master in chan
cerv but said they due to bad management
and poor bookkeeping and that every dollar was
made good. They were paid by Edward Cooper. MS
brother one OF the sureties. He admitted that POLK
was first partner in the ventures named, but de-
cIared that he himself never handled dollar OF the
money and had no knowledge that IL vas taken
from the states strong box
Colonel Cooper repeatedly urged his attorney to
Iet the state ask any question on any subject,
and at times he answered over his own attorneys
objections. Now and then he displayed great heat,
but he did not contradict himself os any point
ROBIN COOPER CoRROBoRATED.
When court opened General Washington took up
the direct examination Of Colonel Cooper and rap
idly led him up to the actual killing OF Carmack
The witness corroborated the story told by Robin
Cooper in practically every detail He said that
when he saw Carmack he was seized with sud
den impulse 10 go over and talk 10 him When hve
or six feet from the curb he called Carmack
name. Carmack Immediately drew his revolver and
AT the same instant pulled Mrs. Charles H East
man with whom he was walking, in front " him.
50 that the woman stood between Caf-nacls and
the Coopers.
Cooper swore that he did not have his revolver
drawn at the time and although he took it from
his pocket a moment later, he did not fire single
shot as he saw Carmack lying in the gutter
wounded by the shots Robin Cooper had fred
Colonel Carrlack will probably be on the stand
all day tomorrow.
Late this afternoon. after the charges made by
C,aptain F4tzhugh had thrashed out at length.
the state reverted the Sunday before the killing:
hid Won tell Mr. Craig 70 tell Carmack that your
name must not appear in The Tennesseean again,
and II il did he YOU must die?
No. sir. - -. l.. .
big enough for both OF Us!
Did YOU mean it, was it bluff?
"A FIGHTING BODY"
? -,.ac+ II have always believed that a man
Who has fighting tongue should keep fighting
body
%o sir I did But the man who wrote those
editorials had hghting tongue. I meant 10 90 TO
Senator Carrack TO tell him that unless the at
tarks ceased would expose his public and private
sffafrs and then I do not believe the town would
ne mig enough for both of US
The witness was asked II he put any money in
THE lancet a weekly paper. He said he had
rot. but was an advisor Of it Then he was called