The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-03-08
SENTENCED TO DIE.
Jasper County Men Convicted of Muir
der of W. ID. Thomas.

mercy, was the verdict returned here
tonight against Aleas Cooler and Will
Davis, white men, tried on the
charge of numbering w. D. Thomas,
a woods rider for the Okeetee hunt
ing club.
Judge Ernest Moore sentenced
Cooler and Davis to be electrocuted
at Columbia on April 6, after refusing
the defendants a new trial. The case
will be taken to the supreme court
on appeal, it is understood.
The case was given to the jury at
o'clock this afternoon and the ver-
dict was returned at $50 tonight.
The convicted men appeared to re-
ceive the verdict calmly, but their
wives, who were in court when the
jury reported it's findings, broke
down and sobbed.
Feeling among the friends of Cool
er and Davis and their alleged victim
is still very high here. About twen-
ty special deputies have been sworn
in and are guarding the Jail in
which the prisoners are confined. So
far no attempt at violence in any
manner has been made and the au-
thorities are using every precaution
possible to prevent trouble.
Cooler is about thirty-fve years of
age, married and has seven children.
Davis, the other defendant, is twenty
nine, has a wife, but no children, hav-
ing only been married a few months
Mrs. Davis is a first cousin of her
husbands co-defendant. Thomas,
the deceased in the case, was sixty
three years old and left wife and
eight children.
Probably the State has never had
another trial where the circum-
stances were exactly as they were in
this case. Each defendant and his
counsel endeavored to fasten. the
guilt upon the other defendant.
The most sensational testimony
was given by the thirteen-year-old
son of Cooler. The lad testified that
he was with the two defendants when
Thomas was killed, that two shots
were fired; that he heard, but did
not see who fired the first shot, but
that he saw Davis fire the second
shot.
Cooler, a defendant and the boys
father, stated on the stand that his
son told the truth, but that Davis
fired both shots. Davis denied that
he was with Cooler and the latter's
son when Thomas was killed.
The tragedy occurred on Decem-
ber 20 last, on the land of the Okee-
tee club, the prosecution alleging
that the defendants were trespassing
on the clubs hunting preserves when
they were discovered by Thomas.
The jury had been together since
Thursday. when the trial was begun,
and when they filed out of the court
room to deliberate this afternoon they
had a very determined and tired look
upon their faces.
At last nights session of court
Cooler was subjected to most Sc
we're cross-examination by former
Senator S. G. Mayfeld, of Bamberg,
who was assisting in the prosecution,
but Cooler gave the same testimony
that he gave on direct examination.
1t was brought out that Cooler and
Thomas had at previous times been
in difficulties, and even that they had
had a shooting and cutting scrape.
Many other witnesses were intro
duced to show of this i'll feeling, and
some even testified that Thomas had
told them he would leave Cooler in
the woods if he ever found him on
the Okeetee club land hunting.
About II o'clock last night both
the defendants and the State had
rested, and court was adjourned un-
til 9 o'clock this morning, when ar
guments by counsel we're begun. The
court allowed five hours for the two
defendants attorneys and two hours
for the States attorneys. Seven ar
guments were made in this case,
ranging from fifteen minutes to one
hour. The speeches at times brought
tears and at other times laughter
from the crowd which packed the
court room to its utmost capacity.
Each Defendant Accused Other.
This case developed into three
cornered fight, each defendant claim
ing the other did the shooting. The
States attorneys asked for the con-
viction of both defendants; Coolers
attorneys for the conviction of Davis,
and Daviss attorneys for the convic-