The Pensacola journal., 1920-01-21
CONFESSION IN
COOLEY MURDER
Martin in Complete Breakdown
Gives Detailed Account
of Shooting.
REVENGE WAS MOTIVE
Police Officer Held Cooley While
George Evans Fired Shot,
According to Confession.

morning of the apprehension and ar
rest of the two men who, it is alleged.
killed George Cooley on the night of
December - was received with great
qualification by the citizens of Pensa-
cola who had been stirred by the
shooting down of the restaurant man
in the business section.
The arrests followed the confession
Of r. c. Martin. ex-mounted police Of
ficer. who IN a signed statement adj
mitted being an accOmplice in the
shooting The statement said that
George Evans, an Austrian, was the
man who did the shooting.
Martin was arrested on Jan. 10 by
Captain Harper and Officer O'Connell,
suspected of being implicated in the
shooting. Evans was arrested follow
ing the confession of Martin early yes
terday morning. He was taken by
Detective Moore. Chief Ellis. Joe john
son and Fred Schad
The sworn statement or the expo
liceman gave a detailed account of the
shooting and the events that led up
to the murder and the motive, revenge
in an affair involving a woman, for
killing Cooley. Martin admitted that
he held the restaurant man while
Evans, who had a grudge against
Cooley, did the shooting.
Evans persistenly denies that he did
the shooting and denied having had
anything to do with it. He claimed
that Martin was not telling the truth
in the statement, but that Martin and
a little soldier were the two who COM
mitted the murder. Evans made sew
eral conflicting statements both in re-
go ri TO the shooting aud as to his
Whereabouts the night of the murder.
He was suffering under great nervous
strain and appeared practically a ner-
vous wreck. The case against him is
so strong that confession is looked
for shortly.
Martin confessed in part to Joe
Johnson at the police station first and
said he was willing to make a detailed
sworn statement before Judge w. L.
Johnson This he did later. At first
Martin denied being in the restaurant
with Evans, but when confronted with
a statement from a witness who was
i'm the restaurant ct the time the trou-
Bile came up between Cooley and
Evans he admitted to having gone in
there He made several conflicting
statements to the police department
and when confronted with the truth
he broke down and confessed to John
son, Chief Ellis, DeLustro and Moore,
later making g. sworn confession.
Martin had been on the police force
only a few weeks before the shooting,
in the capacity Of mounted man. Re-
Gently his movements have been
watched as result of suspicious ac-
tions and was finally suspicioned as
being implicated in the murder. He
was relieved from the police depart
ment on Jan. Is, charged with being
negligent, and arrested on a technical
charge of the 10th.
Evans was arrested by Special Of
ficer Hall and Captain Harper the day
after the shooting and held for inves-
tfgation, later being transferred to the
county Jail on a charge of murder.
Evidence against the Austrian was
worked up by Hall and Harper, who
were fully convinced that he was gull
ty of the murder.
When taken TO the police station
following the murder the first word
from Evans was II did not kill Cooley"
This statement was made to Chief Ellis
before he had been asked a question
or before he had been told why he had
been placed under arrest.
The threats against the restaurant
man and the girl waitress made by
Evans were given to the coroner's jury
by the officers and other evidence was
given. This was not considered suf-
ficient on which to hold the man on a
charge of murder and he was ordered
released. During the inquest Officer
Martin was also brought before the
jury by Officer Hall and placed on the
stand While he was evidently under
a severe strain at the time and was
very nervous, the evidence against him
was not considered sufficient to hold
him Both these men were ordered re-
leased over the protest of Officer Han
and Captain Harper. the former insist
ing that Evans at least was one of the
guilty parties.
the officers continued working on the
theory first advanced and were Joined
in working up the case against Evans
and Martin by Detective Moore. who
was called in 10 assist in the case
It was not until aSter gruelling
questioning by Johnson and others that
Martins nerve broke down completely
and he made a partial confession.
Both men are now in the county jail
and one Of the most sensational mur-
der cases in the history of the city IS
being closed. Martins complete con-
fessiOn under oath is given on page
OF this mornings Journal and the cit
liens OF Pensacola are cOngratulating
the police department on the work OF
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