The Pensacola journal., 1920-01-21
CONFESSION OF
OFFICER MARTIN
MOUNTED OFFICER TELLS HOW |
COOLEY WAS KILLED By HIMSELF
AND EVANS.

County or EScampla
Before Hon. w. L. Johnson,
IN Re
Confession of r. c. Martin.
O. What are your initials?
a. r.. 6.
O You have not been threatened or
offered anything to make this state
ment have you?
Q. Making this statement of your
own free viii?
A. Yes sir, my own free will.
O. Now I might state anything you
may say before court will be used
against you either before the grane
jury or a higher court. Now if you
want to m AXE this statement just tell
everything you want to say
A. The first starting of Dago
George, he had been trying to get me
all tn time to do away with this
party, M. Cooley, and the lady
Leona Cooley, he wanted to do away
with her too, If Mr.. Cooley didn't leave
her alone. He had been to my place
several fferent times, asking me
about it. He was crazy about this
woman, crazy in love with this woman
that's all there was to It. He said
this man Cooley taken her away from
him and then he tried to get me to do
something with Mr.. Cooley, he offered
me money wanted to give me money
to help hin do that. He said If Mr..
Cooley didn't leave her alone he was
going to kill the pair of them. ] traded
guns with Dago George, it was 50
Iver Johnson, is my best recollection.
lie gave me $1,000 and d shot gun for
it. / never have got the shot gsrsa, he
said could get the shot guzf any time
wanted 1t. l bougata quarters
worth of 50 cartrid Ees, at Wilson &
Biggs; 1 gave tfem to Dago George,
-s1fesiess .sssS.esle twelve cartridges. The next
thing, went to Mr.. Cooley's store sew
eral differ ent times, / was in there
with him on the time Mr.. Cooley and
him had some words, 1t was on the
23rd Of December, 1919; Mr.. Cooley
served me and turned around and
served some other gentleman, l don't
know who the gentleman was. And
when he came back 1 told him to give
this man something and he refused,
said he didn't want this man in his
place, and ordered this man out of his
place. So we got up and went out and
this man, Dago George said me no
make no trouble about the woman"
and he spoke so fast in Latin / could
not unders tand what he said. He got
outside and he said me killee the
pair" / never seen him no more until
the next morning. the gath, at his
house, ano he told me if l would go
with him lie would pay me to do away
with Mr.. Cooley. l never seen him
no more until the night of the 27th of
December. When 1 saw him / was in
bed asleep and he woke me up, it was
about five minutes after ten. We got
-,
when he came in he wanted me to get
ZIP and go with him, up the street and
help him to do away with MIR. Cooley.
/ got up tnen and went up the street
with him, 10 Romano street. The first
time 1 seen Mr.. Cooley that night was
on the corner of Palafox and Gov
ernment; we was watching for Cooley,
George was the first one seen Mr.
Cooley, so I stood there on the corner
of Palafox and Government, on the
square side; / went west on Govern
ment to Baylen, turned north to Ro-
mana. Da 20 George went up Palafox
to Intendencia and turned Intendencia
TO Baylen, and 1 was-he turned
south on Baylen and was standing in
front OF Goldring's botsing works.
Then we, me and Dago George went
north to Romano street. / turned
west went DGIiuQ the W. " F. Dullu-
ing. stood behind a box that was there,
George went by the telegraph post or
light post or whatever It was. Mr..
Cooley passed, / walked out behind
him, Just as / catches a hold of Mr..
Cooley. George shoots him. time the
gun fired the lights were turned at
Mr.. Pou's stable. George went west,
on Romano street, and 1 went by the
w. o. w. building and came around
on Baylen street, and went back to the
station, the police station, came into
the back way, / went on foot. When
I got to the police station the tele-
phone rang and said there was a
shooting on Romano street. and in a
second the telephone rang again and
said man was holiering murder over
there: l vent out and went to this
place. When 1 get there the son. that
works for dr Pou. a darkey. came out
and told me that Mr.. Pou wanted to
speak to me. So when / came back
Capt. Harper and Johnny Humphries
were talking this party. Mr. Cooley,
they was loading him into the ambu-
lance to Gerry him to the hospital II
never seen Dago George until the next
morning. He says l am in a lot of
trouble. And the next time 1 seen him
he was in the city Jail.
on Sunday, the 18th of January,
Dago George told me. he said Il am
certainly clad that you swore what
you did for me. and kept me out of a
lot Of trouble"
q. BY Judge Johnson: Mr.. Martin,
why didn't you make a clean state
ment Of everything that happened, q
statement ike you have just made at
the corone-'s inquest?
A. I was scared he would kill me.
Dago George.
Q. You were afraid he would kin
you2
a. Yes sir. I am afraid of him, he
would slip up behind you and kill you.