The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-01-22
CONFESSION OF
OFFICER MARTIN
MOUNTED OFFICER TELLS HOW
COOLEY WAS KILLED BIZ HIMSELF
AND EVANS.

:
state Of Florida.
County OF Escambia-
Before Hon. w. l.. Johnson,
In Re
Confession of r. c. Martin
@. What are your initials?
A. r. c.
O. You have not been threatened or
offered anything to make this state
ment have you?
@. Making this statement or your
own free WHIP
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 grand
jury or a higher court. Now if you
want TO make 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, Mr. 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 different 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 him 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 81
Iver Johnson, is my best recollection.
He gave me $1,000 and a shot gun for
fo Gh cir
said I could get the shot gun any time
/ wanted it. / bought a quarters
worth of 50 cartridges, at Wilson &
Biggs; l gave them TO Dago George,
there were twelve cartridges. The next
thing I went to Mr.. Cooleys store sew
eral different times, 1 was in there
with him on the time Mr.. Cooley and
him had some words, it was on the
23rd of December, 1913; Mr. Cooley
served me and turned around and
served some other gentleman, / don't
know who the gentleman was. And
when he came back 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 l could
not understand what he said. He get
outside and he said me killee the
pair" 1 never seen him no more until
the next morning, the gath, at his
house, and he told me if would go
with him he would pay me to do away
with Mr.. Cooley. 4 never seen him
no more until the night of the 27th of
December. When l saw him | was in
bed asleep and he woke me up, it was
about five minutes after ten. We got
up-I got up and put my clothes on
when he came in he wanted me TO get
up and go with him, up the street and
help him to do away with Mr.. Cooley.
got up then and went up the street
with him, to Romano street. The first
time seen Mr.. Cooley that night was
on the corner of Palafox and Gov
eminent; 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; 1 went west on Govern
ment to BayIen, turned north to Ro-
mana. Dago George went up Palafox
to Intendencia and turned Intendencia
to Baylen, and I was-he turned
south on Baylen and was standing in
front of Goldring's bottling works.
Then we. me and Dago George went
north to Romano street. l turned
west, went behind the w. o. w. build
ing, stood behind box that was there,
George went by the telegraph post or
light post or whatever it was. Mr..
Cooley passed, 1 walked out behind
him. Just as / catches q 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 I went by the
w. o. w. building and came around
on PayIen street, and went back to the
sta n, the police station, came into
the back way, went on foot. When
/ got to the police station the tele-
phone rang and said there was
shooting on Romano street, and in
second the telephone rang again and
said a man was hollering murder over
there; l went out and went to this
place. When l get there the son, that
works for Mr.. Pou, a darkey, came out
and told me that Mr.. Pou wanted to
speak to me- So when l came back
Capt. Harper and Johnny HUMPHREYS
were talking this party. Mr. Cooley.
they was loading him into the ambu--
lance TO carry him to the hospital. I
never seen Dago George until the next
morning. He says l am in lot of
trouble. And the next time / seen him
he was in the city Jail.
On Sunday, the 18th of January.
Dago George told me, he said Il am
certainly glad that you swore what
you did for me, and kept me out of
lot of trouble
q. BY Judge Johnson. Mr.. Martin,
why didn't you make a clean state
ment of everything that happened, a
statement like you have just made at
the coroner's inquest?
a. l was scared he would kill me,
Dago George.
q You xvarA afraid he xva,,ld LIN