, 1922-07-13
JUSTICE COURT
freed COLLINS
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION FOUND
COLI! ms NOT GUILTY OF CAUS.
ING CO0PER'S DEATH

iNu CUUFLRS bEAIh
AT 4 preliminary eXaminatin held
before Justice II. r. Dunlap, Mon-f
day afternoon. Walter Collins. col
ored. who has been held in the coun-
ty Jail since the Fourth Of July.
when he and Robert Cooper staged a
desperate hand-to-hand battle at the
close of which Cooper fell dead. was
held guiltless of being The cause of
the death of his adversary and dis
charged from custody.
The hearing was held in the dis
trict court room and was well at
tended by the colorcd population and
many whites. A.. McMirkcn conduct
ed the case on behalf OF the state.
and J.. r. Armstrong appeared for
the defense. The preliminary was
long and tedious. but probably ncccs-
sary to satisfy the law and fully ex-
oncrate Collins, against whom a
charge Of involuntary manslaughter
had been placed by the prosecuting
attorney. Two physicians were
called and testified as to the prob
able cause of the death of Cooper for
the purpose of clearing the record on
this point.
Cooper Twice Disarmctl
Charles Holt vas the first witness
called. He told the story of the
trouble as it came under his observa-
ton, of how he noticed Cooper, who
acted strangely, as If either drunk
or under the influence of opiates.
kicking at a door in a cabin near the
Holt home. He told the colored man
to desist and. later, when Cooper
came forth armed with a wicked
looking butcher knife about two
feet long. which was offered in evil
dence. took the knife away from him
and then a few minutes later dis
armed him the second time. when the
crazed man had procured another
butcher knife.
When Cooper made his first attack
on Collins. the latter in fear of his
life attempted to use a razor which
he had in his pocket and which he
said he was carrying home in order
to pare his corns. This razor Holt
took away from Collins. The peace
maker then described the short part
of the battle which followed and
which eliminated in the death of
Cooper. He said Cooper grabbed a
shovel which was nearby and start
ed after Collins and told of how the
latter defended himself with the
only availc 'le weapons. his fists.
which he used with deadly effect. SO
that Cooper 500 crumpled and fell
to the ground and was carried by
~bystanders to a cabin at hand. Holt
then called up DR.. kell. who arrived
in about 10 minutes and pronounced
Cooper dead.
All Witnesses Agreed
A number of other witnesses were
called, but rome of them contradictcd
OF amplified the story Of the only
white witness in any essential par
%ticular. 1t was in evidence that
Cooper had been drinking during the
day and. according to at least n
witness, had taken a "shOt of coke"
which he shifted up his ose This
phase Of the inquiry was pressed by
the attorneys throughout the exam
nation and it was fairly established
that Cooper's frenzy was the result
Of indulgence in both "moonshine"I
and dope"
Christopher Columbus Coleman,
Buster" for short, who was
both dusky and husky. testified to
making a trip to the springs with a
party which included Cooper. and OF
having to restrain the latter not only
on the trip but after returning and
visiting a %neighbors house. when
Cooper attempted to strike one Of
the ladies for talking about him."
Buster was followed by a witness
who was referred to in the testimony
of others as Whitley" probably be-
ca he was so different. which he
was, decidedly. but whose full name
was Robert White.
UNITE oronfnd M and IF narri-
ment by his graphic description OF
the period when Cooper t%erroriZed
the whole party by his threats to
kill the whole blankety blank outfit
and brandished a long sharp butcher
knife as an evidence Of good faith.
Asked what he did when Cooper
started for him, Whitley said "Ah
run, and that man never did get
close to me-" He said he headed for
the busiest part of town and that the
subsequent proceedings interested
him nc more.
Physicians' Testimony
DR.. f. A. Kell. the first physician
to reach the scene Of combat. was
then placed on the stand and sub
Iected to a rather lengthy and
somewhat technical examination IN
an effort to arrive at the cause OF the
death Of Cooper. DR.. Kell's conclu-
sion was that deceased had come to
his end during a time when he was
in a state Of cocaine or alcoholic sex
Utilization. which. superinduced by
a series Of blows on the jaw. had
caused paralysis of the heart. due
LARGELY to conclusion. which would
hardly have seriously affected .
normal man in fairly good health.
DR.. c.. ". Jeffrey. coroner, Wal
also questioned along the Same gen-
|eral lines. he having heard the testt~
mony both at tho preliminary hear