he was arrested at Second and Meeting Streets in Charleston, He made
a confession in which he implicated two other black men, Eddie jash-
ington, who had previously had some difficulty with Constan, and
Andrew Watkins who owned a pistol found on Benson's body. Both of
these men denied any complicity in the crime but #BKWK with Cooper
naming them as accomplices, they were indicted along with him, They
were both sentenced to life imprisonment following their convictions
while Cooper was sentenced to die, There was no appeal, but before
his death he made another confession in which he exonerated then,
saying that he had implicated them in the hope that his own punish-
ment would be lightened by so doing and appearing to turn State's
wuiidence, Even though he was suspected of a number of other murders,
he denied any knowledge of any of them except that of another black
man, "Old Jake Wright," who he said he and Benson had killed, He
said that Benson had knocked Wright down and that he had shot him,
He was electrocuted at. the South Carolina State Prison on August aT,
1926, After being strapped in the chair, he reit erated his claims
that Washington and Watkins were innocent and his last words were:
"Lord, remember me,"
CHARLEST ON NFWS AND COURIER, May 2h, May 25, May 26, May 30, dune @,
August 27 and August 28, 1936
he was arrested at Second and Meeting Streets in Charleston, He made
a confession in which he implicated two other black men, Eddie iash-
ington, who had previously had some difficulty with Constan, and
Andrew Watkins who owned a pistol found on Benson's body. Both of
these men denied any complicity in the crime but #HKMK with Cooper
naming them as accomplices, they were indicted along with him, They
were both sentenced to life imprisonment following their convictions
while Cooper was sentenced to die, There was no appeal, but before
his death he made another confession in which he exonerated then,
saying that he had implicated them in the hope that his own punish-
ment would be lightened by so doing and appearing to turn State's
weiidence. Even though he was suspected of a number of other murders,
he denied any knowledge of any of them except that of another black
man, "Old Jake Wright," who he said he and Benson had killed, He
said that Benson had knocked Wright down and that he had-shot—him,
He was electrocuted at the South Carolina State Prison on August ls
1926, After being strapped in the chair, he reiterated his claims
that Washington and Watkins were innocent and his last words were:
"Lord, remember me,"
CHARLESTON NEWS AND COURIER, May 2h, May 25, May 26, May 30, June 25
August 27 and August 28, 1 36
he was arrested at Second and Meeting Streets in harleston, He made
a confession in which he implicated two other black men, Eddie ash-
ington, who had previously had some difficulty with Constan, and
Andrew Watkins who owned a pistol found on Benson's body, Both of
these men denied any complicity in the crime but #EXWE with Cooper
naming them as accomplices, they were indicted along with him, They
were both sentenced to life imprisonment following their convictions
while Cooper was sentenced to die, There was no appeal, but before
his death he made another confession in which he exonerated then,
saying that he had implicated them in the hope that his own punish-
ment would be lightened by so doing and appearing to turn State's
widence. Even though he was suspected of a number of other murders,
he denied any knowledge of any of them except that of another black
who he said he and Benson had killed, He
down and that-he-had-shot him,
wugust 275
i
cla:
man, "Old Jake Wright,"
said that Benson had knocked Wright
He was electrocuted at the South Carolina State Prison on
19%, After being strapped in the chair, he reiterated his
that Vashington and Watkins were innocent and his last words were:
‘Lord, remember me,"
h May 2h, May 25, May 26, May 30, June 2,
CHARLESTON NEWS AND COURTER,
a 27 and August 28, 1936
gh Bh My 25, hy HH 5 Se 2s
COOPER, Jokn
Cooper, a li3-year-old black man, was a fesident of Charleston, Se Cey
who, by his own admission, had committed a long string of robberies
throughout most of his life, Around 2 o'clock on Sunday morning,
May 23, 1926, he and a companion, Elijah Benson entered the store of
Spiro Constan on the Meeting Street Road bewween the four and five
mile posts, ostensibly for the purpose of making a purchase from Con-
stan who had not retired. Instead, they attacked him with a hammer
and his outeries aroused his 22-year-old clerk, Louis Smith, who was
sleeping in a rear room, He rushed to the front room with a pistol
which he fired twice, one bullet striking Benson in the face and the
other in the shoulder, Cooper, accompanied by Benson who was mortally
wounded, followed Smith into the back room and began beating him,
Smith managed to break free and fled through the front door, pursued
by the two black men, with Benson collapsing and dying in the front
room, Cooper overtook Smith about 150 yards from the store on a
railroad bank and bludgeoned him with a piece of iron and left Hx#
WAAMEXXKAKAXXHXAXAXREN him lying in a ditch where he was found pncens
scious and dying the next morning, A bloodstained ED, ah RN
Cooper's was found in the store and he became an immediate suspec
but he was not captured until shortly before midnight on May 29 when
" COOPER, Jokn
Gooper, a )3-year-old black man, was a fesident of Charleston, Se Ces
who, by his own admission, had committed a long string of robberies
throughout most of his life, Around 2 o'clock on Sunday morning,
May 23, 1926, he and a companion, Elijah Benson entered the store of
Spiro Constan on the Meeting Street Road bewween the four and five
mile posts, ostensibly for the purpose of making a purchase from Con-
stan who had not retired. Instead, they attacked him with a hammer
and his outeries aroused his 22-year~old clerk, Louis Smith, who was
sleeping in a rear room, He rushed to the front room with a pistol
which he fired twice, one bullet striking Benson in the face and the
other in the shoulder. Cooper, accompanied by Benson who was mortally
wounded, followed Smith into the back room and began beating him.
Smith managed to break free and fled through the front door, pursued
by the two black men, with Benson collapsing and dying in the front
room, Cooper overtook Smith about 150 yards from the store on a
railroad bank and bludgeoned him with a piece of iron and left HZ#
KAMAXIGKAAAXAXWAKEM him lying in a ditch were he was found uncon=
scious and dying the next morning. A bloodstained Dee cobentee ce
Cooper's was found in the store and he became an immediate susnec
but he was not captured until shortly before midnight on May 29 when
COOPER, John
Cooper, a li3-year-old black man, was a fesident of Charleston, S. C.,
who, by his, own admission, had committed a long string of robberies
throughout most of his Li Around 2 o'clock on Sunday morning,
1926, he and a companion, Elijah Benson entered the store of
Spiro Constan on the Meeting Street Road between the four and five
nile posts, ostensibly for the purpose of making a purchase from Con-
stan who had not retired, Instead, they attacked him with a hammer
and his outeries aroused his 22-year-old clerk, Louis Smith, who was
sleeping in a rear room, He rushed to the front room with a pistol
which he fired twice, one bullet striking Benson in the face and the
other in the shoulder, Cooper, accompanied by Benson who was mortally
wounded, followed Smith into the back room and began beating hin,
Smith managed to break free and fled through the front door, pursued
by the two black men, with Benson collapsing and dying in the front
room, Cooper overtook Smith about 150 yards from the store on a
railroad bank and bludgeoned him with a piece of iron and left HA
JOANNA hin lying in a ditch where he was found uncon=
scious and dying the next morning, A bloodstained hat identified as
Cooper's was found in the store and he became an inmediate suspect,
but he was not captured until shortly before midnight on May 29 when
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