Report of the Sheriff: Mr. Frank Sawyer

to the Attorney for the Commonwealth: Mr. Thomas Hobart, Esq.

The following is a transcript of the widow of the Deceased.

State your name and where you are from.

My name is Hannah Cooper. 

I’m from: Pittsburg, Pa

Mr. Cooper and I had just moved to Franklin County less than a month ago.  He was an agent for McCormick Mower and Reaper.

Why were you both at this cabin?

Because we heard that two of Mr. Cooper’s friends were living there at the time. 

These friends were Downard and MacKenzie?

Yes.

Where were you when he was shot?

Sitting outside the cabin with Mrs. Finnigan.

What did you see?

I heard two gunshots.  The first shot apparently was a misfire, and immediately thereafter there was a second shot that hit Mr. Cooper and mortally wounded him.  I saw him fall and ran over to him.

Did you see who fired?

No, but I didn’t have to, I know who fired.  Mr. Cooper was under the impression that these two have done this before, but believed that they wouldn’t hurt us because they were old time friends.

You mean they killed someone before?

Yes. 

What gave you that impression?

Mr. Cooper, he told me that they were in the business of killing and stealing.

Did he know this when he considered them friends?

No.  He uncovered this during the evening conversation the night before he was killed when he was talking to them.

Did you, or anyone else who was present, hear what they said that lead him to believe that?

No.  Just Mr. Cooper MacKenzie and Downard.

Do you know where Downard and MacKenzie were at the time of the shooting?

I believe that they said they were going out to check on the horses.

Did anyone go with them?

No, just Downard, MacKenzie, and Josiah.

Who’s Josiah?

MacKenzie’s dog.

What did you do immediately after Mr. Cooper was shot?

I ran over to him, and cradled his head in my hands and tried to talk to him and get him to tell me who did it.  Unfortunately, his breathing was labored and his words were hoarse and slurred.  Remembering what he told me about the two men, I asked him if Downard and MacKenzie did it and he couldn’t answer me. 

Who moved the body to the cabin?

Within 5 to 10 minutes Downard and MacKenzie came running back from the horses.  They came down the same road that the left on.  They were shouting asking what happened and Mrs. Finnigan and I told them that Mr. Cooper had been shot.  Mr. Downard forced his gun into my hands and told me to watch their backs as they lifted Mr. Cooper up and carried him into the empty room in the cabin. 

Did you suspect them at this time?

Everything was happening so fast that  I  couldn’t think straight.  Yes, I did, but it didn’t occur to me that they were here.  At that particular moment they were just two people who came to help, and that’s all I could think about.

Did you notice if the gun barrel was warm?

No, my mind was on Mr. Cooper who was still fighting for his life.

What happened after he was taken into the cabin?

Mr. Cooper passed away and Mr. Downard and Mr. MacKenzie looked around and made certain we had at least one gun to protect ourselves with, and they told us to stay put and they’d go see if they could find anyone and fetch you at the same time.  Then they left.

Did they leave the gun with you that one of them had been carrying?

I don’t remember.

Were they both armed when they went to get the horses and when they returned?

You mean when they left just before Mr. Cooper was shot, and then when they returned shortly thereafter?

Yes.

Yes.  I’m pretty sure they were.  As I said, Downard gave me his gun, and if I remember correctly Mr. MacKenzie took a defensive stance with his gun toward the woodline, and then leaned his gun up against the cabin to help Downard drag the body inside.

What kind of guns did they have?

Long barreled either a rifle or shotgun.  I don’t know guns that well.

Did they usually carry weapons when they went to check on the horses?

I’m pretty sure they did.  But then that didn’t seem unusual to me with this war going on you never know who you’ll meet, or who or what would be occuring with the horses.  Maybe wild dogs…

Did they ever say to you why they carry weapons?

No, again I just assumed to protect life and property.

Did you see, or hear, anyone else in the area, before or after the murder?

No.  The place was very deserted.  It didn’t look like anyone had been down there in 9 years. Except for those of us already mentioned. 

Who knew that you and Mr. Cooper were coming here to visit Downard and MacKenzie?

No one. 

Did they invite you?

No. 

What reason would they have to kill Mr. Cooper since there was no opportunity for them to steal from him?

Revenge.  They apparently had unresolved issues from the past.  Mr. Cooper thought that they had forgiven him during their evening discussions, but apparently he was wrong.

What disagreements have they had in the past?

They worked together as slave catchers, and apparently at one point in time they believe that Mr. Cooper treated them unfairly.  Mr. Cooper had told me this story on two or three occasions.

Downard, MacKenzie and Coop were after a valuable buck and they had all agreed to split the reward money three ways, but Downard and MacKenzie had hired a negro by the name of Hambone to help track him down, and they thought that rather than dividing the reward money three ways, they should divide it four, giving Hambone an equal share of the reward.

Mr. Cooper hadn’t asked for a tracker and thought that if they were going to hire Hambone and insist on his receiving a certain percentage that the percentage should come out of their money and not his.  They got into a rather heated discussion and during this time the slave managed to get the shotgun from Hambone, shot Hambone and their dog Caesar.  Mr. Downard then shot and killed the runaway.  Downard and MacKenzie were upset that Hambone and Caesar were killed, and Mr. Cooper was upset that they lost all the money.  They had pretty much had a falling out at this point in time.

If there was this great disagreement, why did you go to visit them uninvited?

We were in hopes that over the years they would have forgiven Mr. Cooper, and it appeared as though they did.  Mrs. Finnigan and I sat outside around the fire while the men sat inside and drank and talked.  They seemed to be having a fine old time, which is why Mr. Cooper didn’t fear for his life. 

Did Downard or MacKenzie directly threaten Mr. Cooper at any point during your stay?

Not that I’m aware of.

Downard and MacKenzie did not contact me about the murder.  Have you heard  from them since?  Do you know where they are?

No.  No.

Where can you be contacted for any additional information?

lindatrent@zoomnet.net