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CmmmmmoWDJMcF Igg§5Q3;g1;EgMEI1"I;;L_IBIAL sea; }9S§.0n *_ f WW7,mp__1§Q;: Q Did he say why he went down to get the boy at Mose Wright's house in the first place? A NO. ' Q Did he offer any explanation to you as to why they
didn't carry the boy back down to Unole Mose's houseafter
that? A I didn't ask him. Q And_he didn't offer any explanation to you about that? , A No. MR. CHATHAM: I believe that.is all.we have in qualifying the witness for the State. -
CROSS EXAMINATION BY MR. CARLTON: Q Mr. Cothran, give to the Court the exact language of the question which you asked "J.W." on this occasion? ' A I asked him if they went out and got that boy, out at Mose Wright's house. Q Then you said, "Did they go out and get that boy Erom MoseWright's house?" I
- A I just said "Did you all". Q And what was his exact answer to you? l A He said, yes, but they put him out there at the
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Q And when he said, yes, but they put him out there:
at the store, did he say who put him out at the store?- A No, he didn't say. -
. Q And when he gave his answer to you, did he say "They" OI " WE"? A I don't remember whether he said "We".or "They". Q Now who was present when you had this conversation with Mr. Milam?
A You mean when I talked to Mr. Milam?
Q Yes, Sir. who was present at that time? A Nobody but me and him, Q was Roy Bryant present? A No. Q Mr. Cothran, you were a candidate this year for Sheriff of LePlore County, isn't that right? ' A That's right. ' ' -
' 'Q And Mr. Campbell, a brother~in-law of Mr. Milam down
there at Minter City, supported you in that campaign for Sheriff, isn't that true? A I think so. - Q And Mr. Milam supported you in that campaign, isn't that true?
, { 1 A I think so..
i L- Q -Andthe therewas a brother over atItta Benawho
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wwubawof TRANSCRIPTEMMETTTILL TR;aL Sept l2§§'@L_ ,tlllt_l»%s.lié__ - 1 .L week ago whenyou conferred with Mr. Breland, Mr. Henderson,_ I andMr. Kellum,andmyself,andalsoMr. GeorgeSmith.when R; we were all together over there in the office? H A I do.
" Q And on that occasion, Mr. Cothran, did you not make L J»
the statement to us that you had never talked to "J.w." at N a1l_about this^ -^ and that he had never ,^ made any statement 92 » about it? ' _ MR. CHATHAM: If the Court please, this doesn1t go into^ '^ HT
. ' "W
E the admissability of the statement. Q
THE COURT: No, it doesnt; but it is all right to ask it now. (^). ' ___ NHm MR. CARLTON; well, we will a hold that for now. But we. ' 92 will object to the admission of this testimony and this alleged admission on the grounds that it was not freely and voluntarily made, and that if any statement was made, - it was made under improper circumstances without the de- fendant being properly advised of his rights. And we say ~^ .< that it is inadmissable for that reason. ___ And we also have a further objection to this wit- ness's - testimony at this time on the grounds that the corpus w Q delicti has not beenoroven, and that there has beenno V £¬§Bhewingwhatsoeyerin therecordthatthebodytakenfrom_
"Q4 the Tallahatchie River and alleged to be that of Emmett Till,-
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CmmwmMoWDJMof IRANSQ3l£1;EMME1T_TLgL_TRIAL_$gQ;l9§§,On__ W r¢¢w14g that the death of that body was caused by any criminal agency whatsoever. THE COURT: The objections will be overruled. (^) Let the jury come in. u - '
The jury returned to the courtroom, and the proceed»
ings continued with the jury present.!
_ Q
A Q A Q A Q A
'Q that county A. Q A Q
Is this John Ed Cothran? Yes, Sir. Mr. Cochran, where do you live? Greenwood.
Greenwood, LeFlore County, Mississippi?
Yes, Sir. How long have you lived in LeFlore County?
Thirty years. -.
what, if any, official position have you held in
during the past four years?
Deputy Sheriff. Deputy Sheriff? Yes, Sir. And you have been a deputy under Sheriff George
Smith, is that right? I
A I ; ' Q
Yes, Sir. In your capacity as Deputy Sheriff, I want you to tell the Court and jury whether or not in the latter part
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Q You did not? A No{ Sir. Q And before he made any statement-to you, did you promise him any reward or hold out any hope of immunity - for him if he made any statement to you?
- A No, Sir- - Q And was any statement that he made to_you in the jail at that time on that Monday, was that statement freely and voluntarily made? - A Yes, Sir. -
Q Now, will you tell the jury, Mr. Cothran - - and
speak out so the last man sitting over here on the back
row can hear you, will you state what you had to say to
"J.w." that day in the jail and what he had to say to you 1- in regard to the murder of Emmett Till? A I asked him if they went out there and got that
little boy and if they had done something with him. And he
said that they had brought him up there to that store and
turned him loose, there at Roy Bryant's store.
Q Did you say they went and got the boy, or did he say we went and got the boy?
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- - 92.- '?'1-^ r. -~.-|».~' , ,,:.,.:.:3%.' '-";92§'i^ gm .. **~**^ "~92:'.'v -f ***** A I don'tremember whetherhe said"we" or "I". I _~hiieiél 1 wouldn't say_for sure. »?$&§§§
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. (^) 1.'=". -.»--.1-_ 91:i;?;.;i,u.'. ;92-&n_=;-- -1.--»-Q.=. . Q Did he say where they got the boy? .;§§§E%§$ (^) .. I._ - ~%eweeeeui . '.;. " L451-.. .: -'-'. ':e £.-"
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rl1li|92u3l10ll0fFD~392 of,[R_ANSCBf [-3LR I AL_,7S§Qt f _ On W "L" ___ W ___ , Pagc 47 **_** ' A Over at MoseWright's. '
Q He told you they had gotten the boy at Mose Wright's
U house? A Yes. Sir. U Q Did hesay whattime ofthe nightor morningit was when they went out and got him? -. | A No, Sir. -
U _ Q Do youremember whetheryou askedhim specifically
the hour that he got him from Uncle Mose's house? I; 3 A No,_Sir . 92^ -^ Q what^ did he^ say, Mr.^ Cothran, with^ reference to I what he or they did with the boy after they got him from old man Moses house? M A Hesaid theybrought himup thereand talkedto him, (^92) and. (^) then they let him go..
92 Q where^ did he^ say they^ brought him.^ to talk^ to him?'
m A Up to Mr. Bryant's store. 1 Q where is Mr. Bryantte store? ! A In Money,Mississippi.
Q And Money is in LeF1ore County, Mississippi. is
that right? A YES, Sir. - f 1 Q Do you know about how far it is from Uncle Moses
house to Mr. Bryant'sstore at Money?
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Smith, is that right? A Yes, Sir. ' ' Q And I believe it is the fact that you arrested him ;y^1 and brought him to jail, is that correct? - , A Yes, Sir. -
. Q Now, Mr. Cothran, in your further investigation ' of this alleged crime, did you go down to the point on the , Tallahatchie River between Philipp and Masel where the -
body was found? _
I ^ A Yes,^ Sir.^. R And that was a body said to have been the body of Emmett Till, is that right? 92
. Q
A That's right. ___
Q when did you go down there? =
A It was on Wednesday morning about - - around ten". o'clock. " Q Then that would have been Wednesdaymorning, August - 318E. is that right? A Yes, Sir. -. Q And it was this year, 1955? A Yes, Sir. ' - Q And you say that was about ten o'clock in the @ morning? A Yes, Sir. 146
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Q And what was the occasion for your going to that
particular place? In other words. did you receive some '
message to go there or some request?
A YQS, Sir.
Q Do you remember who made that request of you or the
sheriff?. I A Mr. McCool, the office deputy, called me and told lTIE""". MR. BRELAND: We object to any conversation, Your ;^ Honor. '^. - THE COURT: Don't repeat any conversation,
Q But you did receive a request from someone in the
sheriff's ofice to go to that place there on the Talla- hatohie River between Phillip and Masel, is that right? A Yes, Sir, that's right.
Q And did you there immediately?
' A Yes, Sir.. Q who went there with you? A- Mr. Weber.
Q And who is Mr. Weber?
A A deputy sheriff..
Q Did you stop on the way there anywhere between
q F Greenwood and the point of your destination? A We did. 14?
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- A Well, Mr. Strider was there, the Sheriff. And there was severai-l people around there. There was Mr. Smith. He was over there. And I dont know just who all was there. '1here was several more. - Q was there a number of your people around. there? A Yes, Sir. Q Doyou recallthe negroundertaker at Greenwood? A Chester Miller? Q Yes,Chester Miller? **-** I I A Yes, Sir. **-_**
Q was Chester there? l
A Yes, Sir. " - Q was he there when you first got there? A No,He cameright afterI gotthere. H Q Anddid hehavehis funeralcoach with him? I A Yes, Sir. Q AndI believeyou said that boy was in the boat-when -
Q And how long was it after you got there that the -
you first got there, is that right? A Yes, Sir.
body was removed from the -boat? A Oh,I imaginearound twentyminutes, maybemore or I {. maybe not. Q whatdid theydo with the body after it was taken -
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mwmmmawoamorT3gQ5QRIpT_EMMgTT_IlLL ERIAL 5§p;;955,0n_ W _,he 153 L out of the boat? Howdid they handleit? Q A They tooksomebig browhwrappingpaperandput it 1 around the body and then put it in a casket. Q When you first saw the body there. was it lying on its back or face down?
. A On its face. Q _And was it turned over before it was taken out of the boat? -A Yes, Sir. __ Q And then what was done with the body; John Ed? A It was put in a casket. Q was the casket out on the bank? A Yes, sir. Q And who was supervising that? was it Chester Miller? A Chester Miller. He was the one that handled him. Q And he was the undertaker there? ' A Thats right.
- Q Now, ih the course of Chester and those who were assisting him in removingthe bodyfromthe boat and putting
it in the casket, do you recall seeing a ring on the de '
ceased'sfinger andseeingthat ring removedfromhis fihger? A Yes, Sir.****.
E I Q Do you remember generally what kind of ring it was,
the general description of it?
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Q what was done with that ring ater Simon took it
off the body?
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when did you see it again? _ -
A He gave it to Mose'Wright. Q D0 you know what Mose did with it? A Yes, Sir. Q What did he do with it? A He carried it to his house.
Q Did you see the ring at any time thereafter?
A _Yes, Sir. __ - Q How long was it after that when you saw it again?
A He gave it to me as soon as that boy looked at it..
_Q How is that? _ _ A He gave it back to me there at his house} Q Did you go with him back to his home?
A I carried him back down there. '
Q You didn't drop him out there at Money? A No. I carried him out there. Q And when you took him back home, he returned that same ring back to you? - '
} since?
A Yes, Sir. Q And have you had that same ring in your possession
A Yes, Sir. 152
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Q I will hand you this ring,-Mr. Cochran, and I ask
you if you can_identify it as the same ring that was taken
from the body there at that point on Tallahatchie River on
the day that you went over there? {A ring is shown to the
witness.! A Itis.. -.
Q And have you given anybody else possession of tat
'ring since you have had it?
'A Nobodybut you.
Q Nobody else except me? A That's right.
Q Now, you were speaking from your recollection a few
'minutes agowhen I asked you what marks of identification
were on the ring. And for the purposes of the record now,
and for the benefit of the jury. I would like for you to read what marks, or initials, or figures are on that ring. ' A {Reading} "May 25, 1943." And then right underi that it has got "L.T.". ' Q The initials "L.T."? A Yes, Sir. MR. CHATHAM: If the Court please, we at this time will offer this ring in evidence as Exhibit 1 to the testimony '
1 of Mr. John Ed Cothran.
THE COURT; It will be received in evidence. 153
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CwMwmmMFUN3 ]$@N$§RIPTfEMM§TT TlLLWI§lBL_§gpt_}Q§§.0"i__ W__ -M5 158. ' Q Can you tell the court and jury where that fan has been since that day?. A It has been in the Sheriff's office down in Green- wood. 1 Q.^ who carried^ it there? A 1 did. '
Q And could you say that the object there on the_
floor is the same fan and that it is the same piece of wire that you took from the boat that was at the river that day? ' A Yes, Sir. Q And it has been in your possession sincé then? A Yes, Sir. '
Q Mr. Cothtan, you are familiar with the area around
Money where Uncle Mose Wright'shouse is situated or here
the house is that he was living in on August.2Bth of this year, are you? A Yes, Sir. Q And is that house in LeFlore County, Mississippi? A Yes, Q -Now,
Sir. John Ed, how long have you been a peace office A Almost eight years.. i Q And during that time I want you to tell the court and jury whether or not you have had numerous occasions.to
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|n||Sll!0l| 0fFD-I01 DII P:I7 mti fOn 7 __ 7 _ ___ , Page ___ 1 5 9_7 see bodies that have been maimed and beaten and shot or wounded? A Yes, Sir, I have.
Q And_since you have, I would like for you to describe
- for the court and jury the condition of this boy'sbody that you saw there in the boat that you have testified to
and about, with reerenoe to any wounds or abrasions on or
about his head or body? And describe them, if you can,
please, Sit? _ ___ ___ left eye was about out, it was all gouged odt in there. you
92 A Well, his head was torn up pretty bad.t And his
know. And right up in the top of his head, well, there was
a hole knocked in the fiont of it there.
And then right over his right ear - - well, I '
wouldn't sayit was a bullet hole, but some of them said it was - - -
MR. BRELAND= we object to what they said it was.
THE COURT: The objection is sustained.
92 Q But there was a hole there on that side of his head
___ ___ ___ J -
MR. BRELAND: We object to the leading form of the
question. -
, THE^ COURT: I^ believe he^ said there^ was^ a hole^ in his head there-
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