Title: Jefferson McCarn Collection

Date/Date Range :   1902-1942 (bulk 1909)

Extent: 1.5 linear feet

Abstract:

This collection contains trial material, correspondence, and personal papers from Jefferson McCarn, the head prosecutor in the 1909 trial of Robin Cooper, who was accused of murdering former Senator Edward Carmack in Nashville.

Call number: MS-2707

Repository: University of Tennessee Special Collections Library, Knoxville, TN

Aquisition Information:

Statement of ProvenanceCollection was purchased by Special Collections in January 2006.

Access Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Copyright:

The copyright interests in this collection remain with the creator. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library.

Preferred Citation:

[Identification of Item], Jefferson McCarn Collection, MS-2707. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Special Collections Library.

Collection is divided into five series:

1. Series I: Diary, 1928
2. Series II: Legal Papers, 1908-1909
3. Series III: Correspondence, 1908-1909
4. Series IV: Other Papers, 1904-1942
5. Series V: Clippings, 1909-1915

Oversized material has been removed to appropriate storage containers.

Jefferson McCarn served as the Attorney General for the State of Tennessee, and as the chief prosecutor during the 1909 trial of Robin Cooper, who was accused of the murder of former Senator Edward Carmack in Nashville. McCarn later became the Attorney General for Hawaii.

A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, Edward Carmack was a staunch supporter of prohibition, a topic which bitterly divided Tennessee's Democratic Party. As a 1908 gubernatorial candidate, Carmack accused his opponent, Malcolm R. Patterson, of being a tool of the alcohol industry. Patterson earned the endorsement of Duncan Brown Cooper, owner of the Nashville American newspaper. Patterson narrowly defeated Carmack in the primary, and easily prevailed over his Republican opponent in the general election. After the loss, Carmack returned to his previous profession of journalism, becoming editor of the Nashville Tennessean . In the Tennessean Carmack launched attacks against Patterson and others who opposed prohibition.

On November 9, 1908, the situation came to a head when Cooper and his son Robin encountered carmack on a downtown Nashville street. Fearing an ambush, Carmack fired on the pair. Robin, though wounded, returned fire, instantly killing Carmack. Prohibitionists deemed the shooting an assassination and transformed Carmack into a slain martyr.

Governor Patterson, who supported the Coopers throughout the trial, pardoned the father and son.

This collection contains trial material, correspondence, and personal papers from Jefferson McCarn, the head prosecutor in the 1909 trial of Robin Cooper, who was accused of murdering former Senator Edward Carmack in Nashville. The collection is divided into six series.

Series I contains McCarn's personal diary. It serves to provide some biographical information on McCarn.

The next four series deal specifically with the Cooper Trial. Series II consists of McCarn's legal papers, including testimonies and witness statements as well as trial notes. Series III includes letters from various citizens to McCarn regarding aspects of the trial or the character of Duncan Cooper. Of special note is correspondence, found in folder 23, between McCarn and Assistant Attorney General Albert Stockwell, who McCarn dismissed from the trial due to his family relationship with the accused. Series IV consists of a collection of material about McCarn or Carmack that may not be specifically trial-related. Series V consists of clippings about McCarn and the Cooper Trial.

• McCarn, Jefferson.
• Carmack, Edward Ward, 1858-1908.
• Cooper, Duncan Brown.
• Cooper, Robin, d. 1919.
• Murder -- Tennessee.