The Oneonta Star from Oneonta, New York • Page 14

14 Oneonta Star Monday, June 27, 1960 Murderess Eva Coo Died 25 Years Ago Today D. A. Grant Recalls Eva As 'Hard' and 'Ruthless' By FRANCIS FORREST Twenty-five years: asro today 10:02 p. June 27, 1935, a jolt of electricity a woman strapped in the electric chair in Sing Sins Prison her body jerked spasmodically her chest heaved slightly then relaxed. At 10:07 Dr.

C. C. Sweet, prison physician, pronounced Eva Coo Cooperstown, when Sheriff George H. Mitchell told him that Troop' crs Cadwell and Knapp had gone Present among ihe Qn Up He sajd hey were Oneonta Police Oiief Frank. lejt hurr i dl and gave no furtlier H.

Horton and City Editor A. M. Learned of The Oneonta Star. To the end 43-year-old Eva Coo, operator of a madhouse near Cooperstown Junction, was defiant. She protested lhat she was innocent of the murder oJ Harry (Gimpyl Wright, a crippled handyman.

But not once did she whimper. "Eva Ciw was a hard woman," recalled Donald H. Grant, who was Otscgo County District attorney then" "She was ruthless, a killer." THE EVA COO CASE, now a quarier century old. is still membrred vividly by many One-! ontans. It excites them as it i in lfl' and 1935.

when (lie case blazed on front pages const to coast. The depression was at its depth then, and money the nation's mind. Many people lived On relief, and murder for money seemed to grip their attention. That was the eore of the Coo case lust for money. The case began inmispiciously on the night of June 14.

1934. The body of Harry Wright was found about 10 feet off Route 7 near Eva Coo's madhouse. It was writ- len off as a hit-run fatality. ON THE DAY of the funeral, Saturday. June 1G.

Mr. Grant, now practicing law in Oneonta and residing at 428 Main got a phone call from State Troopers E. Cadwell and Kenneth B. Knapp. They advised that an autopsy be conducted before the body was buried.

Mr. Grant ordered it. and Dr. James Greenough and Dr. E.

C. Winsor conducted it. "It was quite clear from the autopsy," Mr. Grant said, "that the death of Harry Wright was not a hit-and-run case. The chest was badly crushed, and ribs were sticking into the lungs.

It was plain to see that he had been run over. How then did the body get to that location 10 feet off the highway? "It was the work of a hit-run driver, men the driver stopped and carried the body there. That's not likely in a hit-run case." information. Trooper Knapp, later killed by a mentally deranged man. was the brother of Harold Knapp, present sheriff.

Suspecting that Eva Coo might know something about the Wright case. Mr. Grant acted quickly to make sure she did not take off. He sent Sheriff Mitchell and assistants to Eva's roadhouse to hold her and anyone else found there as material witnesses. Then came the report on the tip.

1 Troopers Cadwell and Knapp got it from Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Hunt and Mrs. Iva Fink of Milford. They had heard about Eva's statement that she was in her roadhouse the entire evening of Wright's death, and they disputed it.

They told Cadwell and Knapp hey had seen Eva and another voman on Crumhorn Mountain that night. MRS. FINK had inherited an old farm house from her mother, and articles had been stolen from the house. They drove near the place the evening of June 14, and saw a car in the driveway beside the house. Near the car were Eva Coo, whom they knew, and another woman they did not know.

They accused Eva and the other woman of thefts from the house. "Take me to the troopers," Eva urged. go." Eva appeared eager to leave the premises but not until the Hunts and Mrs. Fink had preceded her. With a flashlight the Hunts and Mrs.

Fink searched, the.house and found nothing missing. Their car had blocked the driveway so they drove away first, but not until they had noted the license number of the other car. It was dark and they if ailed to observe a circumstance that was later to figure prominently in the convictions of Eva and Martha. The car license was traced to Morris Peake, a Franklin garage owner who brought a new name into the case. He said he had let a Mrs.

Martha Clift of Oneonti Eva Coo take the car on her word that she had a prospective buyer, ON MONDAY, June 18, Mr. Grant was engaged in the trial of! IN THAT WAY Mrs. Clift, a civil case in Supreme Court, young mother, who frequented Eva place was brought into the nvestigation. Mr. Grant said she vas "car crazy" and that Eva had promised to buy the car for out of the insurance Eva ex- tecled to collect on Wright's death.

Martha Clift was arrested at once, and Mr. Grant gSve strict orders that she and Eva Coo and ill material witnesses were to be apart and not permitted to communicate. Martha was identified as the other woman seen with Eva Coo on Crumhorn Mountain, but both dummied up and investigators got nowhere in trying to link them to Wright's death. The big question remained: iVhere was. Harry Wright killed? And by whom? "We were stumped," Mr.

Grant said. "We had good reason to believe that Wright was killed and his body transported to that location near Route 1, to make it look like a hit-and- run case. We could prove that Eva Con lied when she said she stayed her roadhouse the entire evening of the killing. But we couldn't link Eva or Martha directly to the death." THE INVESTIGATION also profited from another bit of voluntary, information. Atty.

Edwin R. Campbell of Schenevus disclosed that he had drawn a i Harry Wright, naming Eva Coo as sole beneficiary. The Wright estate consisted of insurance policies totaling about 516,000. In addition to the will, Eva Coo also was namec beneficiary in some of the policies, and a part of them carried double indemnity clauses. was subsequently establishec that Eva Coo induced Wright to take out the policies, and that she paid the premiums.

With this lead, investigators proceeded to locate Eva's pile of poliwes. BCI Trooper Ernest Maynard and Oneonta Patrolman Louis (Me!) Thomas went to Eva's roadhouse and searched it while she was held In Cooperstown. They found the cache of policies in a dresser drawer in Eva's bedroom. While they were in the place they got a call from Cooperstown that Eva was returning (in custody) to feed her parakeet and other pets. Maynard and Thomas went to a nearby house until Eva finished her chores, then returned and found the policies gone from the drawer.

They later found them under a pile of soiled towels and clothes in a closet. Eva had apparently satisfied herself that the policies hadn't been found, and just as a precaution had picked a new 1 hiding place for them. I I A I also brought out that Eva had dominated the crippled handyman, Harry Wright. She served him drinks when he had'money, and frequently drove, him to Cooperstown where he withdrew sums from his $1,500 savings account until it was gone. She kept him at her place employed as a painter, and to wring more money from him through his very life.

Such was Mr. Grant's contention at the trial. But to reach the trial court the district attorney had to cm- ploy strategy. He had Martha brought to Oneonla. In an anteroom off City Court he questioned her, but made no headway.

As a last resort, he offered her immunity if she would tel the truth and become a state witness. "I'll put it in writing," Mr Grant said. Atty. John M. Hotaling drew up the document, aiid Mr.

Gran signed it. Then he turned to Martha Clift for the crucia moment. "Tell the truth, Martha," he said, "and you can have absolute immunity." MARTHA WAVERED and askec for a little time. "I knew then had something," Mr. Grant sale Finally Martha's resolute fron broke.

She began talking. John Hotaling took down her statement Martha said in substance: Eva lured Wright to Crumhor Mountain on the pretext of gettin some shrubs. The women use th car which Martha obtained from Morris Peake in Franklin. At the Scott place Eva ran down Wright with the car and killec (So Martha said). When the Hunt and Mrs.

Fink arrived, Wright' body lay the car It was dusk and the Hunts and Irs. Fink did not see the body. THAT WAS the important cir- umstance which was to figure in le subsequent trial. Mr. Grant idn't know about the body under ie.

car until Martha told him. Neither did anyone else except Jartha and Eva. The Hunts and Mrs. Fink drove way, and Eva and Martha did kewise, taking the body them nd dumping it off Route near roadhouse. Naturally, the xdy under the car was the reason Jva refused to budge until the lunts and Mrs.

Fink left, Mr. Grant said. That's why she was villing to talk to troopers, if nee- ssary. If the three callers left phone troopers, Eva and Martha ould drive away with the damning vidence. Martha finished her tatement and signed it.

"Up to that time I was sweat- ng blood," Mr. Grant said. "We elt sure they had killed Wright, )ut the Hunts and Mrs. Fink hadn't seen the body, and we had no case unless we could link Eva and Martha to the. killing." The information about Martha's confession was relayed to Coopers- own, where troopers were still lolding and fruitlessly questioning Eva.

It caused the hard boiled Eva to blow her top. Said Mr. Irani: "She jumped to her feet in a rage and shouted, 'She's a liar! Now I'll tell the truth. DONALD H. GRANT Coo Prosecutor Spa Students To Graduate Processional and Recessional under the direction of Andrew Currie, Director of Instrumental Music.

Following the ceremony, an informal reception will be held will" present the diplomas to the! i the main corridor of the 41 graduates. Awards will school, presented by the Supervising Principal, Benjamin A. Ozek. The theme of this years graduation will be "1860 to 1960." In keeping with the theme, the RICHFIELD SPRINGS The graduation exercises will be held for the Class of 1960 at the Richfield Springs Centra! School at 8:15 tonight. Franklyn D.

Springer, president of the Board of Education salutatory address by Miss Vera Udovich will be on third honor student, Miss Lodena Springer will cover fourth honor student. Miss Patricia Chadwlck will speak on "Science" and the valedictory "Politics" will be delivered by Miss Victoria Burrington. The Invocation will be spoken by The Stanley E. Smith and the benediction by the Rev. Leonard A.

Hicks. The Senior Band will play the Belgian Duo Win Le Mans Classic LK (API--Belgium's ace driving combination, Olivier Gendebien and Paul Frere, Sunday sped a 12-cylinder Ferrari to victory in the bone-wearying Le Mans 2-1-hour endurance classic. Leading almost from the start, the Belgian pair coaxed their sleek red factory-backed racer just fast enough to outrun a field of Mas- cratis, Jaguars, and I didn't drive that car. Martha did!" EVA to think that fact absolved her of a murder. Later.

Martha admitted that she, in fact, had driven the car that crushed Wright. She admitted she lad lied on that point. Mr. Grant's assurance of immunity was thus nullified. Martha hadn't "told the truth," which was the essential part of the agreement.

Martha, in her statement, also said Eva felled Wright with a blow on the head. A mallet found in the Scott house became an exhibit at the trial. Eva put up a bitter legal battle. Her lawyers were James J. Byard Everett Holmes and Joseph S.

Deery. Mr. Grant was assisted by Harry Bigelow Jr. Onecnta city marshal, Harold Hall, was in charge of the state's exhibits. THE TRIAL before Supreme Court Justice Riley H.

Heath drew a packed courtroom. Top reporters (if New York City newspapers covered the trial. Dorothy Kilgallen of the Daily News was one of them. The country waited tensely for the verdict. Eva was found guilty of first degree murder.

It mattered not that she didn't drive the car. She hatched the murder plot, engineered it and assaulted Harry Wright so Martha Clift, her obe- dient servant, could run over him. Martha pleaded guilty to seconc degree murder. The sentence was 20 years to lite. Eva's appeal was denied, and Governor Lehman re fused to intervene.

Martha served more than 13 years in Bedford Hills prison. In 1918 she applied for a parole. By that time Mr. Grant had served as Otsego County judge and had been appointed to the State Board of Parole. The man who prosecuted Mar- tha'also voted for her parole.

"The last I heard of Martha," Mr. Grant recalled, "she was in the western part 'of the state, making a very fine adjustment under, parole. "AS I LOOK back on the case now," says Grant, "there were two important breaks in Jt: when the Hunts and Mrs. Fink told about Eva and Martha being on Crumhorn Mountain, and when the power of immunity was invoked. "We might never have broken the case without the testimony of the Hunts and Mrs.

Fink, or without the confession of Martha Clift. The power of immunity is a powerful instrument, when properly used." Mr. Grant also had words of praise for Mrs. H. L.

Kimball, The Star's Cooperstown correspondent who covered the Investigation and trial. "She was very accurate," Mr. Grant said. Twenty-five years ago today 10:02 p.m. Eva Coo paid with her life for one she took in a mad murder-Ior-rnoney plot.

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