Unlocking FamilySearch Full-Text: More Records for Burgess Cooper

Now that Full Text Search at FamilySearch is making so many items findable, I've been revisiting some of my earlier research.  It's great to find new items which add even more to the picture of what was happening.  My Dad's paternal 1st cousin Ruth Thompson was married to Burgess Cooper for a brief time.  I've not found their divorce yet.  I knew that Burgess had done time in jail.  Seems he kept stealing different modes of transportation.  In his earlier years, it was a horse which he tried to sell shortly after stealing and later auto theft.  Here are a few of the newspaper articles about him.

Cooper Makes 
Final Attempt 
Jail Delivery

(From Wednesday's Daily Herald)

Burgess Cooper, confessed horse thief, who was yesterday sentenced to serve a term of three years i the Tennessee Industrial School, last night made a final desperate attempt to break jail. These attempts at jail delivery upon the part of Cooper are not new to Sheriff Houser, and last night the man under sentence was placed in a re-inforced cell, but in some manner he succeeded in so badly damaging the new Yale Lock on his cell door it was necessary for Sheriff Houser this morning to break it in order to get him out of the cell.  The sheriff will be delighted when he hears that Cooper is safely confined within the walls of the Industrial School.

"Cooper Makes Final Attempt Jail Delivery", Columbia Herald(Columbia TN), Vol LXXIV, No 12, March 21, 1922, p 2, col 4 ; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHK-Q3RM-K8MN : accessed 18 October 2026), IGN 8963695, image 388 of 1056.

Cooper Pleads Guilty.

Columbia, Tenn March 29(Special)--

Burgess Cooper, young white man who for the past several months has been in the county jail charged with the theft of a horse, pleaded guilty In Circuit Court Tuesday and accepted a sentence of from two to ten years in the reform school. 

During his confinement in the county jail, Cooper had caused Sheriff Houser no end of trouble, having broken many locks and raised cain in general. He was the ringleader in the recent "hootch" party at the Jail, In which the whisky cell was raided by the jail inmates.

"Cooper Pleads Guilty," Nashville Banner, March 29, 1922, p 3, col 2; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/nashville-banner-cooper-pleads-guilty/208526356/ : accessed October 18, 2026), clip page for Cooper Pleads Guilty.

Burgess Cooper Given Sentence for Horse Theft

Pleads Guilty to charge and will go to state reform school for term

Was unruly prisoner here

Boy Has Given Sheriff Houser Much Trouble Since He Has Been In Jail, Was Leader in Big "Hootch" Party Given Recently

(From Tuesday's Daily Herald)

Burgess Cooper, young white man who has been i nthe county jail for several months, charged with horse stealing, and who recently immortalized himself with the inmates of Hotel de Houser with his "hootch" party, this morning pleaded guilty to the charge preferred  against him, by William Kittrell, of Mt. Pleasant, and accepted a sentence of from two to ten years in the state reformatory.

It was with a sign of relief that Sheriff Houser heard the sentence passed, for he declares Cooper is on of the worst boys he has ever had in jail.  According to the sheriff, Cooper would have shortly bankrupted the county in luying locks to keep him and other prisoners confined to their cells.  Cooper has broken several locks in a mysterious manner since his confinement at the jail and it will be remembered, that a few nights ago he not only broke the lock on his own cell door but also liberated other prisoners from their cells and then broke the lock on a cell containing contraband liquor upon which several of the prisoners got drunk and disorderly.  It was alleged that Cooper stole the horse from Mr. Kittrell and brought it to Columbia for the purpose of selling it, being arrested here by Deputy Sheriff Sam Hardison shortly after his arrival.  

Immediately after the Cooper case had been disposed of, Henry Lambert went on trail for housebreaking and larceny, the charge growing out of the robbery of J. T. Priest's store on the night of June 29, 1921.  It was alleged by witnesses that Lambert spent the money taken from the store for bootleg liquor and in gambling games.  It was also alleged that considerable merchandise was taken. Several witnesses were to testify and it was not thought the case would be completed before late this afternoon.

"Burgess Cooper Given Sentence for Horse Theft," Columbia Herald(Columbia Tenn), 31 March 1922, p 6, col 1; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-13RM-K871 : accessed 18 October 2026), IGN 8963695, Image 392 if 1056.

There is a complete description of the party instigated by Burgess Cooper complete with lyrics of the song they were singing at the following link 

Three Are Convicted In Auto Theft Cases

Burgess Cooper former convict recently returned here from Birmingham to face auto theft charges was on his way back to the State Penitentiary today with a ten-year stretch ahead of him.  He was convicted yesterday before Judge Charles Gilbert in Division II Criminal Court. A jury found him guilty of the heft of J. W. Jaynes' automobile in Old Hickory, September 30, 1934.

Two other men were also convicted of auto thefts in the same court and received sentences of five years each.  They were Odell and Willie Bundy, 241 Treutland Street.  They were accused of stealing an automobile belonging to James Brown employee of the Werthan Bag Company on September 6.

Willie Bundy is under indictment in another theft charge scheduled to be heard in Division II today City Detective W H Williamson claims that Willie appropriated his car last January.  The car was found in Bundy's possession officers said.  

Assistant Attorneys General J N Daniel and Ben West prosecuted in all three cases.

"Three Are Convicted In Auto Theft Cases," Nashville Banner(Tennessee), 1 March 1935, Vol LIX, No 326, p 6, col 6; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHK-93RX-6HSR : accessed 18 October 2026), IGN 8971341,  Image 615 of 1155.