Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-04-03

rn~mdeucc Man Cr1bbeA -.laen.
albert pike One or isis Victim =
Adventures Of a ABOgus Dctec.
tive
Capt. AL. S.icooper, of Memphis, well
made, rather stout, good looking man, OIL
apparently twenty-cight or thirty years Of
age, Was up before The City Court yesterday
morning on tie rather serious, tut very
fashionable charge offelony. The immedi-
ate cause of his arrest, was complaint en-
tered By Mrs. slack, u boarding house
keeper, who accused him Of victimiziBg her
out Of a considerable board bill, by false reps
RESERVATIONS. On the exsmin ne tr al some
curious passages n his career were devel>
oped, which we propose TO make public, 10
The hope that the experience Of his victims
may prove . warning to those who may be
placed in . position 70 become the dupes OF
similar characters.
Cooper came to this city during the latter
part Of last November or aboutccthe first Of
December. He made his advent In the
chs Pscter Of detective, tracking up party
who had burglariously entered The room Of
Gen. Albert Pike in Memphis, and abstract.
ed several hundred dollars in gold and soma
sreenbacks thereirom. He bore letters Of
credit to prominent Masonic parties in Cairo
this CITY and Cincinnati from Gen. Pike,
stating the objec, of the bearers business.
,ssing them to lend him any aid aud assist<
ance that nigh. be in their power, and
pledeing himself 10 honor his draft for sums
of from fifty to seventy five dollars. He
presented his credentials in Cairo, and drew
seventy five dollars upon them. He then
came 10 this city and obtained . similar
sum from the Masonic Savings Institution
upon the presentation Of his letters OF creds
IL. After visiting several gay places IN
town, aud deposi,ing the major part OF ms
funds in faro banks, he showed on to Cin-
cinnati, where he drew another threc-quav
ters Of a hu ndred. A. that point he wal
over,sken by orders from Gen. Pike to
abandon the chase, as his drafts wero be
coming too frequent, and the expenses wer
becoming larger than the game.
This source Of revenue being thus sum
,narily cut off, he returned to Louisville
where he has been busily engaged in dc;nI
nothing. except Tor . very brief period
when ho was employed in . Market stree
saloon, in the capacity of bar keeper.
In the meantime our own detectives ha'
not been Idle in the very laudabls task Of
hunting up information in regard to him
They learned that ct one time during th
war he was engaged in the detective bust
ness in Nashville, but being detected il
discriminating prsstiees, had been sen
north to the Ohio river BY order Of Gen
Thomas He next turned up in Memphis
where he repre- scented himsslft to Gen. Pike
on the occasion above mentioned, - Chis
of the Independent Police, and informe
that gentleman that he suspected q certai
party. who had gone up the river, Of rob
bing the latter, and proposed to hunt hin
down. The General employed him - "
have stated, and with the result alread
mentioned.
His career in this city has been for frol
creditabe. His associates have been gau
bers and prostitutes, and bilking' hotel
and boarding houses has been his chic
pastims. Judge Craig, after hearing th
testimony, could not hold him over on III
charge Of felony, and yet did net feel it hi
] duty to dischsrge him, 90 he split the dit
ference by requiring him to give bonds i
the sum Of $500 for his good behavior fo
the term Of sixty days Louisville Jonrna
22d