The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-15

beuG up nOLe 70 the serReeut on uuLy,
offering ten dollars for that privilege I;
which, ofieourse, was denied him. Ta1la i.
INTERVIEW WITH nR. COOKE. !.
AE o'clock this morning Cooke was visit
ed by q representative Of the Times at his
cell in the 1ssation-honses Of the Second DO.
lice precinct. When his visitor entered the
prison he was standing at the grating. He
was rational,on all points. During the in-
teryiew he paced the eel, at times pressing
his hands to his brow and gnashing his
teeth AS the writer approached he heard
him ask the station-house keeper for PEN
knife; dnd upon entering into conversa-
ton he remarked that he remembered his
visitor perfectly although he had not met
with him for some years. ,...,
COOKIES STATEMENT.
The story told by Cooke. was one Of q
boys love, as follows: "When Twas Is
years old I was engaged to be married to a
girl about my own age. I loved her dovo-
tedly and had every reason to believe that
my affections were returned. An aunt OF
hers broke the engagement; how, I do
not know, but yillianously. The girl went
to the West Indies, and have never seen
her since. Upon leaving this country she
returned my ring, daguerreotype, letters,
and all the tokens of affection which had
passed between us. Her image faded from
my mind, and when about twenty years old
I married my present wife. She was and
always has been the best of women, and we
have never quarrelled during our long mar
ried life Before entering the ministry
I was an actor; and for six months was
upon the stage Of the Old Bowery Theatre.
Up to the time of coming to New York my
life was happy one, and as pure as be6tted
Christian man and minister of the Cos
pei. ] was never unfaithful to my wife in
the slightest degree, even in thought or
deed ). and the story in regard to my visit
ing places of bad repute is fabrication
basely false. When we moved to Seventh
johnson. In form and feature she was
the counterpart of my first love, resem-
bling her in all respects. I became in
fatuated beyond control, and it was ut
terly beyond my power to. resist the
temptation to try and make her mine.
But, although loving her to desperation, l
never had any criminal intercourse with
her and, so help me God, she is as pure
and innocent this night as an angel in
Heaven. Oh! was fool to do such q
thing. Don't palliate my crime, for have
acted most wickcdly, and will bear any
punishment that may be put upon me. [
intended to flee the country, and would
have done SO but for that internal article
in the World yesterday morning. It was
clear tissue Of lies from beginning to
end, AMI | could not forbear facing
him, and seeking vengeance upon him.
I" But for this l would never have been
found out. 1t was this object alone which
forced me from my hiding place. I have
not done with the writer Of that article
yet; and if I ever get out Of this place,
(here the prisoner gnashed his teeth, and,
clenching his fists, struck them wildly
against the iron bars, adding at the same
time with emphas;s,) I will wrcak terri
BILE vengeance upon him. Don't, don't tell
any lies about me, but don't palliate my
crime. Oh, fool, fool that was. My head
is wild, and I shall lose my reason. God
help me, am miserable man."
The prisoner thus stated his case. In
his. excited frame of mind it was utterly
impossible to gain from him any connected
story of the abduction or the means which
he had used to induce the unfortunate girl
to take the course she had, which places
her in go painful position and brings un-
merited disgrace upon her afflicted family.