The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-10-20

robbed him. anu when ne mauc ulrcdlS Oh ven
gcance they shaved his head and run him oul
! of camp. The young man disappeared, and
the next thing known of him ne had joined a
| guerilla band, which was eventually led by Tue
famous Quantrcll 1t was Cook who entered
Lawrence as spy, returned and reported, and
then led the gucrrillas to their bloody work.
When | met hin after the war, as have re
lated, he was keeping rather shady, not know
ing but The Government might want 10 invcsti
gate his doings during the war, lie called on
me, as he said he would, and promptly offered
me the half Of fourteen dollars he had taken
from II soldier soon ai,Cr stopping me. When
declined, he remarked; Well, this Is bad
business, and realize it as iOrcibly as You can
If | was rich | should spend my time writing
Sunday school books and taking care OF or
phan children, but can't keep money long
enough 10 enjoy it, | am, however ying to
reform. ! don't commit one robbery now
where | used to commit thicc, and 1t really
stings my conscience to gun of Il Government
mule. | want 10 make one big haul, and then
I'll get religion and live an honest, uprlght
life; indeed, I'll bind myself to start rcIig-
iouS weekly somewhere
After some further general talk, he brought
forward n proposition that we should go parl
ners in making the big haul' he had alllud-
ed to. Numbers Of soldiers were being mus
tered Uut every week, and most OF them re
Ceiycd upward Of a hundred dOIlSrs from the
paymastcr. Being all from the East they went
home in gangs Of from ten TO thirty, taking thc
cars at Weston. TO reach Weston rom the
fort the men had to go three miles up the river
and then cross by ferry boat. Cooks plan was
to seize the boat, lock the cabin doors, run the
craft up the river a mile or two and rob the
soldiers one by one as they were let out of the
cabin. He thought five men would be plenty
to do the work, and he kindly offered to let me
make one of the number He seemed to have
perfect confidence that would not give him
away to the officials, and when declined his
offer he reflected for Il minute and said: I'm
rob the boat alone"
-Four days after his visit to the printing Of
fee he attempted to cary out the reckless and
dangerous project without assistance AS the
boat left the Kansas shore just before dusk, the
thirteen homcwdrd bound soldiers entered the
warm cabin and sat down. Cook locked the
doors, and then, going up 10 tie Whcelhousc,
he presented a revolver at the Captains head
and ordered him TO run up stream. 1t was co
)r die, and the boat took the new route. The
soldiers below scented dancer in the move
ment, and breaking down tie door they hunt |
,d Cook Ovcg1oaiH The water was iLll Of
loating ice, but yet he swan 800 feet and IS
,aped the fifty DULLES fired from rcvolveis. |
lid not see him for TWO weeks a,tcr that. Then
IL came into the Office one day and asked me |
o take hand in the robbery of the Paymac-
or at the post \ bell WIS 20 be given i'll the
lily next night, and Cook argued that most OF
he officers at the pos would go down. The
aie III the Paymasty,S office was small one,
md the only gu.rd was a detailed soldier.
Who acted as clc.ll and slept in the room where
he safe stood. This man wa to be won over
n put out of the way, Cook didn't care which
| told him if he die no; at once abandon the
dea / would certainly give notice OF his inten-
ions, and likewise gave him To understand
hat | should not support 9uy OF his schemes
n any manner, but would, on the contrary,
ather aid in bringing him to justice He
greed TO Start for ST. Louis chat very evening,
nd talked like a man who really meant to do
etci. But at midnight the next nj ght he and
wo others stole the safe, hauled it 10 the river,
nd thcn hrCC miles up steam on the ice, and
rOkc it open and secured about fourteen thou
and dollars in greenbacks. Cook escaped,
)sing all his money, while the Others were
apturcd before they had used more than
II ugh to pu chase horses with.
Six months later Cook was loafng around
'ori kearny, whcn a soldier identified him.
iXteen cavalry men pursued him rs he fled.
ic was well armed, and, after riding about ten
lies, nc ulSllOunicu, ~Ol slPllcI III II Duildlo
allow, and it is a plain fact that he beat his
usuers off and took his own time about go
lg. Two or three weeks ater mat he attempt {
i train robbery on the 81. Joe road, and Il
ear ago man who ! know was Cook at
,mptcd one near Hannibal, having ten meh
18th him. Three or four months ago he wrote
he f.om Fort Scott, Kansas, sending news
aper item which described the narrow escape
t "a horse thief from "A party of vigilans, In
is letter he wrote:
You used me white that winter at Leaven-
'orth, and | shall never forget it. don't sup
ose you'd Ike 10 come down here and 30
hares with me in stealing horses; but we are
ow laying plans tor big haul, and if it sue
eedS you may expect at least diamond pin.
'h, by The way, | haven't reformed yet Is
lere any congregation in your city without a
astOr?"
| think Cook and his gang were planning
he recent railroad robbery, and haven't the
aSt doubt that he was the leader in the affair.