Huntsville gazette., 1881-06-25
Setting a Trap for a Thief.

- MI. James uCo26A OF kAteSzGounty,
4 To- a q entineA hd n owner 9f =
n .ss 20 ns IT :; ss~s s,sss e.
Saturday about midaight, while seated
in front of the hotel in comfortable
armchair, he fell asleep, and was
punched up bYDlI8 eD Who 1dldg hin
he was in danger OF being robbed. Mr..
Cook replied rather shortly that if the
peeler could attend to his own business
he had better not try to run Mr.. Cooks,
who was competent to attend to it him.
self.
The officer retired, feeling rather
aggrieved at the reception he met with,
and was not surprised to learn after
ward that while Mr.. Cook slumbered
, ~ neacefalg psAie 9tair some i%e Prior sa
. sw8|eh &ndTothG 9aluables, a,6ounting
A@tUu0b0W $500. This would excite but
little interest, being an occurrence as
common as tea for breakfast, but Mr..
Cook determided there should be, .
/ ,i0eriuelito the story In the language Of
the otiicsr, making the report, s'lhene
squaled, /" but providing himself with an
old-fashioned' Colts navy, of gigantic
pattern, and new watch and imposing
chain, took his seat the next night in the
same place, and was soon, to all appear
ances, slumbering as peacefully as be-
fore. He remained there until about
buf O'Clock, but was not smolested. He
was persevering man, however, and
yesterday morning shortly before day
light the bait took. Two young fellows
3 came doYns the streeti saw the watch
chain, and one of them Ttripped over;
!. Mt.1Cook'sl legs. Mr.. Cook never
moved, and oafter walking past himj
L. q ,ok = hn v~otp,r ,od nd
shook HIM BY the shoulder. He an,
swered only by grunt, and the thieves
went for his pockets in the latest and
most approved style. Mr.. Cooks hands
lay on his lap, one under and the other
above an old newspaper, and the upper
hand suddenly drew the paper aside,
while the other swung up the navy at
full cock.
The thieves could not stand the sight
of it and fled. Stop!" said the gen.
tleman from the country, and the COM
mand not being complied with, he
turned loose on the foremost one, send
ing bullet through his elbow and
bringing him to the ground. The other,
to whom terror seemed to add wings,
sfaixlyfe toward Tony Faust's, where 4
Ggnber pt hsne were sitting, and, for
Tear OF hitting some of them, Mr. Cook
ut0 uOt uTc dI ulu3 uS SOuuu VI tuc
pistol @Inplone3 an officet. who found
Cook gently waving the navy at his
prisoner, and advising him in q coaxing
way to keep quiet. Both yeretaken
to the station and locked up, but Mr..
Cook was released short time after and
went before the Grand Jury, who found
an Indictment against the man he cap
tured. The latter is apparently nine
teen years old, and gave his name as
James Riley, although tits believed to
be Farrell.
Mr.. Cook forced good many smiles
at the Four Courts by his narration of
the facts, letting them out in a straight
forward, countryfied way, and declar-
ing. that. he could have got the other
feller lust as Nell as motif he hadn t run
toward the erowd, where shewas afraid
he would hit some eSinnocent-party if he
fired again" Mr.. Cook has not got his
watch back, but has had some satisfac-
ton for its value.-St. Louis Globe Dem.
OcTH1 ~