The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-12-09
GUILTY OF mURDEn.
That Is the Sentence Passe on Cook
the Laramie Desperate.

the LArhmic desperate.
The case OF the Territory VS.. Georg,
Cook, now on trial In the district court
Is drawing to q close. Yesterday at
ternoon Cook made a sworn statement
of which we gave a synopsis in last
nights issue. In the cross-examina
tion which followed, Prosecuting At
torney Blake scored him numerically
and made him contradict his own testi
mony several times. The defense had
subpened some twenty witnesses, bui
only the following were examined:
Messrs. W. NJ. Davis, James Butler.
F. Pagan, 1. B. Sheldon, E. N. Allen
r. Pittman. There was nothing In
their evidence Of any real value to the
prisoner, and 1t was plain to be seer
that he really had no defense, though
his counsel labored hard to bring out
any mitigating features-if there ex.
listed any such-of the crime. The
balance of the evening was spent in ar,
guing the instructions, by counsel.
This forenoon, OF the opening OF
court, Prosecuting Attorney Blake
opened the argument by a brief but
pointed speech, in which he rapidly
noted the main features of the tragedy.
He was followed by Captain j. W. Nc.
Intyre on behalf Of the prisoner, who
also spoke briefly, yet made a most
earnest and powerful plea for the &C.
cused.
Colonel S. w. Downey, on behalf OF
the prisoner, followed in his usual elo.
quent manner. The colonel spoke for
two hours or more, and certainly paint
ed his side of the case in the brightest
colors possible, though the damaging
weight of evidence against his client
could in no wise be blotted out, mol
modified but slightly, IL at all.
Hon. j. w. Blake this afternoon be-
gan his closing speech, the court room
being crowded with spectators, many
of them ladies. He went over the
horrid details of the murder, IS ELECTED
from the witnesses, and showed that
Cook, in his statement, had not only
contradicted his own words, but the
testimony of the witnesses whose word
was unimpeachable; that he was not SO
drunk at the time he sent the soul Of
Blunt before his maker, but that he
knew what he was doing, and was fully
responsible for his acts; that in his
statement he had, proyidentially, re.
membered everything occurring on the
night of the tragedy that might in any
way modify the enormity of his crime,
but had, conveniently, forgotten ali
else. The iimsy nature of his state.
ment was shown in a manner which
could not be c~ontroverted, and his
guilt pointed out beyond the shadow Of
a doubt. Mr.. Blake was still speaking
at 3 p. m.
1t is quite probable that we will get 0
verdict this evening. Judge Blair.
charge to the jury will be given as soor
as MI. Blake concludes his argument
and the jury, we predict, will not re
quire much time for its deliberations
The defense has confined its efforts
solely to reducing the degree of crime
in the hope of modifying the verdict tt
one Of ~manslaughter, but the evidence
certainly will not warrant such a yer
dict.
We shall see what we shall see.
Later The Judge finished his charge
to the jury at about $3.50 p. M, ant
they retired. After a wait of abou'
half an hour they announced that the,
had arrived at a verdict.
They filed in slowly and took theil
seats midst a silence that was almos'
painful. The prisoner, who had sat a
motionless s a statue since they re
tired, glanced a. them anxiously, hi
hands trembling and his eyes betrayini
the terrible excitement he was laborin,
under. "Gentlemen of the jury, hav,
you arrived at a verdictp" inquired hi
honor.
"We have, your honor" REPLIED
Foreman Beard.
1t was handed to Clerk Medium
who read:
Guilty, as charged in the indict
ment."
The prisoners head fell forward OIL
his breast. He was remanded for sen
tence.-Boomerang.