, 1884-12-13

the crime committed by Cook was a cold
blooded and p~remeditated murder.
Cook had been known for several years
about Laramie as a shiftless, staggering
vagabond. a hard drinker and a man dis
posed to be o~ver-bearing and quarrelsome.
For some time previous to the date of
the crime he had been employed as a coal
HEAVIER and general r~oustabout at Medicine
Bow. On Thursday, November 20, 1888,
which was Thanksgiving Day, he visited
Laramie. He had a small sum of money
in his pocket and n s~ix-shooter strapped
10 his waist.
There were living in Laramie at the
time q brother and sister of Cook, the lat
ter of whom was married to a man named
James Blount. who was employed in the
capacity of ~ianitor at one Of this Public
School buildings. Blount too was a shift
less sort Of a fellow who was principally
supported by his wife.
Against Blount Cook had conceived a
violent and ~implacable hatred, principally
it would appear, on the ground that he
was quietly disposed and had presumed to
marry his Cooks sister.
Immediately upon reaching Laramie
Cook started in with the design of getting
deliberately drunk and about evening the
deadly animus which he entertained to-
ward his brother-in-law began to creep
out with that carelessness of consequences
so characteristic of a drunken man.
In one or two saloons which he visited
he publicly confessed his intention of per
forating Blount and lourished his revolver
with savage freedom.
1t was about I O'Clock in the evening
when Cook left L. Abrams saloon on
Front street near South A. He was then
considerably the worse for liquor and had
Just expressed his intention of killing his
brother-in. law.
As he stepped outside, the saloon keeper
barred the front door to prevent his re-
entrance.
AT the threshold Cook unfortunately
met Blount. The latter was unarmed.
Cook Immediately began to buster and
told his brother-in-law that he would have
his hearts blood. Blount e~ndeavored to
mollify the irate Cook and invited him to
take a drink. Instead Cook began to
heap the vilest abuse upon Blount, ap-
plying to him some of the most disreput-
able epithets known to the language.
Blount finally got angry and said he
had a good mind to mash Cooks nose
over his face. With a fierce imprecation
Cook whipped his six-shooter from his
scabbard and quickly fired.
The heavy ball entered Blount's face
Immediately below the left eye and crash
ing through the brain found an exit from
the back part of his head. Blount fell
dead without a moan and his fresh life
blood intermingled with the gray matter
composing the brain gushed and trickled
about, forming sanguine ~rivulets which
found their way to the neighboring gut
ter.
The only actual eyewitness to the dread
full crime was a l2-year-old boy named
Henry N. Brodie. There were several wit
nesses besides, however. whose circumstan-
tial evidence was weighty and important.
AS soon as he was assured of his vic
TINS death Cook started from the town
in the direction of the rolling mills. On
the way he met several persons, of
whom he seemed fearfully suspi-
cious and all of whom he
admonished to keep out of his way under
the direst penalties.
AS soon as the news of the crime be-
came noised about, a posse of police started
in search of Cook and secured the country
in all directions. City Marshal Fee that
night found the revolver which the muir
derer had thrown away on the railroad
track.
Cook wa not arrested until 1880 o'clock
in the morning following the crime. He
was then found by a private citizen, Mr..
Harry Smith, skulkinG about the railroad
yards and evidently bent on escape in a
box car. Smith arrested Cook, who was
locked up, and a verdict of deliberate
murder found against him by the Coron-
er's Jury.
Cook WA convicted at the following
term of Court, but his case was taken to
the Supreme Court on a writ of error.
There it hung fire for some time, owing to
the fact that there was no Chief Justice,
but at length the judgment of the lower
Court was sustained and Cooks last hope
tvaa rona