Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-08-18

cult 10 say. Mccormick, the Snerlu OF
Fayette county, has certainly done all
in his power to break up the gang, but
thus far his efforts have proved worse
than useless. After every attempt to
capture them the outlaws grow holder.
The Sheriff is alike disguised aud dis
pirited az his lack Of success. He has,
so he says, spent $500 of his own money
I'm organizing posses, etc, and has re-
ceived nothing in return. He still be-
lieves that posse Of 800 men could, il
properly directed, surround and capture
the gang. But the great difficulty IS to
find 800 men who are
QUALIFIED AND WILLING
to start on the man hunt.
Mccormick intends TO make one more
effort TO induce his fellow citizens to
aid him in vlndicaJing the majesty OF
the law. IL be fails, and judging from
the records or the past he will, ne will
allow Cooley aud his gang 10 do pretty
much as they please. Knowing all these
things the Sheriff is satisfied that
nothing but a regiment Of the National
Guard can succeed In eXterminating
gang.
At this writing the Cooley gang con-
sists Of nine men. They are: Frank
Cooley, the head and front Of the or
gsnizatiOn, Jack" Ramsey, Jim"
Hutchinson, "Bul" Martin, Ted"
Carl, "Sam" Yeager, Isa Tate, Blunt"
Frey, aud a stranger from the West
Familiarity known as THAT man from
/ Montana"
These nine men are all young men,
none of them being over 30, and from a
physical point of view are splendid
specimens OF manhood. Living as they
do in the mountains they are weather
proof and capable Of enduring almost
any kind Of physical strain. They are
for the most part temperate In their
habits and drink comparatively little
LIQUOR. Each one Of the nine numbers
among his earthly possessions a
MARLIN REPEATING RIFLE
Of the latest and most approved pattern,
six Smith & WesSon revOlyers, a long
keen edged dirk knife and heavy cart
ridge belt of the finest make,
AS a rule they travel in pairs, but il
the 'jOD" is a big one they work as a
unit. They have dozen rendezvous in
the raviues OF the picturesque Chestnut
Ridge, q spur of the Alleghenies. Their
field OF operations is q large one. 1t
includes the villages of FairchanCe,
HaydOntOwn aud Smth6eld, the fertile
valleys in the neighborhood of these
villages and the hamlets located about
the headwaters Of Georges creek, Hork'S
run and RedstOne creek, and large por-
tiOus Of Preston county, w. Va.
Frank Cooley is the acknowledged
leader and his right hand man is Jack
Ramsey. But most OF the head work
is done by a young and pretty woman
named LYDIA Pastorius. She is the mis-
tress OF Frank Cooley and IS exceedingly
popular with the outlaws. She IS
known through the entire section as
"Cooley's Queen" and her influence
with Frank and his associates is simply
marvellous. Every outrage perpetrated
by the gang Is planned by this woman.
But "COoeyS Queen" is such very
clever little woman that she has sue
ceeded thus far in keeping out Of the
entanglementS Of the law.
The gang
IN 1881, or rather, on May Of that
year, the first lawless acts were perpe-
trated which led 10 the ultimate organi-
zation of the gang as we have it to-day.
On May 20, 1851, because Of domestic
troubles, Frank Cooley left home, and
meeting Jack Ramsey, they began their
lawless work by roObIng hen-roOSts and
petty thieving. Then JACK Cooley, son
of Lutte Cooley, joined the others, and
he proved a welcome addition 10 the
band. lie was ready 10 turn his hand
10 any job, from pilfering hen-rOost to
out-and-out robbery. All through the
summer Of 81 the three COoleys and Jack
Ramsey lived IN the mountains. They
finally perfected their plans and COM
Uleted the organization OF the outlaw
band In September the maraudfrs be-
gan active work. They committed all
manner Of ugly crimes in rapid success
sion, and In less than a month had sue
ceeded n making the name OF Cooley
familiar TO every Iaw-fearing citizen in
Western Pennsylvania and Northern
West Virginia. As
THE FAME OF THE GANG
increased its numbers grew with alarm
ing rapidity. Every tough for miles
around sought admission TO the charmed
circle OF the CooleyS But ma
jority of them had ,heir trouble for their
pains. Young as he was, Cooley was
sbrewd enough to know that it was less
difficult 20 handle a dozen men than IL
was to command one hundred hardened
citizens He politely declined to increase
the numerical strength Of the band, but
with a native ShrewdnesS all his own,
picked out bakers dozen OF the most
promising Of the crowd OF would-be out
laws, and sent the others adriit.
Then having reorganized he renewed
operations. IL was late in the fall of
1851 that the gang as a gang met with
It's first reverse. During the December
session Of the Court Jack Cooley came
down from the mountain retreat
aud walked boldly through the main
street OF FairchanCe village. He was
more than three-QuSrters drunk at the
time, and the two local cOnStables found
il comparatively easy task to capture
him. Jack was arrested and taken 10
UniOntowl. Once there he was called
upon TO answer the charge of larceny
made by Farmer Henry Willard. While
the authorities were preparing for his