The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-03-06
CLERK COOK HERE.
He Is Locked Up in the
City Prison.
STORY OF HIS WANDERINGS.
His Defense Will Probably Be That
His Safe Was Broken Into
and Robbed.
STORY OF HIS WANDERINGs.

Joseph b. Cook. the defaultiug clerk of
Police Court 1, breathes once more the
vitiated air with which his lungs were for
many years so familiar.
Detective r. Hogan brought his prisoner
safely from Astoria, Or. and locked him
up in the City Prison about 9: 80 o'clock
suffering from asthma on the way down, he
found temporary quarters in the prison
hospital.
There were all sorts of rumors afioat on
Saturday that Cook had avowed his inten-
ton of never being brought back to the
city alive, and that he would, in all prob
ability, seek a watery grave on the "trip
down on the steamer Columbia.
When reporter of THE CALL saw him,
shortly after he had been locked up, he
looked very much alive and laughed at the
idea OF suicide. 1t was apparent, however,
that he WAS still suffering from asthma.
He expressed himself as glad to get back
to the scene Of his former trinmphs, and
did not appear very much worried over his
arrest. There are four charges of felOniOus
ENLIGHTENMENT entered against him.
He declined to make statement in re
gard TO the charges further than general
denial of their truth. He says in effect that
lie is the victim of circumstances. which
Will Ue eADldlueu away az the proper time.
From hints that he dropped 1t Is likely
that his defense will be that his safe was
broken into and robbed of its contents, due
IN large measure to earelessness.
As no one would believe his story he felt
so mean about 1t that contrary to the advice
OF his wife he preferred flight to facing the
exposure.
81 have been in commune ation." he said
with a prominent attorney of this city
ever since my departure, and he is fully
aware OF all the circumstance"
On being asked as to the large perQu sites
pertaining TO the Office of Police Court
clerk which went into his pockets he replied
that it was all nonsense.
That thing, he said, ''has been talked
TO death. There's nothing in it,"
Cooks story of his wanderings s inter-
estinG. When he got to Honolulu he was
arrested by Marshal Wilson while in the act
of leaving the vessel with his valise to have
1t examined by the customs officials. Will
son asked him il his name was -. G.. Wat
son" and on answering in the affirmative
he was taken to carriage and driven to
police station.
He was released on bis own recognizance
and his case brought before the Supreme
Court The case was taken under advise
ment, and. as be had a suspicion that judg-
ment would be given against him, he left on
the Alameda for this city.
Conflicting stories have been told about
the manner in which Cook eiuded the police
on his return in the Alameda. They have
all been wrong, according to his story.
ION the steamers arrival" he said, 81
succeeded in getting into a hack without
being recognized. | ordered the hackman
to drive on to the Oakland ferry-boat, and
remained in the hack during the trip across
the bay.
LAS l was suspicious of the hackman.
paid him on reaching Oakland and went to
lodging-house. l remained there till
night, and, as | was determined to see nv
family, l crossed over on the IL p. NJ boat.
Next day went TO sailors boarding
house and remained there for sixteen days.
Then one night l crossed over to Oakland
and took the train for Ogden. From there
| went to Butte, Mont. then TO Portland,
Or, and finally to Astoria.
Il was very sick while in Butte, and
when | reached Portland l heard the clerk
at the hotel remark to friend, after | had
registered, that they would soon have
corpse on their hands.
in Astoria was looked upon as com
mercial traveller and made quite NUM- Der
of friends"
Cook will be taken into court this morning.