Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1895-04-29
VERY TAME DESPERATE
Bandit Bill Cook Making Shirts
In Albany Penitentiary.
SEEMS TO TAKE IT AsAHUGE JOKE.

The Noted Western Terror Has Become
Very Mild Since He Was Brought East.
He Tells How He Came to Take to the
Road.
ALBANY, April 29.-Bill Cook, the noted
desperate, who is under n 45 year sem
tence, has been put ut work making shirts
in the Albany penitcntiary. Cook was
the dude of tho lot who came from the
west this week. He doesn't seem to worry
n bit because he must serve As years.
He went in firmly convinced that all Of
tho courageous officers live out west. Ho
takes the Idea of making shirts as hugo
joke for dude outlaw. Bill occupies
cell No. Al, which is on the main hall, and
he works in shop No. 10.
When no came here. Cook wore pink
shirt and faCetiously announced to
crowd he passed on the way to the peni-
tentiary that this was tho shirt in which
he would play lawn tennis this sum-
mer. Now that no has gone into the shirt
department of the prison, Bill wants to
make for himself n whole pink suit to so
with the shirt
Cook and his criminal chums came to
Albany in passenger car, every window
of which was covered with iron bars The
men were in charge of United States Mar
shall Crump and seven deputies.
Cook Talks of Himself.
In tho ponitentiary during a long talk
with Cook he told why he went into the
bandit business. The government"
said Bill, lis to blame for nearly all the
outlaws that are infesting the western and
southern country. Tho old saying that
whisky is tho downfall of many q man is
| true, as it is in my case. Nearly every
| man who becomes an outlaw in the terri
tory is driven to it by the government off,
cers, many of whom override their duty.
Tho cause Of this Is the hardships
have undergone lodging officers. My
homo is near Gibson City, .. T. I was
arrested more than year ago on charge
Of selling liquor without n license. l man
aged to get out on bond, and as l did not
| return for trial the officers began q search
| for me, and the more they chased after mo
tho moro ! became desperate, and this was
the starting point of my wild career-tho
same do not regret now.
After ! had started out to DO an out
| law and bandit ! was soon Joined by Skeo-
tor, whose real name is Thurman Bal
| dino; Cherokee Bill. Jim French and 9TH
ers The three l have named were my
lieutcnants French was killed fow
months ago while resisting arrest. Skeo-
ter is serving n 40 year term in the Detroit
! prison, WHO CDOrOkeG 11lll, VINO Is q ne
gro, is now confined in tho Fort Smith
| Jail, awaiting trial on several charges of
| murder. So you can SEQ our entire gang
has been done away with.
Surprised and Captured.
II was arrested in Texas, and was
| taken with such surprise that / did not
have time to resist. II had, some one
would have been hurt before they would
have taken me alive In fact, don't
think l would over have boon taken alive
for 1t has always been my intention mover
to be taken olive.
mo, do not regret my wild career
and doinGs of the past, and II they wouit
take these irons off my legs and hands
and allow me my freedom ] would make
straight for the territory and begin the
same work over again. Yes have haC
thousands of dollars, but 1t Is now al
gone l spent my money as fast as got 1t
Il was O bandit for more than q year
during which time my health was good
| ] have To serve IS years now. hope how
ever, after serving few years, l will SO
cure n uarSnn: My parents arc still liv
ing, but they are good, honest people, anC
don want to drag Thorn into this case
was sorry that French was killed. al
though Ind very little use for him, h.
being unGer tho impression that boCauS,
he was vol educated he should have beeI
the leader, and that the world would tall
of the French gang instead of the Cool
gang 1t Is only matter of n short tim
when some other bandit will spring u
and do cvcn holder acts than any of m
gang did.