Evening journal., 1895-04-29
VERY TAME DESPERATE
Bandit Bill Cook Making Shirts
In Albany Penitentiary.
SEEMS TO TAKE IT AsAHUeg JOKE,

Tho Noted Western Terror Has Become
Very Mild Since He waa Brought East,
He Tells How He Came to Take 20 the
Road.
ALBANY, April 20. bib Cook, the noted
hesperndo, who is under a as year sen-
tance has been put ct work making shirts
In tho Albany pententiary. Cook Was
the dude OF the lot who came from the
west this week He doesn't seem to worry
a bit because be must serve 4b years.
He went in firmly convinced that oil OF
the courageous officers live out west. He
takes the idea Of making shirts as huge
joke for dude outlaw. Bill occupies
cell No, a. which Is on the main hall, and
he works In shop No. 10
When he came here. Cook wore a pink
shirt, and facetiously announced to a
crowd he passed on the way to the peni-
tontiary that this was the shirt in which
he would play lawn tsnnis this sum
mer. Now that he has gone into the shirt
department Of the prison, Bill wants to
make for himself a whole pink suit to go
with the shirt
Cook and his criminal ohums came to
Albany in passenger car, every window
of which was covered with iron bars The
men were In charge OF United States Mar
shal Crump and seven deputies.
Cook Talks of Himself
In the penitentiary during long talk
with Cook he told why he went into the
bandit business Tho government I"
said Bill, is TO blame for nearly all tho
outlaws that arc infesting the western and
southern country. The old saying that
whisky is the downfall of many a man is
true, as it Is In my case. Nearly every
man who becomes mn outlaw In the terri
tory Is driven to 1t by the government Off
GERS, many Of whom override their duty
The cause Of this Is the hardships I
have undergone dodging officers My
homo is near Gibson City, O. T. was
arrested more than year ago on charge
OF selling liquor without license / man
aged to get cut on bond, and as did not
return for trial the officers began search
for mo, and the moro they chased after me
tho moro became desperate, and this was
the starting point Of my wild career-tho
same do not regret now
After l had started out TO be an out
law and bandit I was soon Joined by Skee-
ter, whose real name Is Thurman Bal
dine; Cherokee Bill, Jim French and 9TH
ers. The three l have named were my
lieutenants. French was killed a few
months ago while resisting arrest Skee-
ter is serving a 40 yenr term In tho Detroit
prison, while Cherokee Bill, who Is ne
gro, Is now confined in the Fort Smith
jail, awaiting trial on several charges OF
murder. So ynu can 500 our entire gang
has been done away with.
Surprised aud Captured.
II was arrested in Texas and / was
taken with such surprise that did not
have time to resist. IL had. some one
would have been hurt before they would
have taken me alive In fact, / don't
think ! would ever have been taken alive
for IL has always boon my intention ne~er
to be taken alive.
No / do not regret my wild career
and doings Of the past, and II they would
take these irons of my legs and hands
and allow me my freedom / would make
straight for the territory and begin the
same work over again. Yes, ] have had
thousands Of dollars, but 1t Is now ell
gone ] spent my money as fast as 1 got it.
- was a bandit for more than q year,
during which time my health was good.
have TO serve 45 years now. I hope. how
ever, after serving few years, will So
cure pardon. My parents are still liv-
ing, but they are good, honest people. and
don't want 60 drag them into this case.
/ was sorry that French was killed, OIL
though l had very little use for him, he
being under the impression that because
he was we'll educated he should have been
tho leader, and that the world would talk
Of the French gang instead Of the Cook
gang IL Is only mntter of short time
when some other bandit will spring up
and do even bolder acts than any Of my
gang did -