, 1897-04-26
"C0OKOO' IS LANDED.
THE OLD TRAINER OF \ LARAMIE
HOSE TEAM OCCUPIES \.
FELON'S CELL.
He Relates to a Denver Reporter the De-
tails Of an Eventful Career Upon
Land and Sea-Says He is Not the
Man Who Stole the Tray 0: D!a-
monds-A Shark Story.

H eh' ~ Jays Ilt ~ MI III
Nun Who Stole the Tray 0: Dia
monds-A Shark Story.
Cuckoo" Collins, the sprintcr we'll
known in Laramie as the trainer Of III,
old Gramm Hose team has been re,urne,
to Denver and is now in jail in tina
city, charged with a big diamond theft
The Denver Republican gives an ex
tended account OF his adventures:
AT D o'clock on Monday afternoon
March 8, 1896, Il man entered Gottes,e
ben d Sons jewelry store, 11Oi-llO6 Six.
teenth street, and said he wanted tc
look at some diamonds, as he was apxi.
u to buy one for his wife. He was
shown a tray OF them by Charles H
Leppla, an employe. Then the stranger
SAID he guessed he would not buy a dia.
mond, but a gold watch. One was hand.
ed to him and before Ieppla had a
chance to replace the tray of diamonds
valued at SO, 1000 in the show case the
unknown purchaser made Il ieint at
striking Leppla in the face. While Lep,
pla was lodging the expected blow the
stranger grabbed the tray of precious
stones and fled from the store.
He was pursued by the clerk, shot at
and wounded Greek George who
Joined in the chase, but on Fourteenth
street, below Lawrence, he disappeared
in the alley and was seen no more by
his pursuers.
Next morning the police sent circu,
lars all over the country telling of the
robbery and requesting that James Col
Inns, alias Cuckoo" Collins, be arrest
ed for it. The police say their tip
that he was the man came from a house
on Market street, where ne had given
his photograph t a female friend. This
was handed over to the authorities and
is said to have been identified by the
employees of GOttesleben & Sons us the
picture OF the thief.
LOCATED AT SACRAMENTO.
Nothing was heard OF Collins until
March 81, when the police learned thai
he was living Sacramento. The au.
thorities there were notified, and or
Arril IL he was arrested. He acknOwl
edged his identity, but denied the rob.
berry. At $50 O'Clock last night Collins
reached this city, under the care OF Dep.
uty Sheriff Paul Gregory, and was lodg-
ed in the county Jail.
Collins talked freely about himself
, and his adventures last evening. Ac,
cording to his story he was in Denver
for a month previous to the Maher>
F1tZsimmons fight in February, 1896.
Then he went to Ell Paso, Texas, to see
h fight, winning 5000 on it. After that
occurrence Collins ooh advantage OF a
$2O-round trip excursion to the City of
Mexico, having a desire to see the seat
OF the old Spanish civilization. While
there he staked his money on a roulette
table, clearing 5000 by his luck. Re-
turning to the United States he came to
Denver, reaching here on Sunday,
March s, 1896, the afternoon before the
diamond robbery.
THE TIMELY "WARNING."
The toot-racer says he stopped al a
lower Seventeenth street hotel, and ad-
mits spending a part OF that evening on
Market street. In the fall of 1888 he had
run a race in Albuquerque, n. NJ, in
which a brother of a prominent Denver
merchant had lost 5 $500. Collins was
Gus OF having thrown the race. This
man was on the same train as Collins
when he came to Denver. On Sunday
evening Summit Marksberry met Collins
on the street and told him to look out,
as the police had been notified he was in
town and might job him on account OF
the Albuquerque foot race. According.
~ he took quarters next day in the Dia.
mond block, Nineteenth and Market
streets.
While at supper in a restaurant or
Monday March 9, he learned of the dia.
mond robbery and next morning he
e the newspaper accounts Of it, bul
bad no reason to think he was suspect
ed Of 1t. Before noon a friend warned
MIN to o out, OF the police NIGH
fasten the robbery on him. Taking 6
street car to the first Union Pacific Juno.
ton out OF town. he boarded u train
lot Cheyenne. going thence to San
francisco. There he ran across a Den.
yer paper containing his photograph
and the statement that he was suspect.
Cd. Collins concluded to move without
further delay.
BOUND FOR AUSTRALIA.
Going by steamer to Port Townsend
WASH. he shipped under the name OF
Thomas Robinson rs steward on board
the English sailing chip "Andrina.'
Capt B. v. Smith. It was 2,545 tonnage
loaded with lumber and bound for Port
Pirie. South Australia. Having had
some experience as a cook he was able
to NIL the position, the duties OF which
were to serve the food to the sailors and
wait on the table of the officers. The
ship carried 12 men before the mast.
Collins told the captain he was from
anAHN AM 49, - th<.