The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-12
FIEECING A PAYMASTER.
CANNING CONSPIRACY ~ CIVIL
WAR DAYS That MELTED $40O.OOO.
Major I. n. Cooke. infatuated with Games
OF Chance. Fell Into Sharpers' Hands
and the Government suhered-Habeas
Corpus Suspended to Oct Some OF II Back.

| Major I. n. Cooke, infatuated with Games
| Of Chance. Fell Into Sharpsrs' Hands
and the Government suhered-Habeas
| Corpus Suspended to Get Some OF II Back.
WAsuINGToN. Nov ii.-One Of the most
extraordinary cunSpraCieS to secure money fraud
ulently was that formed by coere ufWesiern
gamblers in the fall of 1862 to fleece Major lisa aC
y Cooke an Army raymaser II succeeded
far beyond the most snngunc expectations Of
most of the sharpers engaged in the game, al
though the originator Of the conspiracy believed
that by careful work cool million could be- taken
AWAY from Cooke before the Government could
stop it, The astounding result partly vindi
Gated his judgment In one form or another.
either by cheating ar Uutplaying their victim,
they secured such fabulous sums Of money as H.
alarm even the Government phymastcf Cooke
went up against" brace games Of faro. marked
cards and Confrdcratcs at poker. and various
other skin games" Ia the tune ~ si8i. 800 Ger
tninly "a il disclosed by the official records. and
il is probable that he lost all told over siOO 900
The late Gen. lluraiu g. Wright who com
mandrd the Department Of the ohio at the time.
with headquartersn at Cincinnati once told the writer
that the detectives were satisfied that Cookies
losses Appropriated TO $500 600 and lac himself
was inclined TO think the total reached $500. 900.
In 1891, while compiling war records. had run
across some fugitive papers relating 10 Cookies
case which cmanatcd from Gen. Wright who was
then living in Washington retired officer.
| called upon him TO inquire into the matter ont
Of mere curiosity. having been as,onishcd at
the enormous amount Of the dcfalcaton The
General remembered the ease very well. and his
first remark about It related to it's singular SUE.
cess despite the fact that not less than a score
Of persons. gamblers. "cappcrs." and even women
were engaged in the conspiracy. and were ac.
utrsI he h,1J ~ . a
successfully.
Gen Wright said that every blackleg along
the ohio River from Cairo t. pittsburg and from
Cincinnati tu Cleveland We're "untu" the game
iu rob Pnymastcr Cooke throughout the fall Of
1862. either directly participating or hoping some
how ~ share In the swag From the moment
their attention was fixed upon the paymas,cr's
craze for play. for more than three months there
was not day that Major Cooke was not Swallowed
from town To town by members NJ the gang II
not accompanied openly hy some of it's gentle
men" dccuys Two volunteer army officers were
thought to be- IN COLLISION with them hut /, was
impossible Ia fin the gull, legally upon thrnL
Cooke was 81 cunningly manipulated. KEEP, 81
infatuated with the game and so encouraged
with the hope of winning out that the poor fellow
realized that he had been for several months
systematically worked" by gang ~ proics
SIGNALS scattered In four States. until their work
was completed aud he was ruined
T,,l,, O.. ,,,,, ,,,,,,,,.,.I l., .i ,,,.,..
w "'''' '"'p''" "" ny MS S"P""'
uhul MS gr'hi losses hhd hnnkruptrd his pay
chest Tho gAmrstcrS never let GO of him. nor
did ne amt the gam, up,,i h,s shortages .,ro.,d
him As drfaulter lie was dismissed from the
service on Dee 20 1862 rhis act cut off his
.rr,l,.s ~ G,,,r,n,.,, ,,,,,,I. I'D ,,, ,,,,,,,,
"p''' " "",' Nv '"',"' "'" VI, hammers
had II" iui'hrr use t"t '""kr ten wright r..
marked also upon another remarkable feature
81 ,n. .,,.,d. tr ali ,n,. ,,.,d ,,J ,,,,,,,.I. g.,
~ ' ".' Wv go """ '""NN" W.
"'Ne = lheNhauSubr supply "' money, ptrSum
ably nruusinR the usual jealousy and heartburn
iu,,- not one # the, pans b-,t,yr,l IN, srL,p,.
ny" Wv '''' NV
" we 'N'Hmth' "ih'inIN ~ ran us course
until Cookies dcfachtiou prr'nrre closed itself
, a.. r,.,.-,,,. !, ,...,,...., ~, -,
Ii, -. s"''' "D
'"uHh 'E'' III H""d ihlfIN nt"t WINE the "lhrf
wolves picked Cooke
Iisnrnhnbl, ibrr, WINS ma, ~, much ,f IN. d.cr
~ w.
tH'" conspiracy Hp''"' 'h'S nlh'f rs ''h NhEh'
believed Nu firmly. Cook was sporty" naturally,
, = ,,,s .s,d ,,d 1y,, ,.,u,,. %. ,,,,.r ,r,,,.
" ~ "'' W "''' wy ''"'" ''"p,'
NTA