Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1901-03-14

lerton sent a couple of wardens up
to3investigate charges made against
Geo. Wilcox, and three, brothers
named Henry, Fred and George
Cook, who for years have spent each
winter hunting big game north OF
upper Red Lake, selling the carcasses
to the lumber camps, tanning the
hides and mounting the heads, for
which they secured big prices from
eastern parties. ...
The two wardens, Messrs. Murphy
ofaFtltOn, and Stephens OF Detroit,
strnHed into the camp OF the poach-
ersin the guise of claim hunters and
remained an entire day. They found
the Cooks and Wilcox skinning a
moose, and secured a snap shot of
the men in the act, beside getting all
soGts ofother incriminating evidence.
Returning to st. Paul they were
authorized to secure a deputy sheriff
frum Polk county, which they did
and proceeded to Germantown, Mar
shall county,, where they secured
three teams and pushed on into the
Wlids OF northern Beltrami county,
tosthe camp Of the Wilcox and Cook
gang on Rapid River.
The officers found Geo. Wilcox.
Henry and Fred Cook at home, and
they were promptly arrested and
ha1idcuffpd. About this time an
Other man sauntered into the camp
whom the officers did not know, but
who proved to be a brother Of the
Cooks. He sized up the situation
ana as soon rs darkness fell he left.
It developed that he rode 65 miles to
Ih;ef River Falls, his intention being
torescue the men aud if possible, get
away with the evidence.
The officers spent day in a side
trip to the camp of Wilcox's father
~ miles distant, but the old man
had been warned and they found
nothing there to incriminate him.
The captured articles that will be
used as evidence against the men are
eleven caribou, moose and deer
heads, many OF them recently killed
land a large number of hides of the
various animals undergoing the
tanning process, besides nine revolv-
ers and six rifles.
The prisoners, heads, hides and
game were placed in the three rigs
and the party started on tile return
tl.iptD Thief River.
I After IN aching Il point on the Red
Lake reservation they were met by
Geo. Cook who was accompanied by
VIM. Benzie, chief of police of Thief
Biver Falls, and Geo. Springer, Il
special deputy, who proceeded to de-
mand the heads under a writ of re-
plevin. The writ alleged that. the
heads were the property OF Carl
kretschmar and E +. Staples, that
they had sent up to Cooks camp to
be mounted and that the animals
had been killed in season.
The game wardens informed Mar
shall Benzie that their authority was
from the state and held over his by
several brass buttons, besides they
were then on Indian land, and his
writ Was no good and would not be
respected by them. Benzie drew a
revolver and attempted to enforce
compliance with his writ, whereupon
a fight ensued, and when the trouble
was over Benzie, his fellow officer
and Cook were wearing handouts,
and the procession was again on the
move.
In order to avoid interference at
Thief River Falls, the route Was d.
verified to Warren, the parties arriv-
ing there too late to catch Satur-
days train.
Today's train brought Special
Agent Fullerton from st. Paul, and
Mr.. Meeker from Moorhead, and
they went to Warren to conduct the
hearing. The arrest having BEEN
made in Beltrami county the prison
ers, including the Thief River police
men, will be brought here tonight
and taken to Bemidji for trial to.
morrow"