The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-17
HOW He KILLED HER
COOK TELLS THE AWFUL STORY
OF HIS CRIME.
HE LOVED ANOTHER WOMAN.
WANTED TO GET HIS WIFE OUT
OF THE WAY.

ised Him They Would Not Tell Tn
til He Had Been Taken to East
man-His Mad InfatuatiOn for a
Young Woman of TattnaII County
Prompted Him to Kill His Wife.
Gave the GrewsOme Details.
Hazlehurst, Ga, Feb. 16.-After the
burial of Mrs. Cook and before leaving
the grave, j. c. Rogers, sheriff of
Dodge county. handcuffed B. Frank
Cook, ]. NJ. Crawford having sworn
out warrant, charging him with her
murder, before Justice of the
Peace J. H. Boone on his way to the
burial as the procession passed through
Hazlehurst and at a time when Cook
was sitting on his wife's coffin.
Cook made full confession of the
murder of his wife to Sheriff Rogers
and j. G. Pace. He says he planned
the murder last Christmas. He had
met a young woman in Tattnall county
and become infatuated with her and
loved her and she loved him, and said
that the only way he knew to get rid of
his wife was to kill her. He said that
he planned and intended to kill her
two weeks ago, but did not get the
chance.
The morning of the murder he was
preparing to come to town, and she
had gathered two dozen eggs and told
him to get her certain tinware.
They had breakfast and sat before
the fireplace, and she asked him what
was the matter with him, that he SEEM
ed troubled and besought him to tell
her. She had asked him this same
question the day before. He told her
on both occasions, nothing is the mat
ter
Pretext to Get the AN.
They were engaged in a friendly, low
ing talk, when a chicken flew up into
flower box in the piazza, and he told
her he would scare the chicken out. He
got up and did so, and got the AK
where he had placed it in the shed rhe
day before for this express purpose.
He walked into the house and ap-
preached his wife's back when she
was sitting in a chair, facing the fire
place, not dreaming of danger. He
swung the ak back and struck her with
all the power in him on the right tenn
pie. She fell to the Hoor her head
striking the wall. Then he saws he
struck her two or three times more
and went to the lot to get his horse.
He could hear her moaning and max
ing noise like she was trying to talk
and knew that would not do, and went
back into the house and struck her on
the back of her head with his full
force. He really did not know how
many blows he did strike her, but with
the last he dealt she CIIiuarod
expired.
He says she told him before the kill
ing that she was fearful for him to
come to town. He and Watson had
had some trouble about a land trade,
and she feared Watson would kill him.
He says that she had always been
deeply devoted to him. and treated him
since they were married like she or
any other good woman would have
treated her babe
Tried to Escape Suspicion.
When she was dead he ransacked
the house, turning and scattering eV-
everything to leave the appearance of
robbery. Then he came on to town and
inquired for mail. He had recently
written his sweetheart and hoped to
get a letter from her. He said that
he loved her, and she loved him, and
that he would be ready to die now
if he could only embrace her once.
He secured the articles his wife
wanted in exchange for the
eggs and went on out to
Crawford's. the victims father, and
got a bushel of potatoes. Crawford
furnished potatoes, syrup and sNch
things for Cook and his wife, Cook
said that he and his wife would be
there the next day, Sunday, to spend
the day. He then returned home, ex-
pecttng some one to have found the
dead body by that time, as the kill
ing had been done early in the morn
ing, and it was then after noon. He
went into the house with his hands
in his pockets and looked upon the
scene.
He said one can imagine how it
is to be in a house when there is none
but the dead and the slayer there.
The blood had covered her head and
was all about on the floor in great
quantity. He turned and walked
leisurely 70 the nearest neighbours,
one-quarter of a mile away, and told
them that while he was absent some
one murdered his wife and robbed
his house Several gathered and
looked for tracks.
Married the Wrong Woman.
Cook said that he found he had got
the wrong woman for wife and loved
another better and had no other
reason for committing the crime He
made his confession to Sheriff Rogers
and Pale yesterday evening as
his friends, they promising not to tell
any one until he was spirited away to
Eastman for safety. He believed if
it was made known he would be
lynched.
He wrote a note to his sister to go
and get his part of the household
goods, three chickens which belonged
to him, all farming implements and
the wagon if Mr.. Crawford would let
her have it, and to pay the burial ex-
penses of his victim.
Cook is % years DID, of small statue
and very little education, but is consid-
cred to have good sense. Sheriff Rogers
said he was no fool by a lot. He was
one of two children, his mother being
dead He does not seem to care for
his awful crime. He seems to have
some kind of hope, but does not fully
realize his position.
Cook says the young woman's
mother, after talking about exchang-
ing her daughter for his wife, finally
told him he might marry her daughter
If he could get rid of his wife.
Cook said he didn't know whether
the girl and her mother meant it or
not as they were always carrying on
some joke and sometimes he thought
they meant 1t and again he didn't
know but that they were joking.
The Superior Court will convene the
first Monday in March. when the trial
will probably be held.