The San Francisco call., 1905-08-26
Tells All Details of
the Killing of
Cook.
His Pal Crowhurst
Aids Sheriff. in
7 lex.

oAKLAD. Aug. z5.-George Blaker. one
of the gang of thugs who are charged
with the brutal murder of Thomas W
Cook and who since the day Of his arrest
has persisted in the declaration that he
had nothing whatever 70 do with the
scTime. has been trapped into a confession
BY Sheriff Frank Barnet. assisted by Eu-
gene Van Court, the official stenographer
a the Oakland Police Court and by
James CrOWhurst, the leader Of the gang
q which Baker vas Z member. Dis
guised as = vagrsnt and seemingly under
arrest Van Court was taken 70 the CoUn-
y jail and tnroWn into q cell IN the same
corridor IS that on which the cell occu-
pied BY Crowhurst Is located, and there
heard the conversation between Crow
hurst and Baker IN which the latter ad-
uaitted that he was one OF the gang who
held Up and beat Cook, and told VINO was
With him n the commission OF the crime
Van Court read the confession. which
he rad taken in shorthand, at the preiim-
inary examination which was in progress
to-day.
Bakers confession was obtained
through the desire OF Crowhurst for re-
Venge after the latter had been told that
Baker had informed on him regarding
the robbery OF Edward Stanley. for which
offense Crowhurst has been held for trial
~ TIE ---DE44DA A-DLAN D46EEL A-c- ADlA
Crowhurst that he wanted 70 talk TO him,
and the pair arranged to conssal them
selves IN TWO cells. one OF which is di-
rectly over the other. and converse while
the other prisoners were out IN the cor
ridors Of the fail during the hour allowed
for exercise in the evening.
Seeing a chance 70 get even with
Baker for telling Of the robbery Of Stan
ley. CrowhGrst informed Jailers White
and Clark OF the arrangement. and a trap
was laid whereby the conversation was
overheard BY Van Court. The stenogra-
pher when brought into the jail was ap-
parently badly Intoxicated, and was
roughly hustled into one Of the cells on
the corridor where Crowhursts cell is,
and then watching his chance he slipped
into the cell under that IN which Blaker
concealed himself from the observation
OF the JsiIers during his conversation
with CroHhurst.
Acting under the instructions of the
Sheriff, Crowhurst asked Baker a num-
Der OF questions relating to the killing Of
Cook, and the latter confessed that he
was one Of the gang who did the work
and acknowledged that he had secured
$3.50 by the crime. Biaker begged Crow
hurst to say that the blood-stained
trousers found IN the Blaker residence
did not belong 10 him. and he related
many important details OF the crime.
Crowhurst was one Of the witnesses at
the hearing to-day, and he testified that
he had conVersed with Blaker in the
County Jail on the evening Of August Is.
and that the latter had told him that he
CBlakeF) was one of those who had held
Cook up and that all of them-Blaker,
Pembroke and Schneider-had struck him
with their clubs. Asked by Judge Frick
what had induced him 20 inform the jail
ers that Baker had asked him TO engage
in secret conversation, the witness an
swere6: Revenge. He told the Sheriff
that Pembroke and robbed Stanley, and
now is my chance 10 get even"
Eugene Van Court was men called and
testified that be had taken down in short
hand q conversation between the accused
and James croWhurst in the County Jail
on the evening Of August Is. Van Court
read the conversation. in which Blaker
admitted 10 Crowhurst the following
facts regarding the crime which resulted
in the death OF Thomas Cook:
That the bloodstained trousers found in
the Baker home belonged to the accused
that he CBlaker) had searched Cook and
secured 500 from his pockets: that Penn
broke, Schneider and he had all struck
Cook with their bludgeons: that both the
others had run away after Cook fell, and
that he had taken the money from the
victim
At the conclusion of Van Courts testi-
mony the hearing was continued until
August 81.