Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-14
MURDERER
TELLS STORY
OF CRIME
FRED D. COOK NOW IN COUNTY
JAIL
GUILTY CONSCIENCE DRIVES
MAN TO SURRENDER
Wife Slayer, Hunted for More Than
Year, Explains Reasons
for Giving UP to
Police


he surrendered himself ten days ago 20
the police of Fort Worth, Tex, he has
been fugitive from justice, and 1t was
the ever present, haunting fear of the
hand of the law which finally broke his
iron nerve and drove nim to surrender.
Had it not been the guilty conscience
which made him shudder and shrink every
time he was spoken to he could probably
have gone on to the end of life, free from
the laws clutches, and the mystery of
his disappearance on the night of the
murder would never have been solved.
Sheriff w. A. Hammel arrived in Los
Angeles last night at 740 o'clock with the
prisoner Cook was given something TO
eat and then after a brief talk with men,
bers of the press he went to a cell and
retired.
Cook is in poor health and is but a
shadow of his former self. Carrying
around the country with him his burden
of guilt has not helped his physical well
being, and he plainly shows the signs of
the strain under which he labored.
On the trip from Texas he gave Sheriff
Hammel no trouble and devoted nearly
all his time to reading novels. He was
always prompt to the call for meals, but
ate little at any one time.
Makes Statement
At the Jail last night he gave out the
first statement of the awful tragedy of
that Monday night more than year ago,
explaining from his standpoint how and
why the tragedy was committed and his
movements thereafter in escaping arrest.
If his statements as to his movements
Immediately following the murder are
true he simply played tag with the police
department and the sheriff's officers and
moved at will through the city and county
for nearly a week, coming in contact
almost daily with officers who were
searching for him.
More than year previous to the mur-
der of his wife Cook deserted her and
their two children in Boston. Mass He
came to Los Angeles, and Mrs. Cook, as
soon as she learned of his whereabouts,
followed him across the continent.
When she arrived here she found Cook
was living with another woman and she
sued him for divorce. This she obtained
on the ground of desertion
In the meantime she had secured posi-
ton as housekeeper at the detention
home, and her two children were living
with friends at Santa Monica. Mrs. Cook
made daily trips to the beach city to see
them.
Woman Feared Him
On several occasions Cook visited the
woman at the detention home, and she
finally appealed to the sheriffs office to
keep him away, saying she was in deadly
fear of him.
Cook was warned away from the home
and thereafter did not visit his former
wife there, but he made several trips TO
Santa Monica to see her.
Two or three days previous to the mur-
der he had his hair dyed red and secured
false mustache, which completely
changed his appearance.
He did this by explaining to the man
who dyed his hair that he was such an
expert roller skater that he had been
barred from all contests at Merleys rink
and he wished to get into race down
there as an unknown.
On the day of the tragedy he went 10
Santa Monica and waited near the car
terminal until he saw his wife board a
car for town.
He boarded the same car and obtained
a seat near her. When the car was less
than half way to town he drew a revolver
and shot her, and then escaped after a
| struggle with one of the passengers VINO
attempted to arrest him.
| When Cook jumped from the car he dis
appeared so far as the police and officers
of the city and county were concerned.
Tells Story of Murder
At the jail Cook made the following
statement:
"On the day on which I shot my wife I
went to Santa Monica at her request and
| by an agreement with her to get my
children.
"My wife had been intimate with man
who was employed in the sheriff's Office
at that time.
IT found this out by Disgusting myself
and watching her. This accounts for my
| red hair and mustache.
'I called at the detention home where
she was employed and taxed her with her
guilt and she admitted 1t. 1 demanded
that she give up the children to me and
she agreed to do so.
"I went to Santa Monica that day to
secure them, but she refused to let me
have them.
geles with her and was sitting in the seat
talking to her. Suddenly an impulse
came over me to kill her.
"I fought with all my strength against
this feeling, but could not overcome 1t.
pulled my revolver and shot her.
81 then fought with some one on the
car who tried to stop me and in that
fight dropped my pistol.
''I though the stranger would get the
pistol and shoot me- so jumped off the
car. I stopped where got off. had no
idea of running away.
Remained on Scene
| II waited Jnere lot Some IlIne lor SoHle
one to come and arrest me. After time
a car loaded down with officers came
along and stopped a few feet away.
II watched them for long time hunt
ing around through the fields with Ian
terms Several times 1 was about to cry
out where I was, but something held me
back and after a time the officers went
away and 1 saw no more of them.
"I then walked to the house of n
Frenchman near Sherman whom knew
slightly and staid there all night
II bought food from him and the next
day 1 walked to Redondo. passed ths
day lying around the wharves and watch
ing the fishermen. I saw copies of the
papers with my picture in 1t and read
the stories of the killing.
"The day following / went to Long
Beach and passed my time there. I saw
several police officers and stood right
alongside of one at a fruit stand while
l was buying apples.
at then came to Los Angeles and passed
the following day here. 1 met dozen
policemen knew and in a lunch counter
sat next to one who had a paper in his
hand with my picture in it.
"That night l caught freight train
out of town and rode as far as Cotton. I
stopped at the hotel in Cotton until the
next night when caught another freight
| a.. - flae