Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-08-06
A MAN OF NERVE.
The Remarkable Career Of General D..
]. Cook.

The Remarkable Career Of General D..
]. Cook.
Whenever you hear that a man Is
going to get you, go after him. Hunt
him up. II necessary get him first
But generally, when the man Is found,
he will not be ready. A talk and an
understanding will remove causes Of
difficulty.
"Give a desperate no opportunity to
draw a pistol. My motto has always
BEEN 1t is better to kill two men
than to have one kill YOU"
These two principles faithfully lived
up to through forty-five years Of ac-
tive life on the frontier as a peace Of
ficer were what made General David j.
Cook known and feared by bad men"
through the whole Rocky Mountain re-
gion from the Canadian to the Mexican
borders, says the San Francisco Chron-
icle. AS a brigadier general in the
army, Indian scout, United States
marshal, chief Of police Of Denver in
county and head Of the Rocky Noun
tain Detective agency, he created a
name that was a terror to the bad men
Of the border. Though he was seven
ty-one years old when he died in his
Denver home last week, there are still
men living In the west who heaved a
sigh Of relief when they heard the
dauntless peace officer had followed the
guide across the range. General Cook
had little respect for the professional
bad man." and members Of that class
knew 1t. In his time he had arrested
more than 1900 Of them, beginning
with his career in Denver in 1859.
Among them were between fifty and
seventy five murderers, all gun fight
ers and professional terrors on the
frontier, who boasted Of the notches on
their gun barrels.
Through so many dangers General
Cook escaped unharmed to an advanc-
ed age. He explained his good for
tune through the curious fact that he
was left-handed in handling weapons.
Time and again the desperate border
men, waiting for first chance had
watched Cooks right hand while pre-
pairing to get the drop. Then sudden
ly Cooks unguarded left flashed out
with a forty four on bewildered pris-
oner. +
Cook did more to drive outlaws from
Colorado and keep the peace than any
other man in the western country.
An Indianian by birth, born in La
Porte, where some Of his relatives still
live, he early entered on the adven-
turous career to which love of peril
attracted him. He came to Denver
and was in the. ordnance department
until 1868.
One Of his exploits was the extermi-
nation Of the Reynolds guerrillas dur
ing the war. Captain James Reynolds,
a Texan; with a courageous band OF
riders, came north toward the close
Of the war. intending to take and de-
stroy Denver. On the way they burn
ed a number Of New Mexican and Col
orado villages Of pro- Union sympathiz-
ers. They were met by Cook and his
rangers thirty miles south OF Denver,
near Elk creek, and a pitched battle
ensued. The Texans were routed with
a loss Of nearly all their forces, and
five Of their captives were shot. One
escaped, however and told a story
that has led to a never-ending hunt
for buried treasure.
It seemed that the guerrillas on
their way north, had attacked and
captured a Mexican treasure train,
from which they secured $4,000, most
ly in greenbacks. These they buried
in locality on Elk creek, intending
to return and secure the treasure after
they had destroyed Denver. The ex-
termination Of the band lost the secret,
and because the only survivor was
never able to describe the place where
the fortune was buried, It remains safe
to this day. Cook hunted for the
treasure often. and every summer par
One Of General Cooks most notable
exploits was the quelling Of the Chi
nese riots in Denver in 1880. Feeling
against the Chinese who then lived
here in great numbers, grew to such
a pitch that infuriated mobs captured
Chinese on the streets and strung
them up to telegraph poles. The law
lesness grew to such an extent that
the sheriff and the police were power
less. and the Chinese quarter. with its
poulation Of 5000 was threatened with
burning. In desperation the county
and state officials appealed to General
Cook for assistance. He swore In
twenty-five picked deputies, all dead
shots and fearless men like himself.
They were known to the rioters as
men who would do their duty, and
mobs dispersed as fast as they advanc-
ed. Without bloodshed peace was res
tored in few hours and many arrests
OF leaders were made.
1t was about this time that Cook
performed feat as famous in the west
as the ride Of Sheridan In war annals.
One Of the banks at Leadville, then a
camp just bursting into fame, was
threatened with a disastrous run.
There was a telegraph, but no rail-
road. The bank officials wired to Den
yer to a correspondent for aid, and
this bank employed Cook to ride 1SO
miles over the mountains to Leadville,
through an outlaw country, to carry
$780, 900 to the distress bank.
Cook undertook alone the danger
Gus mission, and heavily armed start
ed with the fortune in his saddle bags.
Wherever the telegraph wire reached
a stage station messages were sent for
relays Of horses. Jumping from the
saddle of one exhausted horse to an
other Cook spurred over the trail In
less than twelve hours. All one day
the cashier stood at the window and
paid the clamoring crowds Of angry
miners, while Cook was making his
ride. The bank had twenty minutes