Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-02-08
COOK DOOMED.
To MEXICAN
PRISON
AMERICAN CONDUCTOR
IN SAD PREDICAMENT
Held for Months in Jail, Unfor-
tunate Man is Now Con-
fronted With Term in Peni-
Tertiary For Crime of Others,


ny Morning Jonrnai Special Leased Wire,
Guadalalara. Mex. Feb : Judge
Palafdx said tonight he would carry
out the recommendations Of the prose-
cutting attorney and sentence James A.
Cook the American conductor 70 two
yonrs ana ten months imprisonment.
The prosecuting attorney claims
cook is guilty of criminal negligence
The prisoner will be given the right
81 pfoprietory liberty which means
that after hair Of the sentence has
been served his release on parole Is
possible
Judge Pahrfox has signiifed his
willingness "a allow Cook bail IN a
sum Of from 1900 to s2.h0a gold
The prosecuting attorney asks that
sentences OF ten wears and ten months
ana iines of sa00 gold be imposed on
three native hrakemen implicated aud
the liberation Of one
Members of the order Of Railway
Conductors who have been active IN
Cooks behalf. win eontinne their work
for his ultimate acpuitMl and Will pro-
wide the required bond
Judge palafeN Wlll probably impose
the sentences requested at an carlN
date. An appeal to higher court au
thOritles Is nossibe
Tho history of the Cook case eX-
Stends back many months and has %
40 with the extensive robbery Of
freight trains oH the Guadalaiara di
vision OF the National Railways
As a result of these robheres. the
raliroad company was compelled TO
pas heavy cuinls made hy local mcr-
cnmnts Arrests were made but few
convictions resulted and the division
officials finally nid the whole matter
bc fore the general officials in the city
of Mexico with Che request thar ied-
erul officers be asked toenree on the
GuaaaiM inisl authorities the necessity
0f putting an end 20 the railroad rob
bcriee.
'rhe desired fcderal assistance was
secured ANA shortly thereafter the To-
oai authorities launched an energetic
campaign against Tho car thieves,
rhls campaign showed that Mexican
brakcmen, composing Cooks train
crew werc SYSTEMATICALLY robhiug
freight trains throwing off merchan-
disc while the trains We're pulling in
to t;ualalajara al night. The merchan-
dsc was picked up hy confcderates
and later sold TO local merchants.
Fourteen arrests were made. the num-
Dcr incudins three meichants--two
Frcnchmen and j Spaniard-n whose
train wore found
As far as can be learned the Mexi-
can court does not accuse Cook Of
participating in the robberies but held
him on charge ct contributors
negligence" which means that u y
assumed that negligence ON his part f.
in tha care OF trains made It possible
for tho brakcmen to rob the ears.
COOK was called to the third crim-
inal court an August S0 presumably
as a Witness and after some questions
waa committed 10 tae penitentiaiN
where he has since remained
The railroad officials do not con-
meet Cook with the robherics and IN
statements issued by the Guadalaiara
division of the order of Railway Com
ductors Il is set forth that the Mexi-
can hrcakmen who committed the
rohheries declared the American con
.duptor had no knowledge of the
thefts A feature of the Cook case that
reused great feeling was the reiusal
of Judge paatoX to accept bali Tor
Tho American conductor while accept
ing bond For the three foreign mer-
chants In whose possession the stolen
goods were found The Judge based
his refusal ON the ground that the
valne Of the merchandise stolen was
slch that conviction in the case meant
n sentence of five years or more IN
tho pcnitcntia1N ana thul uhuef lnt
Mexican laws acceptance OF bond IN
cases Of such magniturc is not allow
cd He said that he was able 10 ac-
cept bond Tor the release OF the 9th
crs because even in the event of their
conviction of receiving stolen goods
their punishment wouid be less than
five years la the penitcnthrN.
cook came to Guadulalara from the
Panhandle OF Texas more than two
Years ago. His home IS in Fort scott
KAN, where his parents reside. His
wife. who accompanied MIN 10 TINS
city. died of smallpox q few months
after their arrival
Other American railroad men have
been held in Mexican prisons for sew
tral months while cnses against them
were being investigated, but II Is he
lieNed that np to this time all such
cases have involved the killing Of per-
sons by trains. SO far as known, the
cook casc Is the only one that has re-
,nltcd in long Imprisonment in connec-
ton with freight robberies-