Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-03-19

shade The notorious performance in
question consisted OF holding up the
entire community OF the town OF sum
ner, New Mexico. at the muzzles OF
their guns. robbing the United States
post office aud Staying in cold blood
an unfortunate bystander who did not
Aobey quickly enough 70 please them
when ordered 20 throw up his
hands
In the end they were rounded up and
captured. and Il fell to my lot TO get In
custody the person OF George Cook.
who was considered the ruling spirit
OF the band Cook. however. was a sui
len and close.mouthed fellow. who re-
fused to give any account OF the ex-
ploiis Of himself and companions. Mas
sagee proved 90 be OF more pliable
mold. and % Was from his lips that the
following confession was obtained.
after he had been safely lodged in the
Jail at Albuquerque:
Il left Iacksboro. Tex. with my bro
Their JOhn. who is two years younger
thaa I am We each had a horse and
drove about sixty-five miles to Mon
tague county. Texas. where We sepa-
20 the hne OF Kent and Sionewau
counties in Texas. After working six
weeks ON A COW ranch. / drove farther
west with two friends We drove
about = month. going 200 miles. camp
ing on the way. and arrived in Tucum-
cart. N. NJ. about the first OF Septem-
Der. who're / stayed two weeks before
getting work on the railroad for FIVE
weeks rested up four days at the
Childress ranch, three miles from Tu-
cumcari. and then went TO the Moore
ranch for three weeks. after which |
worked nine days IN a restaurant at
Tncumart. l then drifted back to
Aoore's ranch. where / met George
Cook. Henry Hawkins, Witt Nell, Pot
ter. John Smith and Frank Isbell-the
gang. Including myself. who pulled on
the Fort Sumner Job.
we first headed for Spikes ranch.
about 2b miles. reaching there In the
night On the way we stopped at
rock house. which was the canp OF
some cowboys. and had supper there
That evening John and Dick Spikes
had been shot and killed by a posse of
citizens from Tucumcarl. Fred Spikes
was wounded in the fight and taken
prisoner TO Hereford. Cook and Haw-
kins went over To the Spike house
while the rest CT US waited about 200
yards away. When our pals came
back they told us what had happened
10 the Spike boys. and Cook swore he
would have revenge
As soon as II got dark we started
on McAdams did not 90 with US. and
as he said nothing about the Revuelto
hcidUp we did not believe he had
heard about H. or imagined that we
were going 20 do any more work OF the
Kind. We drove about % miles to tn
cumcarf. did not stop there. but went
on To the Essary ranch, which we
reached about IL o'clock We then
went on 10 Greer's ranch. three miles
west from Tucumcari. Greer is Haw-
kins' fatherin-law. and his wife lives
with them. We had lunch there and
remained until a. m, when we left
and rode I'm a westerly direction along
the Rock Island railroad Just after
sun-up We reached the top Of the hill
which OTerlooks Palomas. We STAYED
there all that day. as we were doing
most or our travelling at night when
there was not liable 10 be so much
danger Of being recognized. After sun
down We rode of the mountain and
went down to a dugout. where Cook
had horse feed stored, and then on to
Aextcan's house. where We made him
put up supper. We rode fast all night
and before the day broke stopped In a
canyon where we built a fire and went
10 sleep. We slept only until the sun
was well mp and then mounted a hill
where We could observe the horizon ia
All directions. and remained there until
tnree o'clock in the afternoon. We got
sepper At u Mexican sheep camp, rode
north for half mile and then decided
10 go TO the Luna valley. az Cook
said he thought II would be the best 20
hent out for a cooler climate. We rode
All hat night until three O'Clock in the
morning. when we camped on the prai-
ne. where We got all the cool climate