Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-06-17
COOKE PROCLA|MS
|NNOCENC Of
WRONG
WARRINER IS LIKEWISE
GUlLTLESS COURT is TOLD
Sensational Testimony for De-
fenSe By Man Accused of
Having Hand In Looting of
Big Four Road Treasury,
lBy Morning Journal Special Leased wir.l

| lBy Morning journal Special Leased wirsI
Cincinnati, O.. June 16.--The end
| ing OF sensational trial came today
when attorneys representing the pro-
secution and defense in the case of
Edgar S. Cooke, charged with en-
be2zling $4,000 from the Big Four
railroad said they would forego ar
guments The court thereupon an
nounced that instructions would be
given the jury tomorrow morning.
The decision OF the attorneys Great
ed surprise as it was thought each side
would attempt to reconcile conflict
| ing testimony Apparently each side
was certain of success and willing to
! let the facts Of Mrs Ford's relations
to various officials OF the railway
speak for themselves in determining
the guilt or innocence of Cooke.
| The defense was begun and ended
! today and Cooke himself gave practi-
cally the entire testimony upon which
! ii rests. He denied emphatieally that
he had ever stolen q dollar from the
Big Four or committed any dishonest
acts in his life.
He also denied he was aware that
Charles l.. Warriner was snort $643,-
goo, that the accounts of Frank Com
stock, WARMERS predecessor. were
not what they should have been or
that there was anything irregular in
the conduct of the corporation.
He startled his hearers by declar-
/ ing
Il know that Wdrriner was not
short and | can prove it if | get the
cn5 nee"
Cooke denied he had ever given
Mrs. Ford $4,000 in small bills and
accounted for his prosperity while he
resided with her in New York by say
ing he mad Inherited $4,000 from his
mother. An insinuation on cross-ex-
amlna tion that he had transferred Ger
tain funds to his wife. was met by
the further declaration that Mrs
Cooke had inherited about 100000
from her fathers estate.
Much of the cross-examination was
devoted to questioning Cooke regard
inc the meaning of certain letters
which he had written Mrs. Ford.
declared that references in them TO
money matters were written with
view to misleading Mrs. Ford and to
keep her from making demands on
him He said he really was not with
out funds as he wrote, but he only told
Mrs Ford so to make her believe he
was poor and took small sums from
her with the same purpose in mind.
"Did you get any money from War
riner?" he was asked
Yes. To pay Mrs. Ford S bills.
How much? $1,000 n
"Ob. that wouldn't be anything
Cooke said he had no idea how
much money Warriner had given MN
for Mrs. Ford's expenses.
Cookies memory also was faulty
when he was asked to tell for what
names certain initials used in one let
fer were meant. He explained them
by saving that it probably was part
of his stage play to deceive Mrs.
Ford.
Did you ever have any money
nlanted anywhere" asked Assistant
Prosecutor Cash.
mo, | didn't" said Cooke.
What did you mean in those letters
IN Mrs Cooke In Cincinnati. saying
YOU had to cross the river to get the
stuff?" -.
81 don't remember anything about
that must have made that out oil
whole cloth.
At the conclusion of Cookies tesu-
p,onv ne said he and Prosecutor HUM
had gone over all of Cookies letters
IN Mrs Ford This closed the exam
nation.