Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-01-10
Colonel Crook Has a Not
able Record With the
Government.
BEGAN WITH LINCOLN
And Has Served Every
President from the Civil
War to This Day.
By JOHN EDWIN NEVIN.

BN Jol1N hDN IN NEW IN.
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent)
WASHINGTON. Jan. 9.-"Two OF
my men, Cook and Alexander, have
been drafted, and j cannot spare
them, A. Lincoln.
Your long service in the office OF
the president is n testimonial TO your
fidelity to duty. William II. TAFT.
Stretched between the periods OF the
two notes above is noteworthy
career of typical American citizen.
They were written to Col. William III.
Cook, chief disbursing officer at the
White House. Tomorrow Colonel
Cook will round out a complete half
century in the service of the gov
ernment. During that entire period
he has been on duty at the beck and
call OF presidents. All he has served
well. and among his most priced SOU
venirs are letters attesting to this
fact in their own handwriting.
Still Is Vigorous.
Crook has had an active part in
writing the history of the last 80
years of the executive department.
Today, straight as an arrow, his white
beard suuarelv cut. his eyes spark
ling with the vim and Vigor OF youth,
he appears younger than many of his
iSSOCldUtS. anu Ht ldhbS DIS htNp
interest in current affairs as the
youngest appointed clerk.
The colonel was born in Prince
Georges county, Maryland. In the
troublous days before the war be-
tween the states he espoused the cause
of the north AS result he was
driven from home on January /, 1851,
taking refuge in York, Pa. He came
10 Washington on Washington's birth
day of that wear and following Pfesi-
dent Lincoln's first call for troops, en-
listed on April 16, 1861. Colonel
Crook served as a member of the
First District of Columbia volunteers,
doing duty along the railroad lines at
Alexandra, Va, and on the long
bridge across the Potomac over which,
a short time later, the defeated army
of the north retreated from Bull Run.
Immediately after he was discharged
from the army Colonel Crook was ap-
pointed a member OF the metropolitan
police force, as the District of Column
bia police were then known. He
served with distinction for some time.
Finally the White Houhe issued a
requisition for policemen to act az
special guards to President Lincoln,
and Crook was one of those detailed
There were four of these men, and
TO permit the president to go out of
their sight.
1t was on January 3, 1865, that Col
oncl Crook began his duties In the
White House. At that time the presi-
dent had an office on the second floor,
composed of two rooms One of
these President Lincoln used. The
other was utilized by his secretary.
Lincoln's Death.
On the dav of the night that Presi-
dent Lincoln was assassnated Crook
was on duty. He told of that day as
follows:
Il was with the president all day.
Late in the afternoon we went to the
war department. where l sat for two
hours in Secretary Stanton's office,
while the president discussed events
with him. When we left there we
walked across to the White House
The president told me that he was GO
ing to the theatre that night. | asked
him whether. in view of the danger,
ought to go with him. He said there
was no need. AS we reached the door
leading into the White House he
turned to me and, extending his hand,
said:
"'Good- by, Crook"
ut was the first time that he had