MOBERLY A SCENE of WILD EXCITEMENT “On Saturday evening last three men came to this city, stopped at the Grand Central Hotel and registered as Wm. Curry, J. Curry and G. Smith, Ottumwa, Iowa. They are notorious horse thieves and desperate characters, being three brothers whose real names are Nicholas, John and Richard Cooke of Mt Sterling, Ill. As will be seen from an extract below, the sheriff and his posse attempted to arrest them at Topeka, Kans., the other day, when there were four of the men and two women. The sheriff was badly wounded, the deputy was slightly wounded and the thieves escaped. Marshal Lynch received intelligence that these desperadoes were in the city, as they were recognized on our streets yesterday. This morning, about twenty minutes before 12 o’clock he with Officers Stidger and Keller stopped them on Reed street, just east of Williams and in front of Mrs. Keiser’s millinery store, when one of them instantly drew his revolver and opened fire. The marshal and his posse returned the fire. Then the Cookes began to run and fire as they retreated. They ran west to Fourth street, thence south to Burkhartt, thence west to Fifth, thence north to the alley and thence west to Sixth street, coming out at the rear of the Baptist church. Here were two horses with side saddles on, hitched in the rear of the church and belonging to Mr. Thornburg. His wife and cousin had ridden in and hitched them there only a few moments before. Then Nick and John mounted and started south on Sixth street to Fiske avenue. Thence they turned west and followed the avenue to the rear of Ben Whites’ residence (old Towner place.) All this time they were being followed by a large crowd of men who kept up a continual firing, the balls whizzing around in every direction. One of them followed the alley west to Elizabeth street and thence to the woods, closely pursued by the marshal and others. The game being divided the crowd divided, some pursued the men on horseback, and some the fugitive on foot. As stated above, the two men on horseback were overtaken in the southwest part of town. A well directed shot from Charley Rodes’ shot gun tumbled one of them from his horse, the load striking him about the head. Capt. Jim Ragsdale, who had previously shot the other in the hip, rode, up behind the solitary horseman and knocked him from his saddle with the unloaded shot gun. Both were captured there. It was found that John Cooke was badly wounded, having been shot three times in the first firing on Reed street. He had to be brought in on a dray, as he was too desperately wounded to walk. The other, Nicholas, was wounded in the hip, but was able to [sic] walk to own. Since the above was written, we have seen Marshal Lynch who says that he followed the now dead man north through the alley between Clark and Williams firing at him as he ran till he exhausted his pistol. The man turned west on Coates street pursued still by the marshal. Somewhere west of Williams the desperado secured a horse and jumping upon it fled as fast as he could. The marshal got a horse from the livery stable and called upon Mr. Than Haworth to accompany him. The two pursued the fugitive to a hollow in the vicinity of the reservoir, where horseback riding was impracticable. Here he dismounted and attempted to climb a hill on foot. Either by accident or design, the desperado fell and Marshal Lynch closed in on him. But when he had got pretty close the fellow drew his revolver and fired four shots at the marshal whose pistol was empty. He then rose and attempted to get away. Marshal Lynch was satisfied the man was badly wounded and that all he had to do was to follow him. Cooke had not gone far before he fell a second time, when the marshal presented his empty pistol at him and ordered him to throw his pistol away. This he did, and when the marshal went up to the wounded man the latter begged that he would kill him at once. The marshal saw that the man was in a dying condition and sent some Negroes for a pail of water and others for a dray. The man sank rapidly and although alive when placed in the wagon, he was dead before he reached town. The body was taken to Williams Bros.’ undertaking establishment, where it was viewed by thousands of our citizens. On examining his pistol after the surrender, it was found that one chamber was still loaded; so that the Marshal ran a very norrow risk in going up on him as he did. Marshal Lynch lost a fine silver watch in the pursuit. After the termination of the chase, Mr. Nicholas Dessert of this city was called into to identify the dead man and the prisoners, which he did, having been raised with them at mt. Sterling, Ill. The worse wounded of the two, Nick Cooke, talks freely and sent a telegram to his mother, Mrs. John Shehan, Mt. Sterling, Ill., detailing the facts. He will die before to-morrow. During the pursuit, the men passed near the house of J. D. Rust. The men following were calling on everybody they saw for guns or pistols. Mrs. Rust ran into the house, produced a shotgun and cartridges and handed them to some one, who in turn gave them to Mr. G. L. Hassett. Hurrying form Fifth to Sixth street, Mr. Hassett handed them to Capt. Ragsdale who was on horseback and who subsequently knocked John Cooke from his horse with the gun. Moberly has not been so excited since it was a place. Everybody was following the desperados without knowing why or on what account. There were perhaps 150 shots fired from the beginning to the close of the game, and strange to say, although the shooting was indiscriminate, not a citizen was touched, though all three of the thieves were wounded several times. Below we give an account of the exploit of the four brothers (only three of whom were here) at Topeka not long since. The world is well rid of them, as they are desperate dare devils, capable of any crime. The inquest on the dead man is being held as we go to press. An inquest on another will more than probably have to be held to-morrow. The men were all well dressed and brought three $30 overcoates from Ben Levy this morning. NOTES: Richard Cook, who was killed, had $74.00 on his person, gold cuff and collar buttons, and was cleanly dressed. Had a big scar on his right thigh. Ball entered the small of his back about the belt and came out in his breast near the right nipple. Had two letters addressed to William Gannon, Moberly, Mo., one was postmarked at Topeka, the other at Kansas City; had also several of the Grand Central Saloon Pool checks. Nicholas Cook had $105 on his person. John had $5 on his person. The citizens generally deserve great credit for the promptitude with which they followed the Cookes to-day and eventually effected their capture. Both white men and colored men followed them, each vying with the other to be at the front. One of Mr. Thornbridge’s horses was shot in the thigh with a pistol ball and in the upper part of the hip with buckshot. The other was shot in the nose and near the left eye. The first was badly injured and will be a long time recovering if it ever does.”; MDM Monday 4 Dec 1882 Continues with the Topeka, KS events, from the Globe-Democrat