With this the officers marched out of the saloon with their prisoner, and he was soon securely locked up in jail and all the stolen property recovered in less than an hour’s time after the first information of the Pueblo burglaries was received.
The next morning Gen. Cook started to Pueblo with his prisoner, who was greatly frightened at the idea of going back to face the wrath of those whose confidence he had so grossly abused.
“They’ll hang me; they’ll hang me. I know they will.” Thus he pleaded.
“Well,” replied Cook, “you’ll doubtless deserve it. Didn’t I tell you if you didn’t get out of this country, and keep out, I would overtake you? Haven’t I been as good as my word? There is nothing left for you but to go back and stand trial. I’ll protect you while you are in my keeping. Of that you may rest assured.”
Engaged in such conversation as this they journeyed on down the narrow gauge—then the baby road, indeed—to Pueblo. They met only a slight demonstration there, and officer and prisoner were encouraged to believe that all apprehensions of violence had been unfounded. White was turned over to the jailer and was locked up. No unusual demonstrations were made, and after remaining at the prison for a little while and observing that all was quiet, Gen. Cook withdrew.
The next day the preliminary examination of the prisoner took place before Justice Hart, and resulted in his being bound over, on seven separate indictments, for burglary, larceny, etc., in the sum of $8,500, to appear for trial. He was remanded back to jail.
Gen. Cook was detained as a witness, and was thus compelled to remain over two nights in Pueblo.
The evening of the second night he spent with several friends, including Sheriff Allen.
He was absent from his hotel until about 12 o’clock, and was just returning to it in company with Allen, when the somewhat notorious “Hoodoo” Brown rushed up, with the exclamation:
“There’s hell to pay at the jail!”