This was clue enough, and immediately Gen. D. J. Cook, accompanied by Frank Smith, took the trail of the fleeing scoundrels.
Additional rewards had now been offered by the state, the county and the postal service, swelling the aggregate to $1,700, affording in itself a temptation to the utmost endeavor.
The pursuit was one of the most memorable ever recorded in the history of detective work. The officers left Denver on Tuesday morning, taking the Denver and Rio Grande train. As they traveled down the road they inquired at every station in regard to the men. At Larkspur they met a men who said that the fugitives had taken supper at 6 o’clock the evening before at the house of Mr. Thompson, only a short distance away. At Kelly’s Switch the officers received a note from a Mr. Waterbury, stating that the men who stopped at Wakeman’s were the ones they were after, and that they had gone south. No other word was received by telegram or in any other way by these diligent men until after the men were seen to enter Pueblo. Thompson, at whose house the fugitives had taken supper the night before, directed them by the Templeton Pass road, which comes into the southern road along the Fountaine at Stubb’s, which is twelve miles below Colorado Springs.
At the Springs the officers found Mr. Rickerman, a miller, whom they engaged to go over to the Fountaine road and follow it down, while they would go to Stubb’s on the train, procure horses, and travel up the road to meet him, thus cutting off the pursued. At Stubb’s they could not procure horses, and while deliberating over the matter Rickerman rode in. He had learned that the fleeing men had crossed the Fountaine two miles above Stubb’s about 9:30 o’clock that morning. As no horses could be procured. Cook and Smith footed it to Fountaine, five miles, while Rickerman went on ahead on horseback.
By this time night had come on, and a severe March snowstorm, accompanied by strong winds and occasional sleet, was setting in. Still no horses were to be procured, and the prospect for progress was exceedingly gloomy for the officers. They not only seemed in a fair way not to be able to procure means of pursuing the men, but there was a chance of being compelled to remain out all night without adequate protection from the storm. Just as the outlook seemed the darkest a ray of hope broke upon the scene.
A second Colorado Springs party of five, well mounted on the very best livery horses, and armed with carbines and pistols, and headed by a deputy sheriff, rode up. Cook and Smith had no doubt that they would be able to make terms with these men, and thus be able to proceed with their work. Consequently they made a proposition to the leader of this party to leave two of his men at the place at which they were then stopping, and to let Cook and Smith have two of the horses, agreeing to divide the reward in case the criminals should be overtaken and captured. This proposition caused the Colorado Springs officers to hold a consultation, which resulted in a decision on their part to reject it.
“We can get the men as well as you can,” said the leader. “We have their description. None of our men want to stay here, and we will not make the arrangement you suggest. We will pursue the men ourselves, and will not give up our horses. Your are out of luck, boys. Hope you will do better next time.”
This was a crusher. Another hope was blasted.
But Cook and Smith kept their own counsel and did not lose temper. They took supper at the same place with the Colorado Springs officers.
After supper the party of six, Rickerman having joined them, had their horses prepared for the go, and had mounted, when the leader approached Cook thus: