THE DOG CHARMER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2715, 9 March 1916, Page 9

THE DOG CHARMER

I KING Oil' PUT TIIIISVIOS SICN'TJ.ONOKI), Aiinthor niilostone in Ihu fitful journey of IMl'. William Cook's life was marked at tho Umdou session* and for -twelve calendar mouths hie old lmuntrt will linow him 110 inure (nuyii tho "Daily Mail." lln i;i tho "king of don stnnhirs," a most churniing gentleman with a matiiutr irretiisl.ihlu, among tho konnelfi of tho West J.Ond and Suburbia. In the courso of his somewhat chequorcd hut always interesting cureei ho has stolon more packs of hoiindn than anybody on. this earth. Prison always had terrors for him, but he braved them all for the cause ho had mado so particularly his own. lie could never resist tho wag of a tail, and no dog at tho end of that tail coul.l resist him. How he worked Iho oracle was novoi discovered. Ho began his studies in natural history as far hack as 1864, probably earlier; hut it was then that lie first camo, through an error of misplaeod conlidcnco, into tho hands of tho police. Mo sprang into famo at ono hound by stealing Mr. Montagu Williams's beloved pot ( a beautiful collie. Tlio famous Q.G., in his hook of reminisoenccK in 1890 himself tolls bow,- alter weeks of anxious search for tho dog, Mr. Cook, turned up at his house one day. "Lost' u dawg, sir, I believe?" said 110. "Gol[io dawg, valuable dawg, sir. I'vo heard of ono which answers tho description from nose to tail. It's all square and right, guv'nor. I. know a p;il of mine as might be able to work tho bantmal back." , "So anxious was I," sayß.Mr. Williams, "to recover Rob that I was willing to agreo to any terms and l gave in without further parlance. It was arranged that I was to bring the money (£211) in gold to Shorcditch Church at half-past seven o'clock that night." Tho ap]X>intmcnt was kept 011 a hitter, rainy night. "Now, sir," said. Cook, "give us tho quids, and in fivo minutes yon shall have the dawg!" And ill less than that time llob, mad with joy, was in his master's arms. Some timo afterwards swift retribution fell upon 31 r. Cook*. At tho .sellsame sessions which saw the "king's" thirty-first sentence Mr Williams was conducting tho prosecution of dog steal, crs, a wholesale haul. And 0110 of them was the old kidnapper of llob. Mr. Williams secured a conviction, and the artist was setenced to twelve months. "Me put his hand to his head, and looking very hard at me," says Mr. Williams, "muttered as he was hurried off to tho cells, 'Thought he'd have mo some day. Ho's-madc me pay d dear at iast for tlioso pieces.' " Mr. Cook was known to a wide and distinguished clientele as "The Chinaman," and sometimes as "Don Pedro.' His terms of imprisonment included ten terms of IS months, one of 20 months, two of throe years, and two of 5 years pen ill servitude. He was caught this time red-handed. In his pocket was half a pound of liver sprinkled with aniseed —and a dog-slip. Ho was poramhulating the elegant neighbourhood of Barley Street and Cavendish Square. "I can't show my nose out.sido the dooi now," he. said bitterly, "but what I'm arrested I" lie dropped a 'tear 011 the rail of tho dock, and when the Black Maria drovo off to tlio kennels a sad little dog trotted wistfully behind. It .was Don Pedro's last faithful friend following him homo.