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Show Dr. COOK'S DOWNFALL. We are inclined to feel, here at the beginning of the nev. year, that those citizens around Delta who-are prone to listen to the song of the fake stock salesman are going to save money in 1924. We say this after a study of conditions, brought about ' by V. S. secret service men within the past two months, and with the penitentiary sentence on Dr. Frederick Cook in mind Dr. Cook was one of the world's smoothest fakirs. -He circulated his story of discovering the North Pole, and had the world throwing bouquets at his feet. Exposure, however, failed to discourage him, and he turned up later in Texas to fleece, """-housands of hard-working citizens out of their coin through the7;&&loUon of fake oil wells. He drew no line when it came to robbery rtrfs widows and decrepit old'men all looked alike to him. And then LTTeisrch-jQread.. jtetf r.d' 'caugfrt-JPfij. Cook as the biggest fish in a disreputawe p.r?Ule." No mercy was shown him, and none should have been. He goes to prison for at least 14 years, and there is no wailing or protest from. the. millions of his fellowmen. This one case has done more to dicourage fake oil stock promoters than anything t lie government lias ever done. It will mean money in the pockets of thousands, because they will keep it there now that fake stock salesmen are afraid to reach out' their hands to grab it. Of course fakirs of various other stripes will come on to fleece the unwary. But it is good to know that the most common of all has been fairly well wiped out for a long tfhie to come. And it may serve, too, to keep the others from plying their nefarious operations as openly as they have been accustomed to doing. |