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David Cook and the Rocky Mountain Detective Association© Elizabeth Gibson
Jan 13, 2004
David J. Cook was born August 12, 1840 in Laporte County, Indiana. He worked in farming in
Kansas, Iowa, and Indiana until 1859. The discovery of gold took him to Gilpin County,
Colorado to try his hand at prospecting. That didn't work out so he went in Missouri in 1861,
where he ran a supply train. Early in 1863 he became part of the Ordnance Department of the Army of the Frontier. The Army took him back to Colorado where he enlisted in the Colorado cavalry. He was employed as a government detective until 1866. He spent the next three years as a Marshall in Colorado. In 1869, he became Sheriff of Arapahoe County. And in 1873 he
became a U.S. Marshall. At the same time he was appointed Major General of the Colorado militia, a position he held for seven years. He was instrumental in quelling several riots as well as
dealing with several Indian disturbances. Afterward Cook was appointed chief of police of
Denver. While there he owned a successful business called Brunswick Billiard Hall and Saloon. Somewhere along the line he organized the Rocky Mountain Detective Association and successfully operated it for many years. His cases took him all over the west, but his home office was in Denver. One of his most famous cases took place there in October of 1875. Four men were brutally murdered in a Denver apartment. He soon discovered a gang led by Filamento Galloti. He found that Galloti had been kidnaped by bandits while still a boy in the old country. He grew up among thieves and eventually became their leader. Cook and his men captured three gang members in Trinidad. They still wore the bloody T-shirts from the time the crime was committed. They confessed to their deeds and were transported back to Denver. A mob wanted to hang the crooks but Cook held them off. He always made sure that due process of law was followed. Other detectives were sent to Mexico and using disguises of Army soldiers and sheep ranchers, were able to find the other murderers. Another interesting case took place on May 12, 1879. A circus had arrived in Denver and was
conducting a parade. In all the hubbub crooks, decided to rob the Exchange Bank, hoping to escape in the crowd. At the time the parade went by all but one of the bank employees were at
the door watching the parade. The last was helping a customer. When the parade was gone they
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