Moses Cooper

Born in 1854

Born in Missouri

Occupation Clerk

Residence: 207 W. 2nd. Street.

Moses Cooper was a Leadville clerk active in the city during 1880.[1]   Cooper was born in 1854, and hailed from Missouri.[2]   He worked as a clerk for David Loeb,[3]  who was a furniture merchant.  Cooper was only in Leadville briefly, probably due to an unfortunate episode that occurred while he worked for Loeb.  Cooper was involved in a scheme where he procured jewelry from Mr. (Sol) Levy, a pawnbroker, and Mr. Hauser, a jeweler, under the guise of selling this merchandise to a prospective client. [4]  Levy and Hauser trusted Cooper as a middleman, but he soon disappeared in an attempt to steal away with the jewelry.[5]

However, Cooper was caught after he had pawned some of his stolen goods off on Judge Pendery.[6]   Cooper was regretful of his actions and admitted what he had done was wrong.[7]   Cooper was upset the story had appeared in the papers, because he feared his friends and family in the East would learn of wrongdoings.[8]   The Carbonate Chronicle stated “that fast women and wine have been the prime causes of this unfortunate young man’s deviation from the path of rectitude.”[9]   The paper also noted that Cooper had held “a part interest in a saloon” in Leadville.[10]   Cooper reached a compromise with those he wronged, and thus avoided state prison.[11]   He no longer appeared in the city directories after 1880, which suggests he had to leave Leadville.[12]