The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-17
-Four More ARdaVits Are Sub
mitted to Public
COOKS STORY CALLED FALSE
A Guide and a photographer Declare
In Their Statements That Cook
Did Not Reach the Top
of Mount Mckinley.

New York October 16.--Four more af-
ffdavits were made public here today in
connection with the investigation of DR..
T. A. Cooks expedition to Mount Nc
KinIey Three of them are by members
of the Cook party-Fred Printz, a guide;
walter p Miller, photographer and
Samuel Beecher. Their testimony re-
lates In detail to the movements Of the
party, explaining that Cook and Bar
rll were alone together the period in
which DIR. Cook claims to have reached
the summit of Mount Mckinley. All
three say that Barrill assured them later
that Dr. Cooks story was false.
The fourth affidavit is that of DR..
John e. Shore, a physician of Leaven-
worth, WASH, who tells of a conversa-
ton with Oscar F. BIankenship of the
United States forestry service, In which
Bankenship said that Dr. Cooks claims
to having climbed Mount Mckinley were
false. inasmuch as the feat was I'M
possible in the short time which Cook
and Barrill were absent. Blankenship
was located near Mount Mckinley at
the time Cooks expedition was there
Prints Affidavit.
The affidavit of Fred Printz, the guide,
is dated October L. 1t says that at the
time of DR.. Cooks alleged ascent of
the peak he and several others had been
sent on side trip to hunt specimens
for the Smithsonian institution. The af-
hdavit continues
The doctor picked Doklxen for a cook
and taking Barril left in the launch for
Shushitna station. From there he said
they were going up the Shushitna, up the
Culitna and up to the Tokositia to tho
head of navigation, then explore the
country for the route to Mount McKin-
ley
MILLER and I returned to Shushitna
station September IL, where the doctor
Joined us with Barrill on September o.
saying that he had made the summit of
Mount Mckinley.
From there, we left for home. On
leaving the doctor at Seward he prom
ised that part of my pay for the sum
mer would be In Seattle for me, but on
arriving there and not finding It, bor-
rowed money on which to get home
and having written the doctor several
times since for the amount due. Have
received 800, leaving a balance of 1926
due me at this date.
TN about one month after Barrill
and | returned home from our trip with
Dr. Cook in 1906 Barrill laughed and
told me that he and Cook never got to
the top of Mt. Mckinley
Miller Affidavit.
Walter p. Miller, the Photographer
In his affidavit says that he was with
Printz on the side trip during the time
DIR. Cook claims to have gone to the
summit of the mountain. His testimony
continues
"Dr. Cook and BarrilI took the launch
and went down the Yetna, announcing
their intention of ascending the
Sh ushitna. the Schuletna, and exploring
the Talshetna glacier for possible
route for future attempts to ascend to
the summit of Mt. Mckinley Printz and
I returned to the Shushitna station; on
September 20 we met DR.. Cook and
Barril1 at the station and then we came
all together to Seward.
'T was called east by Henry Disston
of Philadelphia. the hacker of the ex-
pedition, to whom 1 related the cir
cumstances of the trip. So far as |
am informed Barrill is the only man
who has personal knowledge as to
whether or not DR.. Cook ascended to
the summit of Mt. Mckinley.
I'm May, 1908. met Edward N. Barril
at Missoula, Mont. He then informed me
for the first time that he and DR.. Cook
had never reached the summit of Mt
Mckinley. 1 then said to him: Where
were your when he remarked: We
were only on the first ridge, this side of
the mountain. l asked him about his
picture shown opposite page 227 in Dr.
Cooks book when he replied: That is
my picture but Is not the top of the
mountain -
Beecher Affidavit.
The affidavit of Samuel Beecher after
party tells of trip which he and sew
eral other members of the expedition
took from their base camp" He says
On July 20 we reached our nearest
point to the mountain, the point being,
as r. w. Porter said, IA miles from the
summit On this trip we were mapping
and taking observations of the country
At our last camp the elevation was in
the neighborhood of 5000 feet and from
that point / could readily recognize all
the pictures shown by DR.. Cook In his
magazine article on his ascent of the
mountain. with the exception of the pic
lures showing the summit and the one
on page $50. which are such as might
have been taken at elevations of 5000 or
600 feet.
Pictures that recognized could not
have been taken at an elevation of above
1000 feet.
..The point located by Edward Barrill
as being the point claimed as the top
of Mt Mckinley from my position had an
apparent elevation of approximately 1000
feet.
From our camp had view of nearly
the whole route as stated by Barrill.
was present at all times when Mr.. Barrill
made his affidavit of even date herewith
and all the facts stated in his affidavit
covering the period l was with him are
correct
From my point of view ] recognized
oil the points mentioned by him and from
my knowledge Of the conditions as exist
ing there, it would have been impossible
for the climb of the mountain to have
been done in the time asserted,