The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-09-14
NO WHITE MAN
WAS WITH PEARY
Reached Pole With COIOTed Man
and Few ESkimOS.
WILL WELCOME EXPLORERS
Pesry's Ship viii Participate In Hud-
son-Fulton Naval Parade-6roekiyn
Preparing TO Honor Or. cook-Mrs.
Peary Awaits Husband at Sydney.

Washington. Sept. 1.-THE great pO-
lar controversy has resolved itself into
a question OF purely personal veracity
between Or Frederick A. Cook and
Commander Robert f. Peary. Il is now
the unsupported word OF one white
man against another.
According 10 the statements OF each
over his own signature. neither was
accompanied by a member OF his own
race when ne is alleged TO have plant
ed the Stars and Stripes al the North
Pole.
That Commander Peary had with
him only his old colored body servant.
Matt Hensen. and a handful OF Eski
mos when he made the last stage OF
his journey toward the pole. and thar
he had sent back the only remaining
white member OF the expedition when
he reached latitude - $ was not known
until the first instailment Of his de-
tailed narrative OF his trip was pub
iished.
One OF the principal arguments
made by the Peary supporters against
the acceptance 81 Or Cooks claims 10
discovery of the pole was his own ad-
mission that he was unaccompanied
by any white man and that. aside from
the records OF his observations. the
only corroborative evidence he could
produce would be the testimony OF
the two Es6imos who were with him
on his hnal dash.
Now e appears from Commander
Peary's own account that he himself
was In a like situation. Aside from
Hensen. who has been his man Fri
day" Tor the past twenty years. his
sole companions were four Eskimos
There was no white man With him who
can now take the witness stand and
testify 20 the accuracy OF his scien
tidc observations above the latitude OF
s. degrees and : minutes
Peary saws that when be starrei
from Cape Columbus there were seven
members OF the party. seventeen e.
kimos snd thirteen dogs
Commando Peary's ship. the Roose-
veif. viii be- ore OF the features OF the
Hudson Fulton naval parade on the
opening dsy a. the celebration The
following telegram vas received here.
sydney. c. b sept. TO-
Hudson Fulton Celebration Com
mittce-Peary Arctic club applies FOR
position FOR IT'S steamer Roosevelt with
the North Pole In tercentenniai pa
ra1es H. T.. BRIDGNAN
A favorable reply was promptly
sent and the Roosevelt will be as
signed to place OF honor close 20 the
Half Moon and Clermont. which viii
lead the parade Tn an probability
Peary himself will be- on board to
gether with the members % the Peary
Arctic Climb ard possibly other distin-
euished explorers. Dr Cook. IL Is *
pected win boz in New York city at
the time. hut the celebration commit.
tee regards it as unlikely that he viii
be- invited Co Join the Peary party.
Meanwhile Dr. Cooks friends in
brooklyn are completing their plans
20 make his welcome 70 that borough
commensurate with the peculiar hon
OTIS he has conferred upon il. Several
Thousand dollars have already been
raised. Near the explorers house on
BushVlck avenue a triumphal arch of
flowers viii De- placed. and there viii
be parade a lecture. an informal re
ception and a banquet A committee 90
100 prominent Brooklynites will b. ar
pointed % take charge Of the anair az
a mass meeting 20 be held on Monday