Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-12-24
COOKS POLAR
CLAIM REJECTED
EXAMINING COMMITTEE FOUND
ONLY RESULTS OF OBSERvA-
TIONS IN NOTEBOOKS.
DOCTORS BACKER GIVES HIM UP
John R. Bradley Says Brooklyn Man
Fooled Us All, from King of
Denmark Down"
DOCTORS BACKER GIVES HIM UP
WILLIS M. MOORE TO INVESTIGATE

! COPENHAGEN Dec. 21.-The Uni
! versity Of Copenhagen, the first institu
! ton of learning to recognize DR. Freder
( lex a. Cook as the diScoverer of the
north pole, declared solemnly today that
the explorer had failed to establish the
claim upon which his high honors had
] been based.
| The committee appointed by the uni
( yersIty to examine Cooks records re
! Gently presented its report TO the con
slstory Of the university, which reviewed
the deductions Of the experts with the
greatest care, and discussed the findings
from every standpoint. That both the
committee and the consistory were dis
appointed was soon known.
The consistory met today, and adopted
, written report to the effect that the al
legged records submitted for examination
by DIR. Cook failed to prove his claim
that he had reached the north pole.
The report Ot the committee, OF which
Prof. Stromgren was chairman, declares
that Cook papers as presented to the
consistory are without any value; that
his report TO the university is practically
i the same as that published in the New
York Herald upon his return from his
Arctic expedition. The copies of his
note books submitted, the committee says
contain original calculation of obser-
vations but only results thereof. Ac-
cordlngly the committee concludes that
he affords no proof Of having reached
the pole.
Friends Prepared for Report.
NEW YORK. Dec 21-News that
the University of Copenhagen had de-
clined 40 accept DIR. Cooks claim that
he had reached the north pole came as
no surprise to scientific circles here and
to many of his friends, who had been
prepared for the result by the early indi-
cations that DR. Cooks claims would
not be favorably passed upon.
DR.. Cook is now in ChristiansanG, Nor
way, according to his brother, William
l.. Cook, who said today that the doctor
had greatly recovered from the nervous
breakdown from which DR.. Cook was
suffering when leaving here. Mr.. Cook
declared that the explorer was ready to
go to Copenhagen to give the university
further information concerning his
claims.
DIR. Cook mysteriously left the Hotel
Grammatan in the Bronx November "a,
where he had gone to prepare his records
supporting his claim that he had reached
the north pole. 1t now appears that
he remained for several days. This in
formation was contained in a letter the
explorer sent to his brother, who said:
Or. Cook has authorized me to an
nounce that he is in Europe trying to
gain much needed rest, and that is all
L can say. At the proper time my
cation. and until he sees fit to do so there
will be nothing for his friends to do but
to respect his wishes and allow him to
remain in Seclusion."
Bradley Is Disguised.
oil
of Denmark down." was the exclamation
of John r. Bradley, DR.. Cooks hacker
in his. Arctic trip, when apprised of the
news from Copenhagen.
'And he fooled me with the rest Mr..
Bradley added,
aAs a matter of fact continued the
sDortsman, Il long ago lost ali interest
in DR. Cook, the north pole and every
thing connected with it. Polar bears and
the wild life of the Arctic in general is
the only thing that has ever interested
me much i'll that connection anyway.
LAS for DR.. Cook, | have not seen
him or heard from him since he left the
Waldorf Astoria to go to Bronxville, to
prepare his records for submission to
the University of Copenhagen. l was
not in communication with him while he
was at the Grammatan, and as matter
of fact hardly had an hours solid con-
versation with him all the while he was
~
Il discounted this decision from the
University of Copenhagen some time
ago" continued Mr.. Bradley. In COM
mon with the rest of the world, | was
delighted with the first news from Dr.
Cook, that he had discovered the pole
His actions, however, and his failure to
make more than the meager statements
which followed his return to civilization
took some of the smack off the supposed
triumph. | began to weaken decidedly
when DR.. Cook left us all without so
much as a word of goodbye.
"When Man Runs Away"
When man runs away you can't
expect his friends to fight for him, and
Cooks tlight-for that's what it seemed
to me to amount to-killed all my inter
est in him and his affairs. Before that
L had never had reason to doubt Cook,
and his whole course in this matter
seems ineXpicable to me-"
Il am sick of the whole blooming
polar business and l don't want to hear
anything more about the north pole or
any of its attributes" was the character
istic way in which Mr.. Bradley summed
no his attitude
Charles Wake. Dr. Cooks closest per-
sonal friend and the only person beside
the doctors brother who knew the
whereabouts of the explorer in the last
few weeks, was dumbfounded when in
formed of the verdict reached by the
University of Copenhagen. fsg. Wake
Igasped for breath, and dropped the tele-
phone receiver.
This is such a severe blow to me that
L cannot now fully appreciate it, said
Mr.. Wake, when he had partly recov-
cred his composure. II had every con-
.fidence in DIR. Cook. Yet I am well ac-
ouainted with the authorities of the Uni
versity of Copenhagen, and l know that
any verdict they reach is just and true
DIR. Cook never expected this adverse
decision, for he always 81 oke with full