The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-10-16
Another Effort to
Defanle Explorer Cook.

Nv York Globe, and made by Edwin
\. Barrill. This BarrilI accompanied
Cook on his Mount Mckinley expe-
confirmed by photographer Walter P.
Miller, of Seattle, who likewise ac-
companied the expedition.
The affidavits of these persons
we're sworn to, according to the dis
Patch. "in the Office Of James NJ. Ash
ton, an attorney of Tacoma, who was
retained by certain interests in New
York, said to be the Peary Arctic
CluD. to investigate the alleged ascent
Of the great Alaskan peak by Dr.
Cook"
In the first place it is a matter OF
surprise that one Of the great New
York morning papers-The Herald.
The World, The American, The Times
or even The Tribune-did not gel
hold Of and publish this remarkable
story rather than a comparatively IN
conspicuous and uninfiuential after
noon publication like The Globe
lie AACASAOAOA
certainly in a position to have first
choice when valuable contributions
are going the rounds, and that they
did not exercise this prerogative In
this instance seems to argue that
they suspected either the authenticity
or the integrity of these afidaVits.
But allowing further consideration
of such a hypothesis to pass, eiimi-
mating altogether the significance II
may have in the opinion of many, and
accepting the aff1davits for what they
are worth, the honest mind is at once
brought to this conclusion: II Bar
rilI and Miller allowed themselves to
become parties to fraud in helping
Cook to deceive the world, as they
now say he did when he announced
his ascent to the summit OF Mt. Nc
Kinley, which fact their atddavits
most surely prove, what good reason
is there for anyone to believe their
contrary statements now when OBJ
tanned for the benefit and behoof OF
the Peary Arctic Club by Attorney
Ashton, its Tacoma agent?
Judging from Barrilrs affidavit, he
must have been Cooks right hand
man on this Mt Mckinley trip. He
appeared quite amenable, too, to the
doctors instructions: cooked" his
diary, in fact, to suit the latter's
iniouitous designs; did it for a while,
at least. but slid back into the pleas
anter paths Of virtue when the time
was propitious, and possibly with an
eve to the day when he might be in
duced to unbosom himself, to confess
himself q culprit along with his en-
pIoyer-a trusting employer, but one
evidently lacking in mental balance
If he rested his reputation upon the
honor of a lieutenant from whose
Il will see you get $1,000 extra for
lowing significant statement:
/ neglected to state that on the
evening of September 9Th, DR.. COOK
asked me If l was willing to stay
with him. l said Yes" when he said;
Il will see you get $4,000 extra tor
doing So"
That was not a large sum to pay
for such valuable services as Barrlll
claims to have performed; and which,
indeed. he did perform II what he says
he true. For Cook made a goodly
sum of money, no doubt, out OF his
book, ITO the Top of the Continent
which Barriu now declares TO be a
hoax. to say nothing of the glory be
acquired as g bold and successful ex-
plorer.
That the battle against Cook is
going TO be long and bitter goes with
out saying. Peary is backed by ener-
getic forces which will move heaven
and earth to prove the doctor a fraud.
But Peary's conduct has been 50 AFRO
CANT, so unreasonable and so vulgar
that he has prejudiced at least ninety
per cent of the people against him
and his friends may never hope to
sway the popular mind without posi-
tive proof of Cooks duplicity; proof
OF a character differing vastly from
the map-drawing achievements of
OF ignorant Eskimo boys and
the affidavits OF men who acknowl-
edge that they once aided and abetted
a gigantic fraud, If what they now
affirm be true.
One of the best political jokes of
the season is Secretary of Commerce
and Labor Nagel out after the Vir-
ginians to convert them to what he
calls the national idea; in other
words the policies of AlexaT5er Han
ilton.
Many in discussing the proposed
OF the discTedited. dis
aster- working United States bank of
the first half OF the past century. call
attention TO the excellent working of