The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-10-20
PEARY'S STORY
He Issues Statement Denying hat Dr.
Cook Reached tie Pole
BASED ON EsKIMO'S TALE

BASED ON ESKIMO'S TALEI
He Claims Tha, Boys Who Were
With Cook When Questioned bs
Members OF Peary's Party Said
Cook Did Not Go Near the North
Pole.
The following statement OF Com
maDaer Robert Z. Peary. which be
submitted 20 the Peary Arctic Club
in support OF his contention tha. Dr..
Cook did not reach the North Pole
is now made public for The d.s,
time:
Some OF my reasons FOR saying that
Or. Cook did not 90 TO the North
Pole Will be understood by those who
read the following statements Of the
two Eskimo boys who went with him.
and who told me and others OF my
party where be did so. Several Es-
kimos who started With d.. Cook
from Anoratok in February. 1905.
were at Etah when arrived there
In August. 1905.
They told me that Dr.. Cook had
With him. atte. they left. two Eski-
mo boys or Young men. two sledses
and some twenty dogs. The boys
were I-.ook-a-shoo and Ah-pe-!ah. ]
had known them from their child
hood. One was about eighteen and
the other about nineteen years OF
age.
On my return from Cape Shevi-
dan and a, the very S.st settlement
touched (Nerke. near Cape chalon)
in August. 1909. and zine days BE-
| fore reaching Etah. the ESkinos told
ne. IL general way. where Dr..
Cook had beer: tha, be had win
tered In Jones Sound and that he
! had told the white men at Atah tha;
be had been long way north. bu;
,ha: the boys who were with bin
I-;ook-a-shoo and Ah-pe-lah. said
that this was not so.
The Esk!nos laughed at Dr.. Cooks
story. On reaching Etah. ! talked
with the Esk:nos there and with the
Two boys and asked them TO describe
DR.. Cooks journey 10 members o,
my party and myself: This they die
In the manner stated below.
tSigned.) r. E. Peary.
Here is synopsis OF the state
men, made by the Eskimo men L
Peary. and others OF his party aoc
rouched for by them:
The two Eskimo boys. I-took-a
shoe and Ab-pe-lah. who accompanied
Cook while be was away from An
i.ora.ok in 1905 and 1909. were CUES
toned separately and independently
and were cor:obo-ated by Fanikpah
the father OF one Of them (I-took-a
shoo). who was personally familia!
with the first third and the last third
of their journey. and who said tha
the route for the remaining third
as shown by them. was as desc-!b
ed to him BY his son after his re
turn with Dr. Cook.
| Notes Of thei1. statements wore
taken oy several OF Us. and no oot
OF US has any doubt that they eole
the truth.
Their testimony vas roshakeo b!
cross-exam!nat.on. was corroboratet
by other men in the tribe and wa:
elected neither By threats nor prom
!ses. the two boys and their sathei
talking OF ,he:. journey and the!'
experiences in the same way tha
they would talk Of any hunting
trip.
TO 90 more into details. One o!
the boys was called In. and. with 6
chart on the table before him. was
asked 70 show where he had gone
with Dr.. Cook. This he did. point.
ing out with his finger on the map
but not making any marks upon Il
AS he wen. out. the other boy came
in and was asked to show where be
had gone with Dr.. Cook. This he
did. also without making any marks
and indicated the sahe route anc
the same details IS did the -rs'
boy.
When he was through. Pan!kpah
the father OF I-took-a-saoo. very ~
telligent man. who was IN the party
OF Eskimos that came back from D..
Cook from tho northern end OF Nan
| sens Strait. who Is tan!!!a. IS a
hunter with the Jones Sound region.
aud who has been IN Commander
Peary's various expeditions for some
fifteen years. came IN and indicated
the same localities and details as
the two boys.
Then the frst boy was brought 10
again. and with a pencil be traced
on the map their route. members Of
our party writing upon the chart
where. according TO the boys state
ment they had killed deer. bear.
some OF their dogs. seal. wa!rus and
musk-oxen.
The second boy was then called IN
and the two went over the chart to
gather. The second boy suggesting
some changes as noted hereafter.
Finally. panicpah. the father. was
again called in TO verify details Of
the portions OF the route with which,
be was personally familiar.
The bulk Of the boys testimony
was not taken by Commander Pea!y.
nor in his presence. fact that OBJ
viates any possible claim that they