The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-09-21
COOK REPLIES.
Taks Of Psa7's Charges and Declares
hA His Records
WILL PROVE His CLAIM

ON Board the Steamer Which is
Bringing Him Home the Brooklyn
Explorer Talks Freely, About
Peary's Denial OF His Claim and
the Looting OF His Stores.
"Tell the people of America to
have the fullest confidence in my
conquest of the pole. 1 have records
of observations made by me which
will prove my claims. l shall be
glad again to set my foot on Amer
ican SOIL"
This was the brief wireless mes
sage DR.. Frederick A. Cook Friday
asked the Associated Press to give
to his, countrymen as he nears home
on the steamer Oscar II, due to ar
rive at New York today.
DR.. Cook discussed freely with the
Associated Press correspondent the
assertions of Commander Peary that
he s(Cook) had never reached the
North Pole.
When he departed for the North,
DR.. Cook said he left depot Of pro-
visions at Annatok, north OF Etah,
in charge of Rudolph Francke and
several Eskimos. Francke had in
structions to go South aboard
yhaler and return later. This he
did. but missed the. returning YES
sell. owing to slight illness. He
was then taken aboard Peary's ship.
the Roosevelt, and proceeded North.
Commander Peary found my sup
p1y depot at Annatok," Dr.. Cook con-
tinued, "and the Eskimos in charge
told him that was dead, which they
then believed to be true.
"Peary placed two men in charge
of the depot, Boatswain Murphy and
another. Harry Whitney, the New
Haven hunter, also remained there.
Murphy had orders not to search
for me, but was told he could send
Eskimos northwar1 in the spring
Ha
for relief work.
when / returned from the pole
unexpectedly Harry Whitney was the
first to see me and to tell me what
had occurred. Whitney was placed
in possession of the facts concern
ing my journey to the pole on the
condition that he would not inform
Commander Peary or his men Of
them. At the same time, the Eski-
mos who had accompanied me north
were told to maintain the strictest
silence.
"When went into the depot there
was a dispute between myself and
Murphy, who delivered to me writ
ten instructions he had received from
Peary, although he could neither read
nor write. These instructions show
ed that he was making trading sta
tion of my depot, the contents OF
which had been used in trading for
furs and skins.
"On one occasion Murphy asked
me abruptly, "have you been beyond
S7?" But l was determined not to
let Peary know of my movements and
replied evasively that I had been
much farther North. From this
statement has been concocted the
declaration that I had said I had
not reached the pole"
Dr.. Cook declared that neither
Harry Whitney nor his Cooks,
records are on board the steamer
Roosevelt, and that, therefore, Pea
rvs information concerning him
emanated from Boatswain Murphy.
who knew nothing OF his movements.
DR.. Cook said also that lie had made
arrangements for two Eskimos, who
went with him to the pole, and
Knud Rasmussen, whom he met in
Greenland. to go to New York and
confirm the story of his discovery.
DR.. Cook is thoroughly enjoying
his rest aboard ship. after the stren-
uous days at Copenhagen. He spends
a long time daily in writing and in
conversation with the American pas
sengers. who all have been formally
presented to him by Benjamin True
blood. president Of the American
Peace Society, of Boston.
All the passengers are impressed
by the sincerity of DR.. Cook as in
dicated by his conversation with them
in regard to his discovery of the
pole. He said that he is now pre-
prepared to lay these proofs before a
competent body of America.
In a lecture in the saloon Of the
steamer DR.. Cook. with the aid Of
a map drawn by an engineer, gave
an outline of his route to the pole.
"The journey was nothing really
wonderful" he said. 81 used no
devices or inventions. had. how
ever. every necessary instrument, but
kept these to pure necessities.
"The reason for my success is that
returned to the primitive life