The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-10-09
WHITNEY IN NEW YORK
Says He Wished He Had Never
Heard of DR.. Cook

New 1Ork, Oct. o.-Hdrry W nltney,
the New Haven sportsman, who came
out of the arctic from a hunting trip
ten days ago to find himself plunged
into the whirl of controversy over the
assertion of DR.. Frederick A. Cook
that he had discovered the north pole
arrived here yesterday and devoted
most of his time TO lodging reporters.
Mr.. Whitney reached the Grand
Central station from New Haven just
after II o'clock, and went to the Hol-
land House. Mr.. Whitney stayed at
the hotel a while and then took tax
icab to the Fifth Avenue building,
where he called upon Congressman
Bennett campaign manager for Otto
T. Barnard, Republican candidate for
mayor Mr. Whitney and Mr. Ben
nett were college mates. They talked
for while, and Mr. Whitney told the
| congressman that he had had good
hunting in the arctic When the con
versation turned upon the instrum-
ents at Etah Mr. Whitney gave de-
predatory wave of the hand, sxclaim-
ing:
Il wish I'd never heard of them
Before he departed Mr.. Whitney
asked Congressman Bennett to give
his regards to Mr. Barnard and eX-
pressed a hope that Barnard would
be elected
After this Mr. Whitney rode back
to the Holland House After dinner
| he went in taxicab to the steamer
Roosevelt, at the foot Of East oath
street, where some of his arctic tro-
plies are stored. Mr.. Whitney want
ed to see Capt Robert Bartlett, about
taking his relics away, but the captain
had just left the ship The rest of
the Roosevelt's crew, except John
Cody, who was i'll in bed, had gone on
| an automobile trip through the city,
so Mr. Whitney could not get at his
belongings. They were put away
| somewhere in the hold" Cody said
but was too i'll to recall anything more
about them. Mr.. Whitney left the
ship after a stay of ten minutes say
ing that he would be back in the eve
ming. He did not appear again In
quiry at the Holland House in the eve
ming failed to reveal anything tangible
regarding his movements.
Matt Hensen, who with Commander
Peary to the pole, intimated in a talk
gNoNfludN bildA p0Ol 81 ] tlA1lloA W. AHN
cabin boy who was in the igloo at
Etah when DR. Cook told Whitney
that he had reached the pole, has Civ
en- several versions of the Etah Incl
dent and the Roosevelt's crew didn't
know exactly which to accept.
Il shall be glad when Commander
Peary makes his full statement pub
lie" said Hansen, because it will put
the whole thing in different light.
The commander has the goods. as ne
has told you all. | only wish could
talk about it now. It's hard to keep
still That boy Pritchard when he
came aboard the Roosevelt was ques-
toned about what DR.. Cook told him,
and he declared Dr. Cook had said
nothing of having discovered the north
pole The commander asked Prit-
chard about it, and Pritchard stuck
to that story The crew asked him
and Pritchard told us the same.
Then, when the Roosevelt reached
Battle Harbor, Pritchard told of hav-
ing heard Dr. Cook tell Mr. Whitney
that he had got to the pole II sur
prised us all We didn't know what
to make of it. We asked Pritchard
why he had not told the other story,
and all he said was that Dr. Cook had
told him to-
The fact is" said Hansen. "Prit-
chard doesn't seem TO know exactly
what did happen at Etah. l don't
know how the commander finally
made out with Pritchard but | know
what impression 1 got
Hensen repeated the assertion he
IL L., EnDlyfu
two Eskimos had told him the doctor
had not gone more than two sleeps
from land.
Il understand the Eskimo language
and ! knew what they were saying to
me-" said Hansen. They drew a
map for the commander and showed
him how far they had gone with Dr.
Cook. | can tell you that map did
MT take in the north pole.
do | believe the Eskimos told me
the TRUTH" repeated Hansen when
that was asked You can take my
word for it that they were not trying
to fool me. They hadn't any reason
to lie to me, and they didn't. | cor
roborated their story through others
in their tribe to make doubly sure
about it,"
Ten members of the Roosevelt's
crew left the pier in two automobiles
at 1890 o'clock yesterday morning
and, under the pilotage OF Archer NJ.
Huntington and Henry Fairchild Os
borne of the American Museum of
Natural History. were taken on an
outing thai lasted until dark They
went to the top OF the Metropolitan
tower, where they had view of the
city and to the Bronx Zoo. After
looking ut the animals, until they
were tired of it, they dned at the
zoo, then visited the American Muse
um of Natural History There the
trophies given by Commander Peary
were being put in place. The crew
watched the work.
Late in the afternoon the sailors
were taken to the Aquarium where
they beheid, among other specimens,
some arctic seals. At these they gaz-
ed as at old friends.
Most of the Roosevelt's crew will
depart today fer their homes in New