The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-09-14
COOKS HOUSE
Taken and Used by Peary With
out Owners Consent.
GOODS STOLEN ALSO

GOODS STOLEN ALSO
A Danish Physician Makes Very
Damaging Statement About Pcar
ry's Taking Charge of o House
Built by Cook and Leaving ORe
OF His Men to Guard it.
A dispatch from Copenhagen,
Denmark, says a remarkable letter
giving DR.. Frederick A. Cooks ye1-
sion of the trouble with Commander
Peary over supplies, appears in the
newspaper Politiken. The letter Was
written by DR.. Norman Hansen, a
prominent Danish physician, who
several times visited Greenland 10
study eye disease Of which be has
made a speciality.
DR.. Cook told practically the same
story to one of his closest American
friends just week ago, before Com
mander Peary reappeared, but sai0
that he did not intend to make It
public. Dr.. Hansen was with Cook
for some time in Greenland and re-
turned with him on the Danish goY-
ernment steamer Hans Egede. In
his letter he says:
Now that DR.. Cook has gone,
l am no longer under any ob.iga-
tions to keep silence, and wiA eG-.
ercise my right to publish the story
about the house in Annatok, story
which DR.. Cook himself had too
much delicacy to relate to the world
I wrote it according to my memory,
in the same manner that DR.. CQoh
in Egendesminde told it to me, and
] am fully convinced that In no de-
tails are my recollections wrong.
"Dr. Cook had built his house for
stores in Annatok, north Of Etah,
and it was this depot which he start
ed to reach in February, 1909, cross
ing Smith sound. 1t was q pretty
large house, the walls being built
Of heavily filed provision boxes, SO
that DR.. Cook knew that when this
important point was reached every
thing was safe. He had, before
the start, arranged with a young
friend named Whitney that he have
the right to- use the house while
4 hunting musk oxen for sport In the
winter Of 19oS-09. j.
When Or. Cook and mis- two Eskl
mos, exhausted and half starved.
came within shots distance of tho
house in Annatok, young Whitney
came out to bid him welcome, bus
inside the house was stranger, q
giant Newfoundland boatswain or
watch. This man had been placed
in DR.. Cooks house by Peary when
the latter passed Etah with his ship
bound north. Peary had given the
boatswain written order, whteh
commenced with the following
words:
/ This house belongs to Or. Fred
erich A. Cook, but DR.. Cook Is hong
ago dead and there is no use 10
search after him. Therefore, j,
Commander Robert E. Peary, install
my boatswain in this deserted housa.'
This paper, the boatswain, who
could neither read nor write, eXhib-
tied to DR.. Cook and the latter TOOK
copy OF this wonderful document.
This copy, however, he does not in
tend to publish if Peary's course does
not force him to do so. DR.. COoh
gave me a lively account Of bow
the yung millionaire, Mr. Whitliey,
during the whole winter, was treat
ed like dog by the giant boatswain
and how he had calmly Witnessed
the sailor barterins DR.. Cooks pro-
visions for fox and bear skins fo5
himself. DR.. Cook also had to put
a good face on the unpleasant situa-
ton. He had to beg to get into his
own house and had to make a COM
promise with the boatsWain WITH
strong fists.
"Dr. Cook made present of the
house with all its contents to his
two faithful Eskimos, with the pro-
vision that Whitney was to have the
use of the house as long as his hunt
ing trip lasted, but he was compelled
to let the Newfoundland boatswaln
continue his watch. The boatsWaip,
however, received strict orders not
to exchange any more Of the pro-
visions or guns.
Now ] suppose the sailor viii
celebrate his triumphant entrance in
to New York harbor aboard Pcary's
ship while Whitney IS where9
Aboard his own yacht JEANNE? Or
perhaps he has not wanted to wait
for his own boat and has gone aboard
Peary's ship.
ITO Mr.. Whitney, DR.. Cook gave
his Instruments and his observations,
as he thought those previous things