The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1909-12-24
DR., COOKS DATA
COPENHAGEN UNIVERSITY CON-
MISSION ACCOUNTS THEM
INSUFFICIENT
mere SOCIOLOGY ICCERS
FRIENDS ARE DISAPPOINTED BUT
,. D,siNctiNED TO THINK He
is DISHONEST

Copenhagen, Dec. 21-The report Of
the committee of scientists appointed
by the University of Copenhagen to
s%crutinize Cooks claim, was submit
ted to the university consistory today
and endorsed.
The report shattered completely, al
most contemptuously, the explorers
title to discovery of the pole and
filled the officials and people of Den
mark with chagrin at the figure Den
scientific world. The public was pre-
but did not expect its recent hero to
be branded as an imposter.
Explorers and scientists have al
most unanimously lost faith in Cooks
honesty. One OF his warmest sup
porters, Knud Rasmussen, helped to
frame the report. Evening papers at
tack Cook severely, especially for hid
ing, which they regard as a sign Of
a guilty conscience.
OPINIONS EXPRESSED
Commodore Gustav Holm, an Arctic
explorer and member of the committee
said:
Cooks claim that he made obser-
vatiOns at SO degrees, SO minutes, 46
seconds nea the pole proved immed-
lately that he was a bad observer, but
nothing indicated that he Is a swind-
Ter. Now his papers convict him Of
being a swindler. We examined his
observations first and agreed unani-
mously that they are worthless.
Losses observations were not used
in the papers Cook submitted"
Professor Olufson, secretary of the
Danish Geographical society. said:
ut is the saddest event Of my life.
AS an explorer there seems no doubt
that Cook is absolutely unreliable"
The National Timende. while de-
ploring that the university conferred
a degree on Cook. finds consolation in
the fact that the president of his W
country and its envoy at Copenhagen
were gu%arantors for him."
A FRIEND SHOCKSD
Rasmussen said:
THE university would not call me
at first because I was one OF Cooks
strongest supporters. Later, l was in
vited and when l saw the observations
l realized it was a scandal.
my confidence in Cook had been
based on personal impressions, on re-
ports l received, also on testimony of
the Eskimos. But the papers Cook
sent are most impudent. No school
boy could make such calculations. 1t
is a most childish attempt at cheating.
Cook has killed himself by his own
foolish acts"
Commodore Hovgaard, the explorer,
said:
although it is not proved that Cook
did not reach the pole, l can only
regard Cook now as an imposter.'
Christiana, Dec. 21-"Nobody could
feel more sorrow at the commissions
crushing statement than myself, for
l had learned to appreciate Cook as
a devoted friend, and honest man."
said Captain Amundsen. THE i'm ort-
ant question is whether he is a swind-
Ter or merely ignorant. l prefer to
believe Cook is confident he arrived at
the north pole. If ale is swindling
he must have changed his character in
the past ten years."
Washington, Dec. 21-Admiral Ches-
ter said:
THE result shows Peary was COR
rect when he said nobody should take
Cook seriously and that the only au-
thentic records of his trip were made
by Eskimos which is confirmed in ev-
cry feature by the account and pict-
ures published in the New York Her.
aid. Pictures that Cook claims were
taken three hundred miles from and
show they were taken with land all
around them
New York, Dec. 21-Cook tonight is
discredited in the house of his friends.
Not a word has come from him. Only
his brother refused to believe the Cop
enhagen verdict correctly report d.
Charles Wake, a close friend, and
Cooks brother, both say he is at
Christiansand with his wife.
One Of those who wen with Cook to
Hamilton, Mont, where he had a
dubious public meeting with his guide,
Barrill, said:
II asked the doctor what he would
do II the Copenhagen verdict was
against him."
II have not thought of that but I
believe l will 60 back among the
Eskimos of Greenland and try to carry
on such a medical mission as Or.
Grenfell made famous"
Wake, Cooks lawyer. when askel
how much Cook made from sale of his
narrative and lectures, replied: Mere
than $4,000"
More than 500, 000," said another
friend.
The board of aldermen who voted
Cook the freedom Of the city, have
pending a resolution withdrawing it.
MORGAN IN HELLO DEAL.