The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-22
COOKS ] WNFALL
 NOT SURPRISING Scientf fic Men Of New York Doubtful For Some Time BRADLEY IS OISGUSTED pr. Cooks Backer Talks of the lmposi- tion Practiced Upon Everybody
 And Says He Is Tired of
 the Whole Bpsiness.
BRADLEY IS OIS6USTED

New York. December 21.--News that the University of Copenhagen had re fused to accept Dr. Cooks claim that he had discovered the north pole came as no surprise to scientific circles here and to many of his friends who had been prepared for the result by the early indications that Cooks claims would not be favorably passed upon.
 Dr. Cook is now in Christiansand ! Norway according to William L. Cook his brother
 MT. Cook said that the doctor had ! greatly recovered from the nervous breakdown from which he was suffer- 1 ing when leaving here. Mir. Cook de- | clared that the explorer was ready to go to Copenhagen to give the univer- | sity further information concerning his 1 claim.
 pr. Cook mysteriously left the Hotel ! Gramatan in the Bronx. November 24, ] where he had gone to prepare his records supporting his claim that he ! had reached the north pole. It now appears that he sailed November % on the steamship Caronia for Naples. where he remained for several days. | This information was contained in letter the explorer sent to his brother, 1 who said: sDr. Cook has authorized me to announce that he is in Europe try ! ing to gain a much needed rest, and that is all that I can say. At the proper time my brother will make statement for publication, and until lie sees fit to do so there will be nothing for his friends to do but to respect his wishes and allow him to remain in seclusion.
 Fooled Everybody.
 He has fooled all of us, from the ! King of Denmark down." was the eX- clamation of John R. Bradley. Dr. Cooks packer in his Arctic trip, when apprised of the news from Copenha gen. And he fooled me with the rest" MT. Bradley added
 AS matter of fact" continued the sportsman, "I long ago lost all inter- est in Dr. Cook. the north pole and everything connected with 1t. Polar bears and the wild life of the Arctic in general is the only thing that has ever interested me much in that con- nection anyway.
 "As for Dr. Cook, I haven't seen him or heard of him since he left the Waldorf-Astoria to so to Bronxville to prepare his records for submission to the University of Copenhagen. I wasn't in communication with hisn while he was at the Gramatan, and as a matter of fact hardly had an hours solid conversation with him all the while he was here after his return from the arctic.
 q discounted this decision from the University of Copenhagen some time ago. said MT. Bradley. Tn com mon with the rest of the world I was delighted with the first news from Gr. Cook that he had discovered the pole. His actions, however, and his failure to make more than the most meaBer statements regarding his trip, which followed his return to civilization took some of the smack off the supposed triumph. I began to weaken decided ly when Dr.. Cook left us all without so much as a word of goodbye. When a man runs away you can't expect nis friends to fight for him. and Cooks flight-for that's what it seemed to me to amount to-killed my interest in him and his affairs. Before that had never had reason to doubt Cook and his whole course in this matter seems inexplicable to me.
 "I am sick of the whole blooming polar business, and I don't want to hear any thing more about the north pole or any of it's tributes" was the characteristic way in which Mir. Bradley summed up his attitude.
 
 Charles Wake, Dr. Cooks closest per- sonal friend and the only person besides the doctors brother who knew the whereabouts of the explorer in the last few weeks, was so dumbfounded when informed of the verdict reached by the University of Copenhagen that he gasped for breath and dropped the telephone re- ceiver
 This is such a severe blow to me that I cannot now fully appreciate it." said MT. Wake when he had partly recovered his composure. 'I had every confidence in Dr. Cook. Yet I am well acquainted with the authorities of the University of Copenhagen and l know any verdict they reach is just and true.
 'Dr. Cook never expected this adverse decision. l know, for he always spoke with full confidence that the professors would decide that he had gone to the pole.
 "At present do not know what to think of my old friend, Dr. Cook. Certainly I never dreamed of such fraud as seems apparent now''
 Cooks Wife With Him.
 MT. Wake said that Dr. Cooks wife is with him in Norway, but that his chil- dren are here. MT. Wake Is general agent for large insurance company, is rated as wealthy and has been one of pr. Cooks most earnest champions from the beginning.
 From my personal knowledge of Dr. Cook and from my knowledge of the work in the Arctic. I never wavered in my belief that Dr. Cook could never prove the claims he made" said Herbert l.. Bridgman, secretary of the Peary Arctic club, when informed of the verdict of the Copenhagen scientists.
 IoxIfA HOLIDAY BARGAINS. SOUTH HIGHLANDS.