Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-10
COOKS LAWYER
DOUBTS CLAIMS
AND QUITS HIM
ATTORNEY SEWERS RELATION
WITH EXPLORER
MANY FRIENDS STILL REMAIN
FIRM IN FAITH
Legal Adviser for the Polar Pretender
Says All Must Now Concede Ccr-
tain Glaring Facts Which
Look Bad
ASSOCIATED Press1

u wv j oiAIAy lJtI. III. L Ituttlth
" Cooks personal lawyer, Henry
- Wellington Wack, has severed re-
lations with his client.
Mr. Wack refused tonight to confirm
or deny his withdrawal, but it can be
affirmed on competent authority that,
after a consultation with his partners,
Mr.. Wack wrote Dr.. Cook as long ago
as November 30 that he must beg him
to seek advice elsewhere.
Il have not the remOtest idea" said
Mr.. Wack tonight, where Dr. Cook is
keeping himself or why he persists in
seclusion when his presence is vital TO
his own interests and his friends. L
read that he is in Brooklyn; in sani-
tarium in Maine, in a Philadelphia
asylum, but personally L incline to the
belief that he is abroad.
zone thing, however, is certain-there
Is an agreement tonight for the first
time among those who have always be-
leved that DIR. Cook discovered the
north pole, those who never believed.
and those who have been waiting TO
be informed on disinterested authority.
Partisans and skeptics alike now con-
cede certain cardinal facts which admit
of no argument, namely: Dr. Cook has
sent his records to the University of
Copenhagen for the inspection of IL
commission. Two men-one a broker.
who says he acted as go-betWeen, and
one skilled navigator, have sworn
that they supplied the doctor with u
complete set of fabricated observations,
covering his trip northward step by
step to the pole, i'm agreement with his
narrative as originally published.
These sworn statements carry within
themselves their own proof or disproof.
One Deduction
THAT is to say, if the papers now in
the hands of the University of Copen-
hagen contain any considerable portion
of the boreal observations which Capt
August Loose says he worked out by
the reverse route no further north
than the Gramatan Inn in Bronxville,
n. Y, the deduction is that DIR. Cook
felt no confidence in the adequacy Of
his own proofs
IF, on the contrary, the COPENHAGEN
records show that DIR. Cook made no
evident use of the calculations Capt
Loose says he supplied it will be fair
to assume that he accepted them only
as checks on his own data. The in
quiry will then revert to its first status:
Are the original observations of DR..
Cook sufficient
Asked fatty if he had or had not
from DR.. Cooks affairs,
Mr.. Wack said:
This is not the time for an an
1t might be said that [
lad deserted Dr. Cook in his need.
He may be delirious i'm a sanitarium
II on the ocean unable to defend him
self"
A close friend of Mr. Wack reiter-
lted, however that Mr.. Wack had
ong ago decided to close dealings
With a client who did not keep his
informed of his intentions or
TO this phase of the situation NIr.
Nack made this contribution:
DIR. Cook has disappeared of his
'wn volition and not 10y the suasion
# his friends. | last heard from him
~ telephone on Tuesday, November
8. l had seen him personally two
lays before.
Whereabouts Unknown
Last night DIR. Cooks friend,
'harles Wake, confessed to me that
e had not the faintest idea where
he doctor now is and that he had not
card from him since Tuesday No
ember %.
MY urgent letters to the doctor
ave remained unanswered. although
ley demanded a reply from any man
OlicitOus for his own affairs"
Mr. .Wack received a letter from
Irs. Cook on December 6, dated De
ember and posted December 3, in
asking him to discontinue
Il expenses on the doctors account
nd to forward certain papers which
Lr. Wack understood to be affidavits
caring on the doctors disputed as
mt of MT. Mckinley. These affi-
avits the doctor had originally in
nded to take with him to Europe,
here they could be available for the
of Copenhagen if desired.
Others of Dr. Cooks friends granted
might that Captain Loose consulted
eely with him and even occupied
oms adjoining him at the Gramatan
n. Whether this propinquity served
am opportunity for cooperation
erely or for collusion is a point on
hich not even Captain Loose cared ~
onounce positively.
The captain, however, went freely
to his own motives this afternoon.
Il went to DIR. Cook" he said,
linking I could help him. A short
Tx convinced me he was Ignorant Of
me of the essentials of navigation.
Y task enlarged. but that was no
estion for me to debate, so long as
was paid. Now that the payments
We ceased and the doctor has dis
peared, l speak out.
L supplied the figures. They were
atefully received. What use was
tde of them is bound to appear"
)PENHAGEN RECTOR