The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-22
Give This Charitable View of
Man Alleged to Be Greatest
Fakir in History of the
World.
DID FIERCE ARCTIC
WEATHER AFFECT HIM
Cooks Attorney, One Staunch
Friend, Asks If a Sane Man
Would Have Acted as the
Explorer Has.

New York, Dec. 22.-That DR.. Freder-
lex A. Cook, who today is man with
out a country, is mentally unbalanced
is the explanation some Of his few re-
naming friends are making of the CO.
lossal hoax Of which he made all civili-
zation his victim. Seeking a charita
BILE explanation for lis preparation of
what is branded "the most monument
al fake of history" they declare that
his mind must have given way under
the rigors of the Arctic cold, and that
the hardships of his years in the ex-
treme north bred the hallucination
that he had really accomplished the
discovery OF the pole. succeeding where
five hundred previous leaders had fail
ed in centuries of effort.
Views Of II. W. Wack.
HI. Wellington Wack. DR.. Cooks for
mer attorney and one of his stanchest
friends. said today, in discussing the
verdict Of the University of Copenha-
gen: would sane man have anything
to do with Captain A. w. Loose and
George H. Dunkle. at a critical mo-
ment, when he was the target for the
attacks from all over the world?"
Today the discredited explorer, in
hiding and offering no defense. is not
only a man rejected of his native land
and the world, but q man deprived Of
the belief Of the hosts of friends who
flocked to him in the first hours of his
false success. OF all the crowds that
hailed him as a conqueror, but a few
months ago, only today expressed any
remnant of faith in him-his brother,
William A. Cook, the Brooklyn milk
dealer, whose partner the explorer was
and Captain B. S. Osbon.
New Factor in Case.
A new factor in the case today was
the disappearance Of Mrs. Cook and
the explorers children. They are said
to be in a boarding school: Mrs. Cook s
whereabouts being as much a mystery
as her husbands.
This Development gave credence to
the reports that DR.. Cook had quit
America forever, and that he would
spend the rest Of his days in hiding or
seclusion. living on the proceeds OF his
lecture tour. He Is said to have $780,
UO IN n bTOOklyu Oduk, anu uOTe
funds elsewhere. and it is said that one
of his last known acts in New York
was to withdraw $4,000 in cash he had
deposited with local trust company.
Will Not Elect Him.
Tonight the Explorers club of New
York. Of which DR.. Cook Is a member
and which has been among the fore
mosts of his supporters, elects pres.
ident. Cook, up to the moment Of the
publication Of the Copenhagen charges,
was looked upon rs the only possible
man to head the club. Today dozen
members declared that there was prac.
tically no possibility of his name be.
ing mentioned as candidate.
A move for his expulsion from the
club was reported to be under way.
Not only is the alleged polar discov-
erer branded fraud. but his past ca
reer. including much contested claims
to the ascent of Mt. Mckinley in Alas.
Iva. is to be closely Investigated by the
National Geographic society, which an
nounced at Washington that the find
tngs would be given to the world.