Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-12-24
An Indictment In which DIR. Cook
Should at Once Reply

From the Brooklyn Eagle.
The statements published under oath
in the New York Times a few days ago
by August w. Loose, a sea captain, of
ABB Thirteenth street, Brooklyn, aud
George IL. Dunkle, an insurance bro
ker of 81 Nassau street, Manhattan, are
either true or untrue. If they are true,
they effectually make an end of DIR.
discoverer of the North Pole. If they
are untrue, they are 80 grossly libellous
that DR.. Cook is morally bound, rs q
measure of self-protection, and as a
satisfaction 10 those who still believe
in him, to sue the Times for libel.
We do not think the Times is much
concerned over what DR.. Cook may or
may not do. 1t seems to have EN-,
pfuyedTevery-means It its disposal to
find the mysterious doctor aud obtain
from him a reply to the charges of
Loose aud Dunkle before those charges
were published. Failing in that, it had
recours to the policy any live news
paper would have pursued under SIM
liar circumstances. 1t gave the facts
to the public aud left the public to
pass judgment upon them.
Briefly stated, the case disclosed
amounts to this: D~unkle, whose &C.
cess to DR.. Cook at the Waldorf is
clearly established, claims to have
found that the Doctor was in need of
somebody to prepare a set OF observa-
tious for transmission TO Copenhagen.
He suggested the engagement of Cap
tain Loose, who appears to have been
highly recommended, though not for
any such nefarious purpose as the ''fa-
king" of observations, by nosless a per-
sonage than MI. Lewis Nixon. Dunkle
and Loose stayed at the Gramatan Inn
while DIR. Cook vas there, and Loose,
according to his own statement, pre-
pared a completel.set of observations
covering the alleged Journey to the Pole.
These observations, it is said, were
given into custody of Mr.. Lounsdale,
DR.. Cooks secretary, and by him car
ried to Copenhagen and there delivered
Publication of the Dunkle-Loose nara
tive has been SO timed that it should
be an easy matter to compare the obser-
vations which are printed and which
Captain Loose says were made to order
with the supposed official record of the
expedition now at Copenhagen. The
records at Copenhagen cannot in any
way be changed.
The motive of Loose and Dunkle in
impeaching Cook is announced with
c~ommendable frankness. They make
no pretense of a desire to do the public
a service. They were not paid the
amount they claim Dr., Cook promised
to pay them and hence hearevelations
in the Times. Due weight must be
given TO this in any estimate of case
they present. The same motive seems
to have instigated Barrille, the western
guide, to assert that Cooks story of the
ascent of Mount Mckinley is a care
fully vanished fabrication. DR.. Cook
has been ~singularly unfortunate with
his co-laborers in the field of scientific
effort. We a recall no other ex-
plorer who has had a similar exper-
fence. Barrille, Dunkle and Loose con-
stitue a trio of disappointed and vim
dictive assistants, each with the iden-
tical claim that the doctor failed to
meet his financial obligations. All of
them have had their say. The Times
has formulated a terrific indictment.
1t is now DIR. Cooks move.
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