The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-10-20
DENIES BARRILL'S CHARGES.
DIR. COOK WILL SEND FOR RENc.
ORDS LEFT ON MOUNT Me-
KINLEY.
says Accuser Was BOught-ExplOrer
Declares Affiant Was Offered Strons
inducements to Make Statements
About Climb.

New York. Oct. 15.-Dr. Frederick
A Cook announced tonight that he
nad organized an expedition to ascend
Mount Mckinley and procure the rec
ords which he says were left there on
his former ascent. This step will be
taken to refute the charges that he
did not attain the summit of the
mountain as set forth in the affidavit
OF Edward N. Barrin, the guide who
accompanied him.
In a statement to the Assoc;atea
Press tonight DR.. Cook said:
Upon my return from Atlantic CITY
today conferred with a confidential
agent whom had sent to Montana tn
investigate stories which had reached
me in Kansas City to the effect that
strong inducements had been offered
Edward n. Barrill, the guide who ac-
companied me to the summit OF
Mount Mckinley in the summer of
1906. This confidential agent return
ed from Montana this morning and for
good reasons / do not care at the
present time to make his name public.
AFTER thorough investigation there he
reports to me that an offer of a con-
siderable sum of money was made to
Mr. Barrill on the condition that he
prepare and sign an affidavit which
would be calcusAAedr to discredu INV
claim that succeeded in scaling the
Alaskan peak. This offer. so my rep
resentative informs me, was made To-
Mr. BaTrfll irr the presence Of G. G.
bridgeford. G. reputable citizen Of
Hamilton, Mont. who is associated
with Mr.. Barrill in the real estate bue-,
mess. Barri1l at that time, ACCORDING
to the statement of Mr.. Hrldgeford to
my representative. declined to make
such an affidavit and informed the
rlen who had requested him to swear
that did not reach the tep Of Meant
mckinley that to make ssch ass ~
davit he would have to commit per-
jury and sell his own SOUL
Within the next AZ hours hon.
ever, ahidavits made by prominent
citizens of Hamilton, Mont. will be.
handed over to the Associated Press:
and will be to the effect that 5pr;ro
the last three years Barrin has con-
tinuously repeated the Mount McKin-
ley story and has at all times insisted
that we succeeded in reaching tho
summit of the mountain. No one bae
peen found in Hamilton who can testi-
~ that at any time he has ever hear6t
narriii tell the story as 1t is related
| oy him in his sworn affidavit.
1 have today. received numerous
kilograms from reputable citizen. NJ
Montana who have talked with Rar
TIL and are willing to make afY,sav;,
as TO his former version of the Mount,
| Mckinley trip.
Il have tonight forwarded al.
gram to Anthany Fiala, asking him
20 mead an expedition to Mount No
hiniey to bring back my record. An
other telegram has been sent to prof
ihercheii Z. Parker, of Columbia uni
'ersity. who accompanied me in tho
early stages Of my last Monut McKir-
ley expedition, asking him to ioin Flo
la on this expedition. The pre,im;n
ary arrangements for the trip will he.
i'iade at once and the expedition win
start as soon as the weather perm;,s
next year.
Mr.. Fiala and Prof Parker no
uouot VIII invite a number of exner,
mountain climbers to accomnanv-
'hem on the expedition. The resu,, ~,
'heir efforts will set at rest forever
any doubt that may exist as to whe,b-
er barrill and myself reached the tom
"'ost summit and deposited there roo
ords as described in my book. To the.
Top of the Continent