The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-09-28
PETTY SPITE
Peary Refused to Allow Or. Cooks Re-
cords Aboard His Steamer


THEY WERE LEFT AT ETAH
This Is What Whitney Cables to
DR.. Cook In New York, Who Says
it Does Not Matter. as he Has
o Duplicate, Which VIII sus-
fee.
Commander Robert E, Peary, re-
fused absolutely to allow any Of
the records or instruments of DR..
Frederick A. Cook to be brought
abroad the steamer Roosevelt and
was thus instrumental in causing
these records to remain in a cache
at Etah, Greenland, according to
Harry Whitney, the New Haven
sportsman. in dispatch received in
New York by DR.. Cook on Sunday.
The message, which came as response
TO one from Dr.. Cook, is as fol-
lows:
.Strathcona. via India Harbor and
Cape Hay, N. F., Sept. 25.
"Dr. F. a. Cook Waldorf, New
York.
"started for home Roosevelt.
Nothing arrived sGr me. Peary
would allow nothing belonging to
you on board. Said to leave every
thing in cache at Etah. Met Capt.
Sam, North Star. Did not go back
after going schooner bound St.
Johns. Take steamer home. Hope
you we'll. See you soon. Explain
all. Good shooting.
Harry Whitney"
DR.. Cook was Questioned as to
his view OF the situation created by
the, action ascribed to Commander
Peary, but he declined to say any
thing derogatSry of his rival. 1T
may be that the instruments will ar
rive this year after all" he said,
land as for the records and .obserya-
tions, their non-arfival here makes
no difference whatever, as I have
complete duplicates, so that there
will be no delay in compiling my
story with all its Details
DR.. Cook denied the report that
he was to bring suit for slander
against Peary. There is no truth
In the report" he said. Il have no
intention of bringing suit. Natural-
ly l am taking measures to have
everything in order in case OF neces-
sity; but l have never even thought
of filing suit, and wish to con-
tradict such reports at once.
If they are still at Etah, DR..
Cooks instruments may not arrive
in New York until the spding
months Of 1910. There is posi-
bility, however, Of their reaching
here this year, as another vessel may
have touched at Etah after the
Roosevelt left.
Peary's Poor Excuse.
"A dispatch from kRortland, Me-,
says it was !iear6sd .from "a source
close to Commander Peary that the
cofnfnandeT ilstifles his action in
refusing 10 allow Or. Fredeftek A.
Cooks Instruments 5or records -on
board the homs&ard bound ysreamer
Roosevelt on the theory that Ehe had
been aware forssome time OF Ecook' S
s1iteatfoa TO claim the discovery
of the North Pole and that fPeary.
therefore. would sanction nothing to
aid this project.
Gen. Hubbard, president of the
Peary Arctic Clnv makes different
excuse from thes~above for ePeary's
littleness. He says that Peary did
not mention any such circumstance
to him during the conference with
the Arctic explorer last Thursday
Gen. Hubbard said that undoubtedly
Peary felt that inasmuch :as DR.!
Cook had intrusted the data to Mr..
Whitney, it was important that MIR.
Whitney should retain sole custody
of it. Gen. Hubbard left it to be
assumed by his remarks that Com
ma1der Peary did not desire to have
custody of the records which would
play so important part in con-
troversy with DR. Cook. '.
Peary's Chief Witness.
All hands on board the Roosevelt
were instructed not to talk about
the controversy. Mat Henson, the
negro cook, who was with Peary in
his final dash north, said that he
had talked with every Eskimo who
went up with Cook and knew every
one of them but was not at liberty
to reveal what he had learned. Hen
son said, further, that Cook had prac-
tically no experience when he went
North; that he knew nothing about
building sledges. and was absolutely
inexperienced in driving Eskimo
dogs. Henson said that he was Of
the opinion that Cook could not even
harness dog correctely. This is
the kind Of testimony Peavy en-
poets to convict Cook on. 1t is total
w ppra1io hla