Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-09-22
DR.. COOK EXPLAINS |.
Declares He Can Prove His
Claim by ills Observations.
WOULDN'T TELL PEARY'S MAN

Statement That BE Had Admltseo
Not Reaching The Pole-Peary
Admits Cook Could Have Succeed
ed.
On Board the Steamer Oscar Ii,
at Sea, Sept. II, via Marconi Wire.
less Telegraph to Cape Race, N. F.
"Tell the people Of America to have
the fullest confidence in my conquest
of the Pole Il have records OF OBJ
servations made by me which will
prove my claim. l shall be glad again
to set my foot on American soil.
This was the brief message of DR..
Frederick A. Cook, sent to his conn-
trymen as ne nears home on the
steamer Oscar II, bound from Chris
tiansand, Norway, for New York.
DIR. Cook discussed the assertion
of Commander Peary that he Cook
had never reached the North Pole.
When he departed for the North DR..
Cook said he left depot of pro
visions at Annootok, north of NEtah,
in charge of Rudolph Francke and
several Eskimos. Francke had In
sNuctions to go south aboard a
whaler and return later. This he
did, but missed the returning vessel
owing to slight illness. He was
then taken aboard Peary's ship, the
Roosevelt, and proceeded North.
Commander Peary found my sup
ply depot at Annootok,'' - DIR. Cook
continued, "and the Eskimos in
charge told him that I was dead,
which they fully believed to be true
at the time.
"Peary placed two men in charge
of the depot, Boatswain Murphy and
another, Harry Whitney, the New New
Haven hunter, also remained there.
Murphy had orders not to search for
me, but was told he could send
Eskimos northward the following
spring from the relief depot.
Whitney Given The Facts
"When l returned from the Pole,
unexpectedly, Harry Whitney was
the first TO see me and to tell me
what had occurred. Whitney was
placed in possession of the facts con-
cerning my Journey to the Pole on
condition that he would not inform
Commodore Peary or his men Of
them. At tile same time the EsEimos
who had accompanied me north were
told to maintain the strictest silence
"When 1 went into the depot there
was a dispute between myslf and
Murphy, who delivered to me written
instructions he had received from
Peary, although he himself could
neither read nor write. These IN
structions showed that he was max
ing a trading station Of my depot, the
contents of which had been used IN
trading for furs and skins. o
DR.. Cook said he was intensely an
noyed at this alleged wrongful use
of his supplies and threatened to
kick out Murphy and his companions.
Finally, however, he consented to
their remaining at the depot, as there
was no other shelter in the vicinity
for them.
"0n one occasion -Murphys asked
me abruptly, Have you been beyond
81 degree?" DIR. Cook said. "But l
was determined not to let Peary
know of my movements, and replied
evasively that 1 had been much far
ther north. From this statement has
been concocted the declaration that
I had said that / had not reached the
Pole" F"
DIR. Cook declared that neither
Harry Whitney nor his (Cook's) re-
cords are on board the steamer
Roosevelt and that therefore Peary' $
information concerning him emanated
from Boatswain Murphy, who knew
nothing of his movements. DR.. Cook
said also that he had made arrange
ments for the two Eskimos who went
with him to the Pole and Knud Ras-
mussen, whom he met in Greenland,
to go to New York and confirm the
story of his discovery.
DR.. Cook is thoroughly enjoying
his rest aboard ship after the strenu-
ous davs az Copenhagen. He sleeps
10 hours each night and spends q
long time daily in writing and in
walking the decks and conversing
with the American passengers, who
have all been formally presented to
him by Benjamin Trueblood, presl-
dent of the American Peace Society
Of Boston.
All the passengers are impressed
by the sincerity of DR.. Cook, as in
dicated by his convcrsing with them
in regard to his discovery of the pole.
He said that the Danes, with whom
he lived for several months, are ac-
quainted with the whole story of his
exploit; that he also has provided the
Danish government with the fullest
proofs of his achievements and that
he is now prepared to lay these
proofs before a competent body III
America.
DR.. Cook expressed astonishment
that the news of the discovery of the