The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-29
Repeats Story Told By
 Cook. WAS TOLD 10 SAY NOTHING
 OF THE INcIDENTS Hunter Describes Stay In Green-
 land. Because Eskims wss toe III se rnks Journey, spertsman Wa. Askca to Take Charge of Im-
 struments.

St. Johns N. F.. Sept. 2s-fIarry Whitney. of New Haven. Conn. believes that pr. Frederick A. Cook found the pole and that Commander Peary did the same. In expressing this belief to- day, Mir. Whitney said that he knows no reason for doubtfng Cook more than Peary.
 "Dr. Cooks story" he added. 'seems to me truthful and probable. Nothing else would explain his twelve months absence"
 The sckAner Jeanis arrived here to- day with Mir. whitney aboard, coming from the Greenland coast by way Of Indian Harbor. Labrador. Mir. Whit ney feels keenly the posision in which he Is placed. He went north. he said. merely on hunting trip and now finds himself In the storm center of a polar controversy. Dr. Cook left with him at Annatok several cases containing in- struments and some other belongtnEs but so far as MT. Whitney knew. no written records. There may have been records. however. packed with Dr. Cooks personal effects. but the explor- CT did not tell him especially that he was leaving written records in his pos session.
 Speaking of Dr. Cooks detailed ae- count of his trip to the pole. Mfr. whit ney said that the explorer showed hisu how the western drift of the foe had landed him in q region far remote from where he expected ro 10, and he was unable to get back. He could not speak with authority as to whether pr. Cook and his two Eskimos could carry on their three sludxes enough food for their Journey to the poEe n he himself is . novice in Arctic sravs cling.
 TJa danio~.A l.. ..... , .. controversy beyond the most vague aes tails. The first he learned of it was at Indian Harbor. when he received messages from several American pa pers asking for . statement.
 What Pesry Dia. MT. Whitney denied that Colnmands CT Peary had removed Dr. Cooks atorsa from rom Annatok so Etah, What Peass really did was to tranafer a few things and rebuild the house at Annafok Boatswain Murphy's oni3 reasOn fox refusing to help Captain Barniarss Ca- nadian expedition to get dogs and slecges at Etah was that they ware short of dogs themselves.
 MT. Whitney had trouble in gettfna enough dogs for his teanls all through the winter and Murphy was iooarfnr out for Peary so that he would have suncient dogs for the commanders ax- ploration trips around the country when he returned from the north
 MT. Whitney. questioned regnrdinx the statements made to him by Dr.. cook Tn Greenland. said Cook arrived ~ Annotok in April of this year and declared that he had reached the North Pole year before. He pledged whit ney not to tell Commander Peary who was 10 De informed only that Cook had gone further north than Peary,s pre- vious record. S7 degrees, minutes. pr. Cook told Whitney that he had accomplished all he expected, ana more besides. and that he was through with the northern country.
 whitney did not communicate tha latter part of this statement to Com mander Peary. Dr. Cook compiafnea 10 Whitney of Peary's taking over Of his house and stores. but declared that he had suffered no unfairneas pearvsa steward, William Pritchard, was pres ent when these statements were made. He also was pledged to secrecy oy Dr. cook. Murphy, Peary's boatswaln, in charge of the stores. was absent at Etah on this day and did not hear Dr. Cooks communications.
 There were two houses on the Creen- land shore. one at Annotok. holainT Cooks stores. and another at Etah. holding Peary's. Whitney, Murphy and Pritchard sometimes occupied one and sometimes the other of these houses. Murphy was In charge of both houses He Is not able to read or write He. had written instructions from peary which Whitney. at Peary's request, read over to him. from time to time.
 Used Cooks Stores First.
 These instructions were very string ent. directing Murphy to use Cooks stores first. and Peary's afterwards Murphy was told in them that he was to give Dr. Cook every help if lie came along in a needy condition. and furthermore the instructions implied that Murphy was to organise an cx- petition to search for Cook. out ec- cording to Mir. whitney this part of the instructions was worded very ans biguously. Mir. Whitney said that Cook had a copy of these instructions and would doubtless make it public Murphy treated Cook very ciyiliy ana Cook suffered no discourtesy.
 When Dr. Cook and his Eskimos ar- rived at the house they had no siedge. Being too tired to drag 1t over the rough Ice. they had left it twenty miles from Etah. The following day some other Eskimos went out recov- cred the sledge and brought 1t in. On it were pr. Cooks instruments, clothes and food.
 After spending two days at Annotok. started for Etah. Whitney accosnpa- nied him. Cook remained for three days at Etah. organizing for his trip south to upernavik.
 The doctor planned originally to take two EBkimos and two sledges, but one Eskimo fell sick and this made # necessary for him to cut down the irg- gage he could take with him south.
 He consequently asked Whitney to take charge of the instruments with which he had made his observations at the pole. There were three cases, one containing a sextant, another ar artificial horizon. and the third an in- strument which Mir. Whitney did rot recall.
 Cook left no written records with Whitney that Whitney Is aware of,
 Whitney said that last month afteF Peary's arrival on the Roosevelt. Cooks Eskimos came to him (Whisney) :, and asked what Peary'B men were try- ing to get them to say. Peary's men had shown the Eslimos papers and ! maps. but the Eskimos declared they did not understand these papers,
 PeaPy Was Informed.