The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-10-23

While DR.. Frederick A. Cook, af-
ter a short absence from the city.
was at the City Hall yesterday af-
ternoon receiving the freedom of the
city on the invitation of the Board
of Aldermen he let it be known
that he would receive all newspa-
per hecklers at the Waldorf at ten
minutes to o'clock last evening to
answer any questions they wished
to ask regarding the recent stories
about his achievements at Mount
Mckinley or his discovery of the
North Pole, says theNew York Sun.
The hecklers went to the Waldorf
with facSimiles of the signatures to
a sworn statement by Barrill, the
guide who was the only man with
DIR. Cook on the Mount Mckinley
trip, over which this companion
swearS that the most noteworthy
parts of the doctors book are false.
The doctor already has said in in
terviews-and he repeated the state
ment last night-that he always
had every confidence in Barrin. but
has added that he cannot believe
Barrin made the affidavit published
over his signature. When the photo
graphic reproduction of Barrilrs sig
nature on the affidavit was exhibit
ted DR.. Cook reluctantly admitted;
1t looks like BarriI's signature, "
The questioning of DR., Cook was
disappointment. He had offered
to meet the newspaper men of his
own accord. When they gathered
about him he was a bit reluctant
about answering questions. AS the
questions came faster and faster he
finally decided to hurry bac., to his
apartments. He was told that there
were a few more questions which in
view of the public interest in his
discoveries should be answered, but
he declined to say any more. II was
the impression of the newspaper men
who have talked almost daily with
the explorer when he has been in
New York that his dislike to ans
wer questions was more noticeable
last evening than at any interview
since he landed here.
After twenty or twenty-five min
utes of preliminary buttOnholing,
the explorer. when he finally con-
scented to be interviewed, turned on
his heel at the end of the first ques-
ton and went back to his apart
ments with one of his staff before
answering this first question. The
question was whether or not he
would recognize the handwriting of
his guide Barrill if a sample of it
were shown him.
At the end of ten minutes DR..
Cook again came out of his apart
ments with his friend and the Ques-
ton again was put to him.
I'm not sure that l woulO know
Barrilrs handwriting" answered the
doctor. he was shown several re-
productions of Photographic pages
from the diary kept by Barrill dur
ing the Mount Mckinley trip. The
explorer looked at them for a few
moments with an expression of in
decision.
Probably you could tell better il
you saw Mr.. Barrills signature,
somebody suggested.
Yes, l think l could tell better
from that" agreed the doctor.
When the Photographic reprouuc,
ton OF Barrin's signature at the enc
of the sworn statement was shown
DR.. Cook looked at it for a while
and did not answer When he wa:
pressed for an opinion he said:
Well"
The explorer studied the signature
for a moment or two longer.
Il really shouldn't like to say
offhand that this is his signature,
he said after a time, without hav
ing some of his original writing be
fore me"
Does it look like his writing?'
was the next question.
Yes" answered DR., Cook after 4
time, Il should say that it looks like
his signature.
Another questioner here broke il
with the statement that the guide
Barrill is in the neighborhood o
New York and soon will be asked
to tell what he knows about th'
Mount Mckinley trip before meet
ing of the Explorers Club, 1t wa
oven said that Barril had anderson,