Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-22

OcCc1NS Dotu TIE puOllC ana his IElenOS.
William L. Cook, proprietor Of the
North role Dairy at TAI Bedford avenue,
Brooklyn. and brother of Explorer Cook:
Even II Copenhagen University and all
of the Danish people declare that the
data and proofs furnished to them by
DR.. Cook are insufficient to establish my
, brothers claim. l will firmly believe that
he accomplished the end which he sought.
! It Is diHcult thing to prove one has
been to the pole. My brother could not
bring all the surveyors instruments and
| mariners cOmpasses and other instru-
ments essential to establish his claims.
HIS only companions were the Esl1-
| mos, and their evidence is lacking. The
considerate public must forego the hack
neyed I told you So and reflect that
Copenhagen has not stated DR.. Cook
never reached the pole. It's verdict is
limited by the announcement that the
evidence Is not conclusive"
Charles Wake, one of Cooks chief sup
porters: THE verdict Of Copenhagen is a
disappointment, of course. but it has not
altered by conviction that DR.. Cook either
reached the pole or honestly believed
ne had reached it. His original records
were In my possession for some time, but
did not attempt to read them. They
were written with the aid of magnify
ing glass. owing to the scarcity of paper,
and could not be read without one. 1t
was only after Mr.. Lonsdale sailed for
Copenhagen with the data which were
submitted to the scientists that read the
..
such as is now in their hands / could
then see that it was open to technical and
scientific objections, for the reason that
It gave only the results of the observa-
selves. It is sinply~a straight running
story of his trip. such as might satisfy
| the lay mind. Therefore the decision Of
| The scientists that his proofs are insult
surprise me.
There is this which should be borne In
| mind, however: DIR. Cook abandoned a
very profitable lecture tour to prepare
the data which he sent to Copenhagen.
II he had known his story was q con-
coctiOn, or even an exaggeration, it seems
to me he would have gone on getting
money from his lectures as long as he
could, which probably would have been
Tor considerable time. This, added to
my long knowledge of the man, strength
ems me in the conviction that he believed
he had reached the pole. There is pro-
nounced streak Of genius in DR.. Cook
which makes him headstrong and super
sensitive. perhaps. He worried greatly
over the accusations made against him,
and during all of the time that he was
preparing the records for Co .Ienhagen he
was possessed of the idea that he was
being bounded by detectives. and even
that his life was in danger. So great was
this fear that he went away without even
letting his wife know when he was going
or where. Subsequently he let us know
as to his movements.
am able to say, however. that he
has for some time been in Europe and
In position to furnish his original rec
ords to Copenhagen University. and l am
greatly surprised that he has not done so.
particularly as l strongly urged him to
do SO. AS ] have said, he Is headstrong
and prone to disregard advice. / wish to
relterate that my whole interest in this
matter has been simply that of a friend,
without the suspicion of a financial mo-
tive. l have not been, nor would I De,
party to any plot to deceive the public,
nor has DR.. Cook ever suggested such a
thing to me. Had he done SO would
have instantly washed my hands Of the
whole matter. 1 have always had a high
regard for Commander Peary, and have
never doubted that he reached the pole,
or uttered q word against him. / could
see no reason, however, why both men
could not get to the pole. DIR. Cook need
ed friend while Commander Peary had
plenty, and l am the last man to turn
down friend, especially when every
hand seems raised against him. I think
there was undue haste in declaring DR..
Cook the discoverer of the pole; let us
not now be too hasty in declaring him
an impostor."
can navy and Cook supporter: II will
not withdraw my Endorsement until the
head of Copenhagen University issues
stat te;1s over his own signature dis
VI. N.
| stick by my friends until they die
II. Wellington Wack, counsel for Dr.
Cook: Il had been fearing things might
come CON out this way: think the public
Will eventually realize that Dr. Cook so
far as this polar matter is concerned, is
IN object for sympathy. I have cabled
to Copenhagen for permission to make
haue n and In case receive it shall
most peculiar mental attitude If these
findings be final DR.. Cook is certainly the
man ta,, without country. His position is
mental fake 1 can only say that we
also. are victims Of it. I was introduced
to DR.: Cook by prominent member of
the Explorers Club. and he practically
swore to me that he had the proofs that
he had been to the pole and would sub
nit them to the University of Copen-
hagen before he went on his lecture tour
This he failed to do. and throughout
has disregarded our advice The ethics
Of lawyers relations toward his Client
are fairly well known, but how abou. the
thics of the clients relations toward lis
lawyer He has ignored our advice
throughout and subjected us to unmerit-
ID ridicule when we were simply doing
J what we could for him.
I'VE advised him to pay every one he
owed. let his intimates know his where
abouts and go abroad. where he could
be within call OF the Danish scientists
It seems he took this advice in part, but
went away secretly, and we did not even
know where he was.
Before the LoOse-Dunkle revelations
we're made we were courteously given
rorty-eight hours in which to find d
Cook to give him onn"rt" ~" g. =
We did not know where ne was. l called
MIR. Wake who Sd
and he admitted to me that he did not
know, but as he had told the news-ape
he did. he could not go back on what he
| had sad. Does it look like the act Of q
sane man to have had traffic with Loose
and Dunk.e at such critical time, as l
! am convinced DR.. Cook did? Then we
were told by the man that the Herald
sent to Copenhagen that a member of the
| consistory had told him that Cook had
proof that he had been to the pole He
certainly was better judge than we.
Is 1t wonder that we were misled when
scientific bodies and the royal family
were also convinced Of DIR. Cooks sue
cess? For some time the ease has placed
Us In a very delicate position. though we
| ceased to represent him in November
We were credited with that story of
at sea. But we had nothing to do with
it, We threw out SO per cent of the
evidence he brought that such a NJ t was
under way, but it seems the remaining
20 per cent had great influence on a per-
son in his state Of mind
John II. Bradley, arctic hunter and
Danes are to blame for the whole thing
Landing as he did in Denmark and re-
ceiving there the highest honors of the
most rigorous oral examination, I cannot
<haf <I,0r al Fo %,