Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-12-30
Charged with Practicing Fraud
on Its Members and on
the Public.
MT. M'KlNLEY TALE FALSE
Claim That He Assembled to "Top
of the Continent" Is Rejected
As Unworthy of Cred.
enco.'

Va hC IhplOItib tIuD me lO-udE
in executive session and, standing in ST.
lence. voted with bowed heads that DR..
Frederick 4. Cook be dropped from the
rolls o. the club for fraud practiced on
its members and on the public. Hard
upon the heels Of the crushing verdict
lately rendered by the University OF CO.
peniiagen. the action of the Explorers
club to-day is nevertheless the result OF
Independent Investigations which in no
way touch upon the polar controversy
and the weight Of its disa pproyal becomes
thus do'ibly cumulative.
Preliminary ia its vote OF expulsion,
the board me, to pass upon the report
OF its committee. which has been %investi-
eating the validity Of DR.. Cooks ssser-
ton tina: he reached the sumrl Of Mt.
Mckinley. This committee. in conciud-
Ing an exhaustive report, recommended
that DR.. Cooks claim that he assembled
the summit Of Mt. Mckinley in 1905 be
rejected by the Explorc-s' club as "un-
worthy Of credence.'
The committees recommendation was
based on its finding that d Cook had
repeatedly made statements that have
not been in accord with the facts and
that he had entered in.o agreements
which he has failed to keep. and that the
lnlsstatements and hrolen arreor- ents
denl not only will matters appartlinlng
TO discovery. but to ordinary financial
transactions SO that no credence can be
given to statements made by him"
COOK APPROVED INQUIRY.
Among the sever signatures appended
to this arraiEnmcnt are those of Caspar
Whitney and Anthony Fiala, both personal
frineds of DIR. Cook.
Tie committee is further explicit in It's
statement that it undertook its investiga
ton only after first apprising DR.. Cook OF
it's purpose, which he approved in person.
and that 1t has disregarded entirely the
testimony OF Edward Barrill. Or. Cooks
guide, and of Frederick Printz, his packer
although such testimony was placed be.
fore them. because 1t wished no cloud OF
partisan contention, no question OF
financial interest, to dim the integrity OF
its verdict.
In addition to the findings of the com
mittee as a whole. which are signed py
Anthony Fiala. Frederick S. Dellenbaugt
OF the American Geographic society. Prof
Marshal II. Saville OF the chair OIL
archaeology in Columbia University, Walter
VI 1lalh, oldTIeS II. IOWnSenO, QlTeCtOl
Of the New York Aquarium. Henry @
Walsh. secretary OF the Explorers club
and Caspar Whitney. individual signed re
ports are submitted by Hersechel c
Parker. professor Of physics at Columbia
and Bel'nore Brown. both Of whom were
members OF the Cook-Mckinley expedi
tlon' and by Charles Sheldon, who has re-
Gently returned from n years residence or
the slope or Mt. Mckinley, where he wen
win the express purpose OF studying thu
|onhGuration Of the mountain. with &
view TO the possibility OF its ascent.
COOK NOT FITTED
Professor farker reports that he was
a partner with Or. COOK in the Mckinley
expedition. both physically and finan-
ciaIly. Dr. COOK assumed the lead, witt
Marty onlv got ont win tbei, I,,.o.
thanks to the local knowledge of Belnore
Brown. one of Its members. 1T was
perfectly UNDERSTOOD says Professo,
Parker, that after this misadventure al
further attempts were abandoned for the
season. Otherwise Professor Parker
| would not have left the expedition
Instead of this, DR.. Cook, It is charged
side-tracked all members OF the expedi-
ton init there remained only Coo his
| guide, Barrill. and one packer, who was
subsequently got rid Of also. These de.
f~ections left DR.. Cook, says Professo,
Parker. no instruments capable OF meas,
uring the attitudes he says he attained
Moreover. he adds. the summer. experi
ence had shown that, Of all the party
DR.. Cook and Barrlll were the least ntteC
Eclmore Brown, in The main, confirm,
Professor Parker and says in addit.o,
that in DR.. Cooks book there Is not on
date given from the time he left the Chu
litna river. This makes intelligent criti
c!sn impossible. he declares. HIS assert
further that he never saw DR.. Cook max
a single anero!d barometer reading dur
ing the whole trip.
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