The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-01
COOK ATTACKS
GUIDES STORY
HE PRODUCES A NEWSPAPER
MANS AFFIDAVIT SHOWING
BARlLL IN A BAD LIGHT.


Helena. Mont, Nv. Upon his ar
rival here from Hamilton, DIR. Freder-
lex A. Cook. the Brooklyn explorer,
made public an affidavit which has a
tendency, at east. to discredi: he
statements OF GUIDE Barril, vita whcnl
10 Is engaged in a rather strenuous
controversy c0toe;o ng the Mount Nc
Kinley trip.
This lie sig1rd by r. L. i'agby. !.
Missoula Newspaper man, who sweal .
that with the or gin .: !ns CO I'lnrrrsy
early in SoLtea AErl at various
times since, he visited BarrilI at Ham
ilton to secure statements thereon.
In essence, Bagby says that Barrill
deplored the fact that any controversy
had arisen over the Mckinley trip. and
strongly censured the other members
of the party for having made state
ments which they were not in a posi-
ton to know, he being the only man
who had accompanied Cook.
inferred Peak Was Scaled.
Barrill informed Bagby that he was
engaged in preparing a statement from
his diary which he would put in the
form Of an affidavit and that he would
make 1t public when Cook returned.
Bagby adds that while Barrill made no
positive statement that Cook had seal
ed Mckinley, he added:
You may say that Mckinley can be
climbed; / know It."
Bagby says that from drawings and
his manner he was convinced that he
meant Cook and he had been at the
top, he adds that Barrill said:
This looks like a big mitt' proposi~
ton to me, and am going TO get what
is coming to me-"
He says Barrill's attitude and words
were so plain that he bluntly informed
him that he was not in a position to
pay him anything for it.
Endorsed by Business Men.
Missoula's business men last night at
a banquet cordially Endorsed Cook and
his achievements. Cooks agent insists
the Hamilton meeting was packed by
Barrill and his friends. Homer Rogers
has sent a telegram to ePary as pres
ident of the Explorers club, protesting
against the treatment of Cook. who is
also member of the organization. In
his lecture here tonight Cook said he
would again make an ascent of Nc
Kinley next summer and thus end the
controversy forever. From here he
goes to New York to prepare his rec
ords for the Copenhagen university
This will take thirty days, he esti-
mates.
Is Photo That Of Summit?
Portland, Me-, Nov. lin a signed
statement given to the Associated
Press today, Russell W. Porter, topoR-
rapher on the Mount Mckinley expedi-
zion Of DR.. Frederick A. Cook. declares
that IL 1t is true that one of the photo
graphs in DR.. Cooks book was taken
on the evening of the day the doctor
reached what was known as Camp No
6, the photograph cannot be one of the
summit Of Mount Mckinley.
Camp Far From Mountain Ton.
In the published afldavit Of Bar
rill, he states that the photograph op
postte page 1872 in Cooks book was
taken on the evening OF the same dav
that he took with him the flag at what
ne claims as the top of Mount McKin
ley and was taken at Camp 6. This
camp was only three or four miles
from one OF my surveying stations.
locality which l recognized distinctly
1t is about 5000 foot contour and is
some twenty miles from the summit.
according to my typographical maps
purchased by the government.
II 1t is true that the photograph
signed The top Of our continent was
taken on the evening Of the dav thew
made this camp. this photograph can
not be the summit OF Mount McKin-
ley"