The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-10-25
SWEARS BARRILL
Lied ABOUT COOK
GUIDES FORMER BUSINESS PART.
NER MAKES SENSATIONAL
AFFIDAVIT I'm MissouLA.

MissouIa, Mont, oct. 25.-There were
sensational developments yesterday In
the campaign being waged In Montana
by DIR. Cooks advance guard, r.. G.
Mitchell; the explorers special repre-
sentative, Gen. T.. d. Weed OF Helena;
his counsel. and Col. Thomas G. Mar
shall OF Missoula, his special attorney
for western Montana
General Weed authorized the state
ment last night that G. @. Bridgeford,
business man OF Hamilton, and up TO
few days ago In partnership with Ed
ward Barrill In the real estate business
had completely refuted the AFFIDAVIT
made in Tacoma by DIR. Cooks former
guide.
The Contradiction.
Barrill swore in that statement that
he and DR.. Cook had never scaled
Mount Mckinley and that the ex-
plorer's claims in this respect were
fraudulent.
Bridgeford made af1ldavit yesterday
that Barrill had told him that the ton
OF the Alaskan peak had been reached
and had showed an improvised map
just how the trip was made, emfeI.
fishing the account with extracts from
the redbacked memorandum book
that figured so prominently in the Ia
coma statement
Bridgeford also said thar Barrill rad
informed him that his 1.-THE former
guide's) signature to the proposed af-
fdavit was worth from $4,000 10 Si0,-
900.
The Affidavit.
Bridgeford's affidavit recites:
Il have known Edward n. Barrill of
Darby, Ravallo county. Montana, for
about ten or twelve years. / have al
ways found Mr.. Barrill a man OF in
tegrity, Although we have dissolved
our partnership, we nevertheless bear
to one another the closest relations OF
friendship.
Dieker for Pay for Signatures.
THE first time ! heard Mr.. Barrin
say anything relative to DR.. Cooks
ascent of Mount Mckinley was in Sep
tember Of this year, about the time OF
receiving the news Of the discovery of
the north pole He and a Mr.. Nichols
were talking. Mr. Barrill told me that
Mr.. Nichols wanted him to come to his
office in Hamilton and make a state
ment 70 him in regard to Dr. Cooks
ascent of Mount Mckinley. Mr.. BarrilI
said that he did not intend 20 20. He
SAID that this meant money to him.
Mr.. Barrill told me that Mr.. Nichols
told him If he would come there and
make statement with reference to
Dr. Cook reaching the summit OF Mount
Mckinley he would give him q bond
that he would get his money.
Means From $1,000 to $4,000 to Me-"
Then the next communication / had
with Mr. Barrill was the evening be-
fore he started for Seattle. He had
told me a time or two of getting a
telegram from man by the name OF
Miller think Mr.. Miller lis a photog-
rapher In Seattle. He said TO me:
That party Miller, from Seattle, is
at Missoula, and / am to meet him
there tonight; this means from $1,000
to $4,000 TO me-"
Thought He Was Cooks Friend.
That was the last saw Of Mr..
Barriil until he came back from Seat
tie, which was on Thursday, Oct I.
1903. He came up from Missoula and
ne went on up home to Darby that
night Mr.. BariIl, after coming from
Seattle and before going to New York,
left the impression with me that he
was going as the friend of DIR. Cook.
Mr.. Barrill stated that he was there
at Mount Mckinley when DIR. Cook
made the ascent OF Mount Mckinley.
How He introduced Cook.
From what Mr.. BarriIl stated
judged that DR. Cook and he had
reached the top OF Mount Mckinley.
judged as much from what other men
told me as from what Mr. Barrill told
me. Mr.. Printz told me that when DR..
Cook and Mr.. Barrill returned from
their trip an rejoined him, Barill
said:
I introduce to you the man who
went to the top OF Mount MCKINLEY
DR.. Cook congratulated the doctor.
Ssigned) &c. g. Bridgeford"
Other Afidavits Obtained.
Other affidavits contradicting state
ments made by Barrill were also OBJ
tanned by the attorneys. but have not
yet been made public.
5rideeford Goes East Today.
Bridgeford win leave here today for
New York, where he will appear as a
witness In support of the statement he
has made
Cook Wants 70 Face BarriII.
DR.. Cook comes TO Missoula next
Thursday and WIN deliver a free lee
ture, following this talk with q similar
one on the night after at Hamilton.
The home Of both BarrilI and Bridge
ford. He has relegraphed his deere 10
meet his former guide face to face.
-~----------------
FOUR CHILDREN KILLED.