Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-10-15
Cook Attacked On Previous
Achievement-With Ex-
plorer When He Claimed
To Climb Mt. Mckinley.
SAYS COOKS
PICTURES ARE FAXED
Says He Falsified His Own
Diary AT Cooks
Dictation.

New YORK, october Tho GLOBE
this afternoon prints a copy of the
AFFIDAVIT made by Edwin n. Barrill,
whs accompanied DR.. Frederick A.
Cook az. the time he announced his
reaching the summit of Mount Nc
Kinley. The afhdavit was made be
fore notary public at Tacoma,
Wash, on October 4, and hay just
been received in New York. Bar
rill's affdavit states in effect that he
was the only person present with
DR.. Cook on the date when he claims
to have reached the summit of Mount
Mckinley that they did not in fact
reacn the summit. and the nearest
point to the summit reached was at
least fourteen miles distant from tn
summit of that mountain the eleva-
ito nat no time exceeding ten thous-
and feet.
Photographs Fake Also.
Barrill's afiidavit also brings into
question a number OF the photo
graphs which DR.. Cook has given as
representing the summit and other
nigh attitudes of Mount Mckinley.
Barrill's affidavit says at the out
set that he was born in Buffalo in
1864, and now resides at Darby,
Mont. He says he was the only party
pre1ent with DR.. Cook when he
claims to have reached the summit
of Mount Mckinley and that he is
the part referred TO as Barrille or
Edward Barrille in DR. Cooks book
entitled ITO the Top OF the Cont
nent," bearing upon the expedition
to Mount Mckinley. He details his
first meeting with Dr. Cook at Mis-
soula, where the latter was accom-
panied by Professor Parker, OF Co
lumbia University, r. w. Porter and
others.
The AFFIDAVIT then proceeds as fol-
lows
ION the evening OF September 9th
1906, DR.. Cook and / started alone
for the purpose of exploring Mount
Mckinley He inforaed me before
starting that his purpose was to find
a way for ascending the mountain.
as he and Prof Parker intended to
climb the mountain the following
year.
Under Cooks Direction.
"As shown by my diary, we took
to the ice On September 9th From
and including the 9th down to and
including the Sth OF September, all
writings in my diary are by me. but
were made under the direction OF
or. Cook. ! also changed the dates
during this time under his direction.
The figures 1900 on the. date OF
SeSptember 18TH we're changed by
me at the dictation Of DR.. Cook On
September 18th Dr. Cook directed
me to stop keeping my diary and
leave the pages therein blank 7 can
not now remember the exact dates
or figures which / had I'm my diary,
before 7 was so directed 10 change
them but knew the elevation under
what now apoars September 18th,
was not to exceed 5000. and ] think
81 was 5000
we quit any further attempts to-
wards ascending the mountain upon
september 18TH. and returned to the
boat, a gasoline launch, named Boil
shey. which lay i'm the water at the
foot OF the glacier We reached the
launch ON September 18th having
travelled twenty-cix miles or more on
the JoD OF the glacier from the place
I'VE '1uif climbing on September
18th
"On september t6th. when at our
first camp returning from the glacier,
! doctored and changed The entries
therein from and including Scptsm-
Der 9th down and including septem-
ber 10Th These changes we're made
under the orders of Dr. Cook. From
the 10Th TO tho 18TH was written az
the first camp returning on the night