Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-28
TALE WH|TNE! TELLS
Hunter Confirms Cooks Ac-
count in All Essentials.
STORES TAKEN BY PEARY
Murphy Had Vague instruction to
Send Out Relief Party.
SPORTSMAN NOT QUESTIONED
But Eskimos Ask Him What Peary's
Men Want Them to Say
About Rival.

ST. JOHNS. Newfoundland. September
2S-The arctic vessel Jeanie, with Harry
Whitney, the New Haven big game hunt
er on board, has arrived here from the
Greenland coast by way of Indian Har-'
Dor, Labrador.
Whitney was questioned regarding the
statements made to him by DR.. Frederick
A. Cook in Greenland.
He said Cook arrived at Annootok in
April of this year and declared he had
reached the north pole a year before. He
pledged Whitney. however, not to tell
Commander Peary, who was to be inform
ed only that Cook had gone farther north
than Peary's previous record, 81 degrees
minutes.
Continuing. DR.. Cook told Whitney that
he had accomplished all he had expected
to, and more besides, and that he was
through with the northern country. Whit
of this statement to Commander Peary.
About Cooks Stores.
Continuing Whitney said that DIR. Cook
had complained to him of Peary's taking
over of his house and stores, but de-
clared he had suffered no unfairness
Peary's steward, William Pritchard, was
present when these statements were
made. Like Whitney, he was pledged to
secrecy by DR.. Cook.
Murphy; Peary's boatswain, who was
in charge of the stores, was absent at
Etah on this day and did not hear DIR.
Cooks communications.
There were two houses on the Green
land shore-one at Annootok, holding
Cooks stores, and another at Etah, hold
Ing Peary's stores. The three white men,
Whitney, Murphy and Pritchard. some
times occupied one and sometimes the
other of these houses.
Murphy was in charge of both houses.
He Is not able to read or write.
He had written instructions from Peary
which Whitney, at Peary's request, read
over to him from time to time. These
directed Murphy to use Cooks stores
first and Peary's afterward.
Relief instructions Vague.
Murphy was told in them that he was
to give DR.. Cook every help If he came
along in q needy condition. Furthermore
the instructions implied that Murphy was
to organize an expedition to search for
DIR. Cook, but according to Whitney this
part of the instructions was worded am
biguously.
Whitney said that Cook had a copy of
these instructions and would doubtless
make them public. Murphy treated Cook
civilly and Cook suffered no discourtesy.
When DR.. Cook and his EskimOs arrived
tired to drag 1t over the rough ice, they
had left it twenty miles from Etah.
The following day some other Eskimos
wen, out. recovered the sledge and
brought it in. On 1t were DR.. Cooks in
struments, clothes and food.
After spending two days at Annootok,
where Cook first met Whitney. Cook start
ed for Etah. Whitney accompanied him.
Cook remained for three days at Etah.
organizing for his trip south to Uper-
navik.
The doctor had figured out roughly the
date that he would likely get to Uper-
navik and when the Dundee whalers or
the Danish store ships would reach there.
He argued that he had no time to lose.
Forced to Leave Instruments.
He planned originally to take two Eski-
mos and two sledges. One Eskimo fell
| sick. This made it necessary for him to
cut down the luggage he could take with
him south.
He consequently asked Whitney to take
charge of the instruments with which he
had made his observations at the pole.
There were three cases, one containing a
Sextant another an artificial horizon and
| the third an instrument which Whitney
| said he could not recall 1t possibly might
have been a chronometer
Cook left no written records with Whit
ney that Whitney is aware Of There
may have been some records. however.
| in the other boxes in which Cook packed
| his clothes and his personal effects.
Cook did not tell Whitney especially
| that he was leaving any written records
with him. Whitney was positive about
| this.
After Cook departed for the south
| Whitney resumed his hunting. He took
| over Cooks two Eskimos. Etukishuls and
A oIn1N tn sI,Ny hi fhn trxr
| where Cook had shot musk oxen.
This the two men did. Whitney bagged
| all the oxen he could carry out on his
| sledgeS
| be quite satisfactory in subordinate ca
| pacities. He knows nothing of their value
in a dash across the polar sea.
Whitney Not Questioned; Eskimos
Pumped
Continuing. Whitney said that last
| month, when Peary, on board the Roose-
welt, reached Etah from the north after
his winters work there. he. Whitney, in
formed him of DR.. Cooks arrival in
April, adding that Cook had told him,
Whitney. to tell Peary that Cook had
gone beyond Peary's farthest north.
Peary made no comment on this. Whit
ney said he was not asked any other
questions by Peary.
| But the next day Cooks Eskimos came
| to Whitney and asked him what Peary's
men were trying to get them to say
| Peary's men had shown the Eskimos pa
| pers and maps. but the Eskimos declared
they did not understand these papers
| So far as Whitney is aware, Cook q
Eskimos never admitted that, while with
the doctor. they had only progressed two
| sleeps from land.
New Cure for Sleeping Sickness.
PARIS. September 2s.-Dr. Laveran OF
this city has announced to the Academy
Of Sciences a new cure for the sleeping