Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-11-30
Confesses in Magazine Ar
ticIe He Doubts He
Found the Pole.
WILL RETURN TO U. S.
Confidence of Fellow Man
Means More to Him Than
Any Exploit.

New York. Nov. 30-Dr. Cook. the
Brooklyn explorer, in an article
which appears in Hampton's maga-
zine, confesses he does not know
whether he reached the north pole
or not Cook, who has been in hid
ing over a year, has informed the
editors of the magazine he will re-
turn TO the United States to spend
Christmas here.
After Mature Thought"
Cook says the confession he does
not know whether he reached the
pole or not is made after mature
thought He declares that. much
as the pole once meant to him, the
sympathy and confidence of his fell
lowmen mean more. He states his
case in detail and is willing to leave
to the judgment of the public
whether or not he is honest.
Snys He Was Insane.
Cook declares that at the time he
convinced himself he had discovered
the pole he was half mad He spent
two years in the quest and during
that time endured hunger and pri-
walton that he says would unbalance
any mind. The explorer states it
would he impossible for any man to
demonstrate beyond question that
he had been to the north pole. He
characterizes the region as a region
of insanity where one cannot believe
the evidences gathered by ones own
eye.
Selfish In His Objects.
He says he had always looked up
on the discovery of the pole as an
achievement for his own personal
satisfaction of a craving and desire
that was greater than any other fac
tor in his life.
Did Not Expect So Much.
When he found how tremendous
sensation his statement that he had at
tanned the pole created, he was over
come with bewilderment. Cook then
tells the story of the days in COpen-
hagen and later in New York and of
the crisis in his life that led 10 his
flight from New York and his volun-
tary exile from the United States.
Never Wore Disguise.
The explorer says, notwithstanding
the fact he was followed by the
SHit"utSI newspaper liCAA IL LilN WI ~
day after day and that sums ranging
up to several thousand dollars were
offered for a clew TO his whereabouts,
he has never wore disguise and has
never taken any unusual precaution 10
conceal his identity Part of the time.
he says. his wife has been with him.
and part of the time his children.
Cook and wife are now in Europe and
the children in a convent in France.
Most of the time during the exile Cook
has been In London.
Deceives Americans.
He says he has gone about among
Americans there with the utmost free
dom and at times had registered under
his own name and that only few
have guessed his identity. Those who
did guess it, Cook says, were turned
away with ease by the remark: why,
yes. have been told that before"
With the opportunity for thought that !,
his exile has given him. Cook says he
never even had time to sleep more :
than three or four hours between his >
arrival at Copenhagen and his disap-
pearance in New York-he has found =
growing stronger the desire to return
to his own country to be understood
by his own peonle He realizes better =
than anyone else the esteem in which
he was held.
Sees Where He stands.
Il have been called the greatest liar !
in the world the most monumental =
imposter in history" says Cook. Il be. n
lieye that in every undesirable way n
stand unique, the object of such sus- o
picion and vituperation as have assail- G
ed few men" With this realization, o
Cook wrote his story and says that TO
him the honor of discovering the pole |,
no longer means anything 4
Long Mt Work on story. e
The explorer has been working on j
his story since last August, and says. I
according to the editor of Hampton's +
Magazine, that his sole desire is to e
make the people of the United States Il
realize just what he went through dur c.
ing the two and a half years in the
Arctic Businesses. and to make them i
see what process of thinking-or lack
OF thinking-it was that led him to do
the thing which confirmed to the aver
age mind the worst suspicious against
him" ii
Peary is Mum, G
Washington. Nov 30.-Robert f. T
Peary declined today to make any com. l