The Mena weekly star., 1910-12-08
DR.. COOK A FAKER
coNFEsSES HE DOES NOT KNOW
THAT HE REACHED
POLE.
HAS BEEN IN HIDING FOR A YEAR
Wants a Hearing-Was crazed by
Years of Hardship-ionors Turned
His Head-Asks the World to For
give Him--A Magazine Story.


New York, Dec. DIR. Frederick
A. Cook, the Brooklyn explorer. in an
article which will be published in
Hampton's Magazine, confesses that
he does not know whether he reached
the North Pole or not.
Doctor Cook, who has been in hid
ing for more than year, has in
formed the editors of the magazine
publishing his story that he will re-
turn to the United States with his
wife and children December %, to
spend Christmas here.
In his story Doctor Cook deals with
the psychology of his adventure and
says:
Asks Only Hearing.
Did / get to the North Pole, Per
haps | made mistake in thinking
that | did. Perhaps ! did not make
a mistake. After mature thought |
confess that do not know absolutely
whether | reached the pole or not.
This may come as an amazing state
ment, but | am willing to startle the
world If, by SO doing, | can get an
opportunity to present my case.
by my case, mean not my case
as a geographical discoverer. but my
case as man. Much as the attain
ment of the North Pole once meant
to me, the sympathy and confidence
OF my fellowmen mean more.
Fully, freely and frankly | shall
tell you everything. Tell you every
thing-and leave the decision with
you If, after reading my story, you
say Cook is sincere and honest; half
crazed by months of isolation and
hunger, he believed he reached the
pole; he is not a faker; then | shall
be satisfied
Exploring His Ambition.
Doctor Cook tells the story of his
life and pictures what he calls the
)ver-powering ambition for explora-
ion that beset him until it finally cul-
minated in his effort to reach the
ole. Doctor Cook declares that at
lie time he conviced himself he had
discovered the pole he was half mad.
He spent two years in his quest and
during that time endured hunger and
privation that. he says, would unbal
ance any mind
The explorer says that it would be
impossible for any man to demon
strate beyond question that he had
been to the North Pole. lie charac-
terizes the region as a region of in
sanity, where one cannot believe the
evidence gathered by ones own eyes.
He says he had always looked on
the discovery of the pole as an
achievement for his own personal sat
isfaction, for the satisfaction OF
craving desire that was geater than
any other factor in his life.
Honors Turned His Head.
When he found how tremendous a
sensation his statement that he had
attained the pole created he was over
come with bewilderment. Doctor
Cook then tells the story of the days
in Copenhagen and later in New
York, and of the crisis in his life
that caused his fight from New York
and his voluntary exile from the
United States. The explorer says
that notwithstanding the fact that
be was followed by the shrewdest
newspaper men in the world-day
after day. and that sums ranging M
wards of several thousands of dollars
were offered for elew as to his
whereabouts he has never worn dis
guise and has never taken any UNI
usual precaution to conceal his iden-
tity Part of the time, he says, his
wife has been with him and part of
the time his children
Asks Only Their Sympathy.
Il have beer called the greatest liar
in the world. the most monumental
imposter in history" says Doctor
Cook Il believe that in every unde.
sirable way stand unique, the OBJ
iect of such suspicion and vitarera-
ton as have assailed few men,
Washington, Dec. Robert K.
Peary, commander OF the expedition
which the National Geographical so
clety recognized as having reached
the North Pole. declined to make any
comment on the confession of Dr.
Frederick A. Cook after hearing of it.
Il have absolutely no statement to
make" declared Captain Peary, with
emphasis. Il have absolutely nothing
to say in connection with the matter
I eaunnf mako fhfS too strong"