The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-03-24
COOK RETURNING
HEALTH BROKEN
BELLINGHAM PHYSICIAN RE-
CEIVES LETTER FROM WIFE OF
DISCREDITED EXPLORER -
SAYS HE WILL GIVE UP FIGHT.

Belllngham, Wash, March "a
Broken in health, without funds and
admitting the absence of the proofs
of his alleged north pole discovery
DR.. Frederick A. Cook has announced
in a letter to DR.. William H. Axtell
written by Mrs. Cook and mailed from
Valparaiso, Chile, that he will accept
the University of Copenhagen INC
| discovery" decision and will retire
from the fight to claim the honor
of being the first to set foot ION the
top of the EARTH
The mystery of Cooks whereabouts
since the sensational adverse decision
was reported by The Copenhagen in
vestigators is also cleared up in the
| letter to Dr. Axtell and there is a re-
cital of the reasons for Cooks deter
mination to drop his north pole con-
| troversy for all time. Mrs. Cook
writes that she will land in New York
tomorrow with her husband and that
they will retire from public affairs.
Mrs. Cook writes me that Cook
has not the money to go back to the
arctic regions after the proofs and
that he will accept the decision of
the University Of Copenhagen investi-
cation board without further contro-
versy," said DR.. AXtell this morning.
No Mystery.
There is no mystery as to where
| Cook has been since his data was re-
jected by the board of inquiry. And
there is no mystery about Cooks rea-
sons for quitting the bitter fight over
title to the honor of the discoverer
Of the pole
Mrs Cook tells me in her letter
that Cook made considerable money
out of his trip when he first arrived
in New York, but that he spent it in
defending himself against bitter at
tacks from his enemies before the
Copenhagen decision was made pub
| lie.
Cook left New York, not to es-
cape contumely, says Mrs. Cook, but
to go before the board of inquiry at
Copenhagen and his own representa-
tive. Then Mrs Cook followed him,
met him in England, found him a
nervous wreck and very ill.
"She writes that it was her fault
that Cook did not appear publicly at
the time he was unfavorably reported
on. She says she took him to Hol-
land, France, Italy and then to Spain,
where they embarked for Buenos
Ayres.
Cook Still Ill.
From Buenos Ayres they went
around Cape Horn to Chile and have
remained there ever since. Cook is
still very i'll and will be in no condi-
tion to take up his fight for the hon
ors which he still says should have
been his.
''The explorer and his family will
arrive quietly in New York and he
will settle down for a quiet life the
rest of his days. Mrs. Cook says he
has no funds with which to go to the
arctic regions after the proofs re-
quired by the University of Copen-
hagen, and that if he had the neces-
sary cash, he knows of no one he
could trust to do the work for him.
No Bitter Statement.
Cook attributes his downfall to
the poor advice he received and paid
for upon his arrival in New York.
He has no bitter statement to make:
he still says he was cheated and that
he could not bring back the proofs
on account of mishaps while on his
northern expedition. But, writes Mrs
Cook, he will quit the fight, broken
in health and without funds"
DR.. and Mrs. Axtell were the hosts
of Mrs. Cook some years ago in Bell
| ingham when Cook was in Alaska
on his second Mt Mckinley expedi.
ton The local physician has always
been a strong supporter of DR.. Cook
and was member of the committee
that sought funds to fit an expedition
to go in search of the explorer when
it was thought he was lost in the
northland