The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-12-10
REJECT COOKS
INSANITY PLEA
SCIENTISTS DO NOT GIVE HIS
APPEAL FOR FORGIVENESS
MUCH SERIOUS CON.
sIDERATIoN.

Washington, Dec. 10.-The an
nouncement of Dr. Cooks appeal for
forgiveness by the public for having
gulled and deceived IL caused hardly
a ripple of surprise among the scien-
lists in Washington. Most of them
show little disposition to take him up
Tor any serious consideration what
| ever.
| "Dr. Cook asks us to believe that he
was insane while in the north" said
Professor Henry Gannett, president of
the National Geographical society,
and supports him claim for sympathy
by being his own witness TO the fact.
l think he can hardly expect anyone to
give him the slightest attention, for he
discredited himself once and forever in
the Mt. Mckinley affair. That taken
with the peculiarly cunning sanity
which caused him to swindle the pub
1 lie by his rapid lecture tour over the
| United States forms barrier between
him and the forgiveness he now
| seeks"
| Professor O. II. Tittman. superin-
tendent of the Coast and Geodetic sur
vey, who acted on the committee from
/ the Geographical society that passed
| on the credentials of Commander
Peary, laughed when he was asked 10
state what effect Cooks appeal would
have on the scientific world. Il should
say that there was nothing to be said.
The scientific world win not bother IT.
self about the matter now. 1t Is all a
matter that has been settled and pass
ed upon. Scientists do not even care
whether or not the man was insane.
| That, of course. would be a charitable
way of dealing with 1t. But DIR. Cook
does not say he was insane when he
| told the world that he had climbed
Mount Mckinley. and the world now is
likely to think what he says is as likely
to be false as true"
Rear Admiral George w. Melville
said: II know nothing of any such ar
1 tcle, but if IL is so that he has writ
ten one, he is merely trying to regain
the ground lost when he declared that
he had reached the Pole. / said at the
time of his return that he was either a
crazy man or a fakir. Anyone who has
had experience in Arctic work would
know from his own statements that he
knew nothing of what he was talking
about, and IL was with the idea of car
rying out his own statements that he
has written this article, believe"
| do you think it would be possible
for anyone's mind to become deranged
while in the Arctic regions?" he was
asked.
| "This is highly possible as / recollect
| when on a trip to the northern regions
several sailors became partly derang-
ed, but this disappeared as the vessel
returned to a warmer climate"
| Henry wellington Wack, who acted
as DR.. Cooks friend and legal adviser
at various times during the North pole
controversy, said that the discredited
explorers attempt at rehabilitation
| through the medium of the magazine
articles had been known to him for
several months. IL hunted Dr. Cook
lip I'm his hotel in London when / was
abroad in September The representa-
| tive of the magazine was there at the
time and Cook expressed the greatest
relief that he was going TO have a
chance to tell the American public
that he might be a poor scientist or
geographer but that he didn't want
them to keep on thinking that he was
a fakir. Dr. Cook thought he had
| reached the North pole" Mr.. Wack
went on. "He took such observations
as he could. and he kept his field book
carefully. He told me that IL was i'm
possible for any one to tell, even by
observation. whether he had exactly
reached the North pole. He doesn't
even believe that Peary reached IL. He
never thought his credibilty would be
so bitterly assailed. When IL was, he
became confused an finally fled. He Is
willing now TO have scientific or geo.
graphical doubts cast on, his perfor-
nance. But he doesn't want people to
doubt his sincerity any longer"
Antony Fiala, the explorer, was ask
cd what he thought OF the plausibility
of DIR. Cooks attempt at excusing him.
self on the ground of temporary insan-
| itv for having accepted North pole
honors when he didn't know whether
he had actually got there. II shave
heard some of DR. Cooks friends say
| he was not right in his mind when he
came hack from the Arctic expedition,
said Mr.. F'iala He added that he did
not care to tell where he had heard
that DIR. Cook was deranged or how the
derangement manifested itself
Herbert l.. Bridgman, secretary OF
tho peary Arctic Club, did not seem TO
be seriously impressed by the confess
sion of Cook that he was probably In
sane but perfectly honest when he
Thought he had discovered the North
mole Asked for his opinion, MT.
prideman smiled and shrugged his
shoulders. II don't care to make any
comment" said he.
......x.o,, wv Galbraith arrived