New-York tribune., 1910-03-24
COOK HERE TO-DAY
SO LETTER FROM WIFE
TELLS FRIEND.
Broken in Health and Uithout
Funds-StOry of HIS
Trdrels.

Belhngham. Wash. March 23.-Dr
William II. Axten, a personal friend Of
Frederick 4. Cook. received a letter
from Mrs. Cook to-day dated Valparaiso,
Chilli in which she says the explorer is
broken in health. without funds and un-
able 10 continue his fight 20 establish
his claim that he discovered the North
Pole. DR.. AxteIl said to-day:
Mrs. Cook tells me in her letter ,ha-
Cook made considerable money out OF
his trip when he first arrived I'm New
York, but that he spent il in defending
himself against bitter attacks from his
enemies before the Copenhagen decision
was made public.
Cook left New York later 20 escape
cOntumely. says Mrs. Cook. and 20 go
before the board OF inquiry az COpen-
hagen as his own representative. Then
Mrs. Cook followed him. met him I'm
England. and found him a nervous
wreck and very IN.
she writes that il was her fault that
/ Cook did not appear publicly AT the time
ne was unfavorably reported on. She
saws she took him TO Holland. France,
/ Italy and then 70 Spain, where they en-
barked for Buenos Ayres.
/ From Buenos Ayres they went around
Cape Horn 70 Chill Cook is still very
4 IN, and Will be in no condition 10 take
up his fight for the honors which he still
says should have been his"
Dr. Axten added that. according to the
/ letter. the explorer and HIS family will
arrive quietly in New York tomorrow
and will settle down for a quiet life.
Mrs Cook says" he continued, that
her husband has no funds with which 10
go 20 the Arctic regions after the proofs
hagen, and that II ne had the necessary
cash he knows OF no one he could trust
10 do the work for him
Captain p. s. Osbon. secretary Of the
Arctic club Of America. said last night
that the letter referred TO in the Bel
lingham dispatch was in answer to one
Dr. Axten had sent to Mrs. Cook
through him. He added that Dr. Axtell
was one Of Dr. Cooks closest friends.
and that anything coming from him was
hound to be accurate. Captain Osbon
then said that he expected 10 receive a
letter from the Cooks to-day
He also made the statement that just
as soon as he could see DR.. Cook TO OBJ
tain the latters consent he would make
public some information which had been
in his possession for some time. This
would be in the nature of n surprise and
would throw considerable light on
hitherto unexplained matters in cOnnec-
ton with the Cook controversy. he said.
In his opinion there is no doubt that Dr.
Cook will eventually emerge as the real
discoverer Of the pole.
Al the home I'm Brooklyn OF William L.
Cook. Dr. Cooks brother. II was said last
night that the doctor was positively not
going 20 arrive in New York to-day II
was admitted. though. that Mr.. Cook
had received a communication from the
doctor only a short time ago. None OF
the family appeared TO have ever heard
of Dr. Axtell
Alexander KOnta. a prominent mem-
ber Of the Explorers club, said last night
that re didn't think there vas a word
Of truth in the dispatch. Mr.. KOnta went
on TO say that he was in Copenhagen
only n short time before Dr. Cook
reached there from his alleged discovery
OF the pole. and that he had az the time
warned Maurice F. Egan. then American
Minister 20 Denmark not 10 place any
credence In Cooks story.