The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-22
DOCTOR COOK HAS
 ACHAMP|ON HERE Phillip Shannon Says Ex- plorer Is WrOnged Man TELLS OF INTERVIEW. Says He Dined With Cook and Was Impressed By the Frank and
 Straightforward Story of
 the Physician

Time will prove Dr. Frederick Cook, dscredited as the finder of the north pole, to be the most wronged man in the worlds history is the belief of Phillip Shannon, who returned from New York yesterday, where he dined with Dr. Cook few nights ago.
 In recounting his acquaintance with the finder of the pole, MT. Shannon warmly defends the Brooklyn physician and re- lates a series of pathetic utterances that tend to show some of the inside of the pole controversy.
 Mir shannon said that he attended the lecture of Dr. Cook in Pittsburg, and that the doctor was a miserably poor lecturer. studied, tried to recollect and would pro- ceed in the most amateurish fashion," said Mir Shannon. His awkward ap- pearance was noted by hundreds of others who had clamored to get a chance to hear his story of the people. This con- vinced me that he was dazed or half crazed.
 AII6T I01S lecture Ile was tultIld dt the Dubuque club in Pittsburg by the Chamber of Commerce. While there a flashlight picture was taken. Accidentally I appeared in that picture. I was in the Waldorf-Astora hotel a day or two ago when I met Dr. Cook face to face. He photograph taken in Pittsburg. We be- came acquainted at that meeting and went to dinner together.
 While eating he told me the story of his trip and how he came to be dis credited. He attributes it all to the suf- fering he went through. and the faked articles by the yellow journals of New York.
 .Dr. Cook said that he landed at Copen- hagen after enduring the hardship of the artic regions for many months. He sent word ahead to Copenhagen that he had found the pole. When he reached there the people received him with open arms, while kings, dukes and other notables wned him and dined him necessarily. He was simply taken off his feet by the at tenton and was flooded with cablegrams and telegrams from all parts of the world asking him to deliver lectures and write articles about his trip. Dr. Cook said to me:
 What Cook Said
 "I was insane from the hardships un- dergone, and pitched into a perfect dream over the attention paid me ] stated truthfully what I had done, and where I had been. The officers of the University of Denmark questioned me mercilessly, and then said was telling the truth and did go or. not cannot truthfully say. But I stoutly maintain that I went as near the pole as any living man.
 "After all. the question of whether one had actually stood upon that barren waste does not matter. I did not anticipate that I would attract any attention in New York When I reached there I was re- ceived like a returning king, and show cred with attention. My dreams con- tnued. I received hundreds of ca5legrams there. One Paris paper wanted me to come to Paris and promised me $50O00, or something like that I received from a New York newspaper $25, GOO for series of articles. All the while I never had a minutes peace, and was sought for and feted until l was crazy. All the while maintained my story and yet feel that what I said was true.
 "'When I started for the pole I did not have any great send off. I did not hope t1 x,aIr lac lou, AnI simply because I preceded Captain Peary few weeks I was and am now totally discredited. I do not at this time defend my statement that I actually went to the pole. But I went nearer than any other man had ever gone. My instru- ments may have been working imperfect ly. or may have been out of my head. When it is recalled that I remained on that barren waste for many months, finally while half starved, was forced to kill my dogs and eat them, can it be wondered at that I was crazy?
 All of the party were dressed in fur clothes. We actually cut up these gar ments and made food of them to keep from starving to death.
 we SullcFtu tne dSOnleS Ol llle damned in that country and yet am branded as the most monumental faker the world has ever known
 In continuing his statement as to Dr. Cook, Mir. shannon said:
 Bound to Be Impressed
 q could not help being impressed with the statement of Dr. Cook. He impressed me as being very retiring, modest to a fault. and without particle of egotism in his makeup. He frankly confessed that he had no defense to offer but said there was nothing to say but to tell the actua truth of what he believed to be the actua facts and trust to the people to vindicat. him.
 "Dr. Cook told me that the newspa per. of New York misquoted him, told actua untruths about him and that he was dis credited by them more than in any other way. He added that in no possible wa, could he deny all the things said abou kim, and in this way came about hi. | greatest injury. Dr. Cook said that n, would never have charged Peary with an, mjsstatements had Peary preceded hin | 10 civilization. He said Peary had nc | right to say that he had never been tt | the pole, as ne was nearer than Peary i the truth could be established. Tn my opinion Peary is the faker an,