New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-02
Roy SCOUTS CLEAR UP
BIG POLICE MYSTERY.
Rody of Missing Ferdinand H.
Cook Found in Woods on
Long Island.
CORONER NOT SATISFIED
pullet in Temple Gives Rise to
Suspicion That Man Gone
% Days May Have Met
With Foul Play.

The body of Ferdinand II. Cook, who
bod been missing from his Manhattan
,or,e since January 3, was found in a
dump Of bushes near Queens. Long
Island Yesterday afternoon, with a
h,,uet wound in the left temple. The
oon,ain of troop Of Boy Scouts dis
oovered the body while leading his
oommand through the woods. While
.he notice say that the mans death was
Main case of suicide, the Coroner Of
Queens County has be gun an investi-
cation.
The finding Of the body was simple
M, dramatic Arthur II. Miller, the
loader of Troop % of the Boy Scouts,
composed of youngsters from Christ
church at 14th street and Second ave-
r,e BROOKLYN. started out yesterday
r,orning with about thirty-five boys to
seek a place for summer camp. The
,,oon took a train TO Jamaica and then
started on the hike along the Union
Turnpike.
Miller led his scouts south of the
turnpike and into the shrubbery. Just
west Of Vogel avenue he stumbled over
something. He cleared away the
bushes and found the body. Not for
getting his scout training, even In the
excitement of his discovery, he sent
tuo Of his swiftest men, Carl Wa
bssse. of No. 13l 10th street, and Frank
Coogan. of No. 273 10Th street, TO the
Jamaica police station five miles away
The other members Of the command
stood Watch over the body until Patrol
men Gibbins and Lott arrived with the
patrol wagon.
Beside the body the policemen found
\ revolver and an umbrella. In the
rockets was So 43 in cash. A finger
bore a seal ring badge of the
oueens Park Department pinned TO the
coat completed the identification, Ed
ward ]. Walters, a foreman in the de-
partment. knew Cook personally, and
said that Walter G. Elliott, Park Com
missioner Of Queens, had made him
foreman at a $1,000 salary after Cook
had lost his fortune. Fahys Cook, a
nephew Of Ferdinand Cook, completed
the Identification last night.
In the judgment Of the undertaken
Mr.. Cook had been dead about a week,
although the police think that the
search for the missing man had been
TOO thorough TO admit such posi-
bility.
Cooks disappearance attracted wide
spread interest. and the police had
been working on the mystery for a
month.
When he left his home. at No. 249
West End avenue. on January ). Mr..
Cook told his family he was going 10 Il
store at Columbus avenue and I'D
street When he failed TO return his
family feared he had been injured III
the big storm that occurred that daN.
But the hospitals yielded no informa-
ton. AT first the search was private,
hut in a few days the family notified
the newspapers. and this advertisement
appeared:
ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS REWARD. For
definite information az 10 the present
whereabouts % Ferdinand II. cook. who dis
appeared from his home. 24S West End ave,
New York City, on January g. 1913. or. II
dead, fo! the recovery OF his body. Communl-
cate with HARRISON ELLIOTT q BYRD
attorneys for Mrs. James Herman Aldrlcb, 80
Wall 81, New York Cit!.
Even this reward, offered at the in
stance Of Mr.. Cooks fsther-in-law.
James Herman Aldrich, of No. 100
West 59th street, and his brother.
Henry F. Cook, OF No 81 East 9th
street, failed 10 bring any information.
The private detectives and the police
could report no development for the
comfort Of Cooks distracted wife ami
four children.
The sole explanation last night for
the disappearance or for the suicide
came from one Of the attorneys.
Mr.. Cook was subject 10 the most