Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1925-04-16

Should he live to serve out his term
of IL to Ia years, he viii! be IL years
old when he again steps into the sun
shine of freedom. He was born in Sui.
livan County, N. Y. June 10, 1865.
DOC" Cook, the man who has bluff
edin big way all through life, has
never yet put one of them across, But
he is still trying. Only last week in
Fort Worth, Texas, he attempted a
bold and grand bluff-of how he had
refused to join a Jail delivery. This
was Just before his transfer to the gov
eminent prison here. Wardens Biddle
and Zerbst of this institution will per
haps have many such bluffs and brain
storms of the famous doctor to dea
with before he says goodbye.
If the reader is OF the younger gen
Grafton, perhaps they are not familiar
with the doing of Doc Cook. Here are
some of his bluffs-one of which he
cashed in on-but' was caught.
Doc Cook claimed to have been the
first man to scale Mt. Mckinley. He
was given a seat in the hall of fame
beside such explorers as Agassiz and
Herschel. Later his claim was disap'
proved. This was in 1906.
Claimed He Had Reached
The North Pole
In 1909 he returned from the North
less than two weeks ahead of Admira
Perry, the real discoverer, claiming he
had reached the North Pole. He re-
turned by way of Dcnmark-whlcf
country officially honored him, New
York gave him freedom of the city
and hung garlands of roses about his
neck. Perry's sudden return with au'
thentic data and proofs of he himsel
having reached the pole was the boml
which exploded all of Doc Cooks
claims-and the praise and honor. hi
so gloried in was quickly turned Il
ridicule and scorn.
The nations scorn was so great tina
Doctor Cook left the country, going. t
Borneo. There is no record OF hi
bluffs on the wild folks of the las
Indies but that there were some, ther'
| is no doubt.
No sooner had the famous" explor
er returned to the United States thai
he was busy again 'stringing' suckers
His ideas were along new avenues
however, for, whereas he always ha'
specialized on scientists, royalty and
trusting general public, he now turned
his attention to widows, orphans ant
poor folks who wanted to get rlcl
quick bv the oil-well route-and h
strung them to the tune of some 81,
100000.
1t would seem that his idea OF go
| ing concern was to consolidate som'
| 800 bankrupt oil companies with dry
wells and make them into one bis
solvent company with flowing wells
He sold" the idea of the big com
panv so we'll to the ignorant and mex
perienced, that he was rolling IN mil
lions when the 81 ''ernment stepped II
to investigate. -,
Conviction was obvious from the
first. He was sentenced to serve Il
years.
To show the workings of Doc Cooks
brain-he sued a Fort Worth newspa.
Der man for libel, claiming 81 ,O0OOOl
damages-after he had been convicted
Doc Cook had rare gifts, had they
been used in the right direction. he
was endowed with rare personality
a beaming smile and affiability that
won the confidence of strangers. He
started life we'll enough-but ne never
could control the desire to bluff. Leav'
ing the home place up state IN New
York he went to Brooklyn where he
drove a milk wagon until he had earn
ed enough money to start through
medical college.
He was member of Admiral Perry's
party on one of the earlier .explora-
tions-but had been missing tor some
wears when he came from the north
with his announcement of having reach
ed the north pole. Even after all OF his
claims were disapproved he maintained
his stand and even went forth on the
lecture platform to carry out his blutf'
However, his pictures were old, his
diaries falsified and in no way had ne
data viii h would stand inspection.
He made the gum-dr,p candy tam
ous-by claiming that by feeding the
eskimos these colorful sweets. they
braved the intense cold and led hiln
to the pole. H.,
If in the prison library, here there
is a Who's Who, Doc Cook will likely
CLEAN bit of satisfaction, because
there amongst the great is his name