Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-25
Mystery of Supposed Drown
ing Cleared by Unusual
Tale After II Years.
ADMITS SHOOTING HIM
TO SAVE FRIENDS LIFE
Claims Cornell Professor, 'Unbal-
anced, Had Left Native Sledman to
Starve to Death in Ice.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. September .25.--For
II years it has been believed that
Prof. Ross Marvin of Cornell Univer-
sity was drowned on Peary's cNpedi-
ton to the North Pole. but copy
righted dispatch to the New York
Times disclosed today that he had
been murdered by an Eskimo.
The dispatch Is from George Pal
mer Putnam, New York publisher.
who arrived at Sydney. Nova Scotia.
on the schooner Morrissey after ;tu
expedition to Greenland.
Kudlooktoo, the slayer. made a
voluntary confession after being con
verted to Christianity, Mr.. Putnam
says.
Start Back to Ship.
Marvin, Kudlooktoo and an Eskimo
named Inukitsoq, but called Harrigan
by white companions. set out from
the steamer Roosevelt as Pearys
third supporting party when he start
ed for the Pole. They left Peary at
latitude Sc degrees 3S minutes to re
turn to the ship
They were three or four days from
lank, Kudlooktoo explained, trekkinE
back with sled and dogs from their
ahead with Marvin to search for the
best trail. Harrigan remained with
the dogs. The paths OF HarriSan
and Kudlooktoo then by chance
crossed, and Marvin became infuri-
ated when he came up. He felt that
Harrigan should have followed him.
so he ordere Harrisan away from the
party.
Kudlooktoo resolved then to kill to
protect his friend from starvation.
He pretended he saw seal and
picked up a rifle, according to his
story, which Harrigan confirmed.
moment later from over an icy craE
there came a report. and Kudlooktoo
returned to the sled and said he had
killed Marvin.
II have done this to save your life.
he said to Harrigan. What has hap
pened is not our fault. 1t will lie
hard for the white men to understand,
and if you tell they will kill us Or take
us to the white mans country
COncocted Drowning Story.
So they made up the story of the
drowning. and it was accepted. Both
kept their silence until Kudlooktoo
was baptized last Summer.
In Mr.. Putnam's opinion it is i'm
probable that any action will ever he
taken against the Eskimos. even if
it should be legally possible. The
scene of the murder was In land
owned by no nation. Under a subse
quent treaty with the United States,
Denmark has taken it over.
Epitomized from the questioning
here is the story of the two Eskimos:
They were three or four days from
land, treking back with sled and dogs
from their farthest north. Harrigan
stayed with the sled, untangling the
dog traces. Marvin and kudloolitOO
went ahead. diverging perhaps half a
mile from each other, seeking the best
route and searching for the out ttrail.
Harr1gan, the dogs Strengthened
out, drove forward the way Kudlook-
too had gone. Reaching the other
Eskimo he waited while Marvin came
across to them.
Marvin was very angry. they say.
He felt that Harrigan should have
followed him
Marvin Lost Temper
+ HE lost his temper" Kudlooktoo
says. "Tie threw Harrigan's things
off the sled and said he could not
stay with u.s.
"That," continued the Eskimo. 'is
why we were frightened. 1t was not
our good Marvin at all. He was out
of his mind. Otherwise he never
would have left Har1igan to a cruel
death.
1--WE were all very tired and worn
out" Harr1gan then said.
Behind US were many, many days
of hard travel, always In rough ice
and very cold weather. We never
saw land. Only ice. ice. The white
%t,4H erSNfs 20,
eat, because we got the pemmican
we needed, but in spite of that we
were always hungry. 1t seemed as II
our stomachS were always empty.
"But worst of all, we always seemed
to be thirsty. We never got water
to drink, because the fuel with which
to melt the snow was of necessity
limited.
"Our dogs were very tired and it
was difficult to keep them going, even
though the sleds were not heavy.
Every day. we were looking for old
sled tracks. At many places the ice
was very high and we could not get
through.
Took KudlooktoO's Tracks.
"On the third day we stopped the
team and I started to untangle the
traces Oh inc uOSSg WHlIc hdTNll anu
Kudlooktoo went ahead to look for
the best way. AS soon as l was
through with the traces 1 went after
them, following their tracks. But
short distance ahead their tracks
separated. l was uncertain which
track to follow. After a while l took
Kudlooktoo'S track.
"As soon as I caught up with Kud-
looktoo we stopped and kept looking
for Marvin. After some waiting we
saw him coming. AS soon as he came
up to us we saw that he was very
excited and quite out Of balance. He
waved his clenched fist right up in
my face and yelled at me. We stood
silent and couldn't understand him.
He was never that way before.
"He was like a sane man who for
the moment was without the use Of
his faculties"
Suddenly he yelled that he couldn't
bear to see me around any more. He
would not have me in the party any
longer. / must go my own way since
I would not follow his tracks. He Or
dered that all my clothes should be
left there. He undid the lashings on
the sled and threw my clothes on the
ice. But there were no provisions
left for me.
Then they started. KudloolStoo
told me later that Marvin kept on
talking and yelling all the way. He
said that should not be allowed to
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