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* \ COOK REPLIES. Talks of Peary's Charges and Declares that His Records V WILL PROVE HIS CLAIM On Board the Steamer Which is bringing Him Hoim the Brooklyn Explorer Talks Freeljr About IVary's Denial of His Claim and the Looting of His Stores. "Tell the people of America to -?a n 4 ?? a/x In m vr nave too xunesi vuuuueu^ m j conquest of the pole. I have records of observations made by me which will prove my claims. I shall be glad again to set my foot on American soil." This was the brief wireless message Dr. Frederick A. Cook Friday asked the Associated Press to give to his countrymen as he nears home on the steamer Oscar II, due to arrive at New York today. Dr. Cook discussed freely with the Associated Press oorrespondent the assertions of Commander Peary that he (Cook) had never reached the North Pole. When he departed for the North, rv.r?ir oniH ho lftft a deoot of pro visions at Annatok, north of Etah, In charge of Rudolph Fraucke and several Eskimos. Francke had Instructions to go South aboard a whaler and return later. This he did, but missed the returning vessel, owing to a slight illness. He was then taken aboard Peary's ship, the Roosevelt, and proceeded North. "Commander Peary found my supply depot at Annatok," Dr. Cook continued, "and the Eskimos in charge told him that I was dead, which they then believed to be true. "Peary placed two men in charge of the depot, Boatswain Murphy and another. Harry Whitney, the New Haven hunter, also remained there. Murphy had orders not to search for me, but was told he could send l' Eskimos northward in the spring for relief work. "When I returned from the pole unexpectedly Harry Whitney was the first to aee me and to tell me what had occurred. Whitney was placed tn possesion of the facts concerning my journey to the pole on the condition that he would not Inform Commander Peary or his men of them. At the same time, the Eskimos who had acoompanled me north were told to maintain the strictest ^-fiilence. "When I went Into the depot there j was a dispute between myself and Murphy, who delivered to me written instructions he had received from Peary, although he could neither read nor write. These instructions showed that he was making a trading statlon of my depot, the contents of which had been used In trading for furs and skins. "On one occasion Murphy asked me abruptly, "have you been beyond 87?" But I was determined not to let Peary know of my movements and replied evasively that I had been ^ v much farther North. From this statement has been concocted the declaration that I had said I had not reached the pole." Dr. Cook declared that meithei Harry Whitney nor his (Cook's) , records are on board the steamei Roosevelt, and that, therefore, Pea ry's Information concerning him emanated from Boatswain Murphy who knew nothing of his movements Dr. Cook said also that he had made arrangements for two Eskimos, whe went with him to the pole, and Kotd Rasmussen, whom be met ir Greenland, to go to New York and confirm the story of his discovery. Dr. Cook is thoroughly enjoying his rest aboard ship, after the stren uous days at Copenhagen. He spends a long time daily In writing and ir conversation with the American pas sengers, who all have been formallj presented to him by Benjamin True blood, president of the Amerlcar Peace Society, of Boston. All the passengers are impressed v by the sincerity of Dr. Cook as in dlcated by his conversation with then In regard to his discovery of th< pole. He said that he is now pre prepared to lay these proofs before s competent body of America. In a lecture In the saloon of th< steamer Dr. Cook, with the aid o a map drawn by an engineer, gavi an outline of his route to the pole "The Journey was nothing reall; wonderful," he said. "I used n< ^ devices or inventions. I had, how ever, every necessary instrument, bu kept these to pure necessities. . SIIBSC DISPUTE TAKES NEW TURN PEARY'S CAIIIN BOY MAKES INTERESTING ADMISSION. Confront***] with a Wireless Message Confesses Dr. Cook Told Him Ho Had Reached the Pole. A dispatch from Battle Harbor, Labrador, says one of the men on the steamer Roosevelt at least knew long ago that Dr. Frederick A. Cook had claimed to have reached the pole. He is Wm. Pritchard, cabin boy and assistant cook on the Roosevelt, who remained at Annatook with Boatswain Murphy to guard the stores. Pritchard had not spoken to anyone on board of Dr. Cook*9 achievement, but when confronted a few days ago, just prior to the sailing of the Roosevelt from Battle Harbor, with a wireless message from midocean that i Dr. Cook said that Pritchard knew the whole story of his dash for tho pole, the youth admitted that he had learned from Dr. Cook the details of the final march, and that Dr. Cook had explained to him the route followed. Whether Boatswain Murphy also was informed of Dr. Cook's success, Pritchard did not know, but unquestionably Harry Whitney, who was at the store house when Dr. Cook returned from his dash with the two Eskimos, is conversant with all the facts. Whitney did not disclose this Interesting piece of news to Commander Peary, and Pritchard kept it from Peary during the entire voyage of the Roosevelt to Battle Harbor. Prltchnrd said t?hat he was at the house as Annatook with Whitney and Cook, while Murphy was at Etah. He heard Dr. Cook describe to the New Haven sportsman how he went to the pole and remained there two days. He could not remember whether Dr. Cook said he remained there April 21 and 2 2. or whether it was April 2 2 and 22. Dr. Cook used a map to illustrate the route followed. Asked why he had not repeated this on board the Roosevelt. Pritchard said that Dr. Cook had told him to say nothing about his having been at the pole until the Roosevelt reached civilization. * 29 LIVES LOST AT SEA. Graphic Story of Marine Disaster Reaches Mobile. A graphic story of a marine disaster, which cost the lives of 29 persons, when the steamer Nicholas Castania, en route from Havana to Cienfuegos, foundered off the coast of the Isle of Pines on the night of August 23, last, reached Mobile a few days ago. Meagre news of the disaster was given by the Associated Press August 31. The crew numbered twenty-seven officers and sailors. Eighteen human bodies have been recovered. The missing eleven are believed to have become the victims of sharks. All the bodies recovered were in a terrible decomposed state and identlfi cation was impossible. A government commission, after examination, reported that the immediate cause of the wreck was the simultaneous explosion of the steamer's battery of boilers, combined with a violent concusion of the steamer on the rocks, whither she had been thrown by the gale and tidal wave The crew and passenger list ol the Nicholas Castania shows nc names of women, hut among the personal effects which showed the wear and tear of use were a number ol feminine articles of wearing appare and children's shoes. < Kindness Rewarded. Mrs. Geo. Bramer, of Methuen Mass., has received word from attor neys in the Cilly Islands that R. J Ribstock, a man whom she and hei mother befriended in Bermuda, hac willed her about $1,000,000 in rail road stocks and bonds. When Mrs Rramer met Mr JHhntr?r>k In rtnrmn r da, she then wag unmarried an( . with her mother did many litth t kindnesses for him in his old age He was eighty at the time. I "The reason for my success is tha \ I returned to the primitive lif?- ? in fact hecamo a savage, sacrifice< - all comforts (to ithe race for th' i pole." J The long winter night was uttlize< 9 by Dr. Cook in writing. He use< f a primitive stone writing desk am 9 lay prone while at work with hi i. ; manuscript. Meanwhile the Eskimo y sewed and sang. The temperatur 9 in the snow hut was rarely abov - the freezing pbint. Holar bear t abounded, making exits from the hu * dangerous. e mil s A BITTER FIGHT la the Republican Party is Predicted as Result of Speech ON THE TARIFF BY TAFT At Wlaon*, Minn., for the Control of the Congressional Elections i Next Year?By Excluding Re pub- | 11 cans Who Oppose Tariff Bill 1 Excommunicated Party in West. An open split In the Republican ( party and a bitter fight for control at the congressional elections next N'oVPmhpr hatWAAM th?? npnnrnoclvno anil the old line members of the party, Is the outcome predicted as a result of President Taft'a tariff speech at W4nona Friday night, says a special dispatch from Minneapolis, Minn., to the Atlanta Journal. This Is the view taken by the Republican press of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and politicians generally agree with It. It is a curious fact that no one seems particularly surprised over the president's utterances, and it is equally curious that there is little bitterness or animosity displayed toward himm. His reception in the Twin Cities Saturday was by no means enthusiastic. but that is attributed more to the fact that Governor Johnson lies at the point of death than that the president has adopted a stand on the tariff question that is diametrically opposed to the views of the majority of the people. Wherever the president went there were crowds, but his welcome was limited to hand clasping and the waving of handkerchlefs-riand flags, with spasmodic cheers. Practically the only demonstration that was accorded him was at the auditorium in St. Paul, where 3,000 people cheered him for several minutes. hut then the president deliveredjm eloquent tribute to the stricken governor. The general opinion with regard to the Winona speech is that Mr. Taft went too far. It was expected that he would rally to the assistance of his friend Tawney, who is hard beset by his enemies among the low tariff representatives. That was expected of a stalwart, manly friend, and it was also expected that the president, having signed the Payne bill, would not stultify himself by attempting to crawl out of the position in which he had placed himself by his own act. But when, by inference, and broadly at that, the president in his remarks about party solidity, read out of the party all the Republicans who opposed the bill, the simple truth is that he excommunicated a majority of the Republicans of the middle West. MAKE LARCH PROFITS. Fire ami Life Insurance Did Well in This State. Yncnranen I >uQui uut.v v/vutiuio9iuuri lUUitiasii'r . has just finished his semi-annual statement of Teceipts from insur ance companies doing business in . this State. This statement will form ) part of the annual report to the legislature, t The statement shows that the net premium receipts from the insuri ance companies for the six month . ending June 30 were $912,429.08; f life insurance companies, $1,621,> 125.25; miscellaneous companies, . $140,652.03. The additional license fees as I authorized under the recent act of 1 the legislature show collections as > follows: Fire insurance companies, $17,340.04; life, $30,051.94; miscellaneous, $2,693.52. The first inspection tax collected . only the fire insurance companies - amounted to $1,833.91. * r , Need Not Face Vicious Dogs. A Washington dispatch says mail carriers are not required to deliver . mail at residences where vicious dogs j are permitted to run at large. As 3 a protection to mail carriers the fol lowing regulation nas ueen adopted by the postoftlce department: "Carriers are not required to deliver mail at residences where vicious dogs are * 'permitted to run at large. Persons keeping such dogs must call at the * postoffice for their mail." This is 5 a sensible ruling, and 110 one can object to it. 1 1 j Where Is Havlland? s Henry Haviland, a former Boston s man, last heard from nearly twentye five years ago in the vicinity of New e York, is sought by a firm of lawyers s in Boston as the heir to an estate I it left in the'hands of trustees by Hav* Hand's wife when she died in 1886. IW TO HAS NOT PAID FEE THIRTY CORPORATIONS SAID TO DE DELINQUENT. These Concerns Are Reported m I)ne the State Half Million I)ollars Penalty. Comptroller General Jones Friday reported to pay their corporation license tax of h alf a mill on the capital paid in. A special act of the legislature provides a penalty of $500 and $100 a day for each day of failure. The tax was due the first of April, making the bunch of 30 due the State in penalties half a million dollars iu round figures. Of course, says the Columbia Record, there is no likelihood of the State collecting oven a small amount of these penalties, for In practically all of tho delinquencies the capital paid in is extremely small, and in many cases the companies have long since gone out of business, although the law makes no allowance for this unless dissolution notice is served ou tho secretary of state. Mr. Jones said a few days ago that he would recommend a change in the law by the legislature next spring so as to make tho penalties reasnoable and provide for their collection by execution through the sheriffs. Mr. Jones' letter follows: Dear Sir: By virtu re of an act "To require the payment of annual license fees in this State and reports to the comptroller general," I beg to advise you that tho followI n cr r\ n rti net i/? oAiM\/\ro Hrv?\ ? V*.-* ?'" ...n uw.nvui.it. v.w i |m/i av iuii.1 Lin t L" uruiler made their annual <|orporation license reports, nor paid the annual license fee, as directed by section 11 of said act: Htshopville Oil Mill, Rishopville. Artificial Stone and Supply Company, North Augusta, S. C. Anderson Stone and Supply Company, Anderson. Townvllle Mercantile Company, Townville. Wllliamston Grocery Company, Wflliamston. Hoffman & Walker, Allendale. Hear Furniture Company, Charleston. Citizens' Electric Company, Charleston. Goldsmith Manufacturing Company, Charleston. Heriot Wall Paper Company, Charleston. Frank M. Petit Amusement Company, Charleston. Wallace-Mallony Agricultural Company, Charleston. Young Farmers' Union, John's Island. Chester Wholesale Grocery Comr pany, Chester. Florence Infirmary, Florence. Loyall, McConnell Company, Georgetown. Parnell's Furniture Company, Georgetown. I CrnnTl 11A T> An H .? ? .. .1 T* . vi? wm t ?iic xvcau; aUU JL 1 U31 L/UIII" pany, Greenville. Greenwood Granite and Construction Company, Greenwood. Rivers, Folk & Hughes Company, Brunson. The Cooler Company, Conway. Acme Grocery Company, Bishopvllle. Bishopville Coca Cola Bottling Company, Bishopville. Richardson Lumber Company, Seneca. Colored Investment Company Orangeburg. W. P. Dukes & Son, Rowesville. City Security and Loan Company, Columbia. "The following have made their bnnual corporation Jicemse Report, but have not paid the annual license fee: Sumter Nursery Company, Sumter, $5. | Cross Hill Oil Mill, Cross Hill, j *5.50. J C. L. Pace & Bro., Brltton'a Neck, $5. j "You are therefore requested to Institute proceedings to recover such penalty and annual fee or fees as may be recovered by an action in the name of the State. Yours very truly, "A. W. Jones, "Comptroller General." * Poured Out Liquor. At Birmingham, Ala., the first destruction of liquors under the new Fuller bill was made late Saturday , afternoon by the shriff, under or~e T.. -1 iir T."? " - - ucid *_>i juufit; w. rj. r ore. A. lotai , of 250 quarts of whiskey and eight casks of beer was poured Into the sanitary sewer. Serious Wreck. A eerious wreck occurred at 6 o'clock Saturday night on the At! lantlc Coast Line near Winston, 1 Fla., when passenger train No. 89 from Jacksonville Jumped a frog, ' turning the engine completely over, injuring five persons. THE HI CHARGED WITH MURDER MYSTKKY OF M1W. BIGHAM'H PKATII TO BK CLKAHKI) Cl\ Prominent Witn?we? to Contradict Version of Tragedy Given Out by Her Husband's Companion. Strangely mysterious la the alleged accidental killing a (ew days ago at Murrell's inlet, in Georgetown county, of Mrs. Ruth Crisp Iligharn, wife of Dr. G. C. lltgham, of Florence county, by W. H. Avaut, near Mr. Avant's home. There Is the intens681 sort of interest in the case throuout the State, and the trial at Georgetown, both men having been indict > o ? eu ior muraor, promises to develop some highly sensational testimony. Mrs. Bingham was shot and almost instanly killed about dark, near the Avaut home. The two men claim that they saw a ilguro making its way through the dark, and that they followed, and after calling to it without getting an answer, Mr. Avani fired at Dr. Bigham's suggestion Mrs. Higham died without regaining consciousness. But three prominent men have been summoned by the State who will contradict this state ment as to the physical facts regard ing the degree of darkness at tin time, etc. Florence people visiting Columbia recently say that Dr. Higham bore i good reputation there, as did hit wife, although she was not particu larly well known, having been a resi dent of that section of the State onlj a short while. She graduated fron Chicora College, in Greenville, ii 1907, and after teaching a year me and married Dr. Higham at her olt home in Mountville, Laurens county where Dr. Higham was practicing a tho time. Mrs. Bigham was back at honn visiting only a few weeks ago, ac cording to Laurens county people coming to Columbia this past week As Miss Crisp, she was very popular and she comes from one of the bes families in that section. She was j daughter of Matthew B. Crisp Laurens people do not hesitate t< say they do not believe tho accoun of tho killing given out by Mr. Avant In the investigation at Mountvilb and Waterloo, it is understood 01 good authority, facts were brough to light that will tend to show un happy martial relations. This is bas ed on the fact that Mrs. Bigham when at her old homo some fe\ weeks ago on a visit and receivini letters and telegrams from her hue band to return home at once, ex pressed reluctance at the idea of go ing and even wept when she, pres sed with the letters and telegram* realized that she must return t her hsuband. Upon investigation this correspoii dent finds that L)r. Brigham was no well thought of at Mountville by great many people. Ho reside there for a short time while practic ing his profession. The story of th killing as related by Bigham an Avant is not generally accepted a Mountville nor Laurens. Peopl who know Mrs. Bigham best declar that sho was very timid and espe< ially of the dark; that she would nc venture out of the house after nigh fall. No one seems to believe thi any act of hers justified the kil in g. BITTEN BY DEADLY SNAKE. Prevented Serious Consequences I Sucking Wound. At Anderson Miss Ramelle Nicho son was bitten on the right wrii by what is supposed to have bee a highland mocdasin. The snaV clung to the wound; seemed to 1 unable to free Itself, and the chil was unable to shake It off. Final she placed her foot on the tall < the reptile and literally tore tl fangs from the wound In her art I A physician was summoned and a ' rived within less than half an hou He prescribed some medicine for tl bite and the next day the child wei to school as usual, little the won for her experience. The girl hs gone Into the garden and was picl ing beans when the snake struck he As soon as possible she wiped tl surface of the wouud with her dree sucked out the poison, and It is vei probable that because of this tl bite did not prove more serious. Katcn by Wild Animals. William Johns, an Amoriean na uralist, and R. (Jentruch, a Swed are believed to have been attack* and devoured by wild animals Costa Rica, according to a cabl gram Just received. Soon after tl two men, who were exploring tl I island disappeared, a search w made for them and the hat and i , fle of one of them was found ne , newly made tracks of wild ai 1 mala. 9RRY H 1 A FILTHY PRISON I Awful Comfit ion in the State Penitentiary at AHefbeoy, Pa. VERMIN INFESTS CELLS Mop? Than Thr?? Hundred Prisoner* Arc Suffering From Tuberculoid* and More Than Seventy-nine Cell* Aw Now Occupied bjr Prisoner* Showing Advanced Statges. Conditions at the western penitentiary of Pennsylvania at Allegheny huve been found so distressing and , so intolerable as to require the Im1 mediate removal of all Federal pris1 oners whose transfer Is practicable , and to demand the most serious con- Alteration of the proper public ; authorities. This is disclosed In tho report of C. II. McGlasaon, of ' tho department of prison and prlson* ers, to tho attorney general. At tho direction of tho attorney general, Wade Kills, acting head of j the Department of Justice, made known tho result of tho lnvestigation which Mr. McClasson conducted following tho reports published J by thk? newspapers Several week* ago, criticising the condition at the penitentiary. "The population on the 1st of this j month was 1,301," says Mr. Kills la ^ his statement. "Of this number more ^ than half are at all times idle, and j more than half are confined two In a cell. The cells are unusually small ^ and the cots take almost the entire length of each, the room for moving about being a Bpaco eight feet long and eighteen inches wide. There are more than three hundred prisoners suffering from tuberculosis, and seventy-nine cells are now oc^ cupled by those showing advanced stages of this disease. The prison is lllled with vormln of all kinds, although the ^officials are making an effort to eradicate them. An unusually large number of the prisonera are of the lowest possible character, mentally and morally, and . there Is but ono goneral mess provided for all. Almost universal complaint Is made about the quality of the food served, especially the ' meats." v "The attorney general does not, of t course, assume that these unfortunate conditions are known either _ to the Governor of Pennsylvania, or to other authorities having immediate control of penal Institutions in that State," continued Mr. Kills. There are twenty-one Federal prisoners confined at the western penltentlary of Pennsylvania. A1I of' these who can bo immediately trans& a . ^ lenrea, except those wlyose terms will shortly expire, will be removed at once to Atlanta or Leavenworth. 0 d it Criticises Peary. 0 The Paris Temps severely criti0 cises Commander Peary's "broadcast accusations" against I>r. Cook, as well as his "general grandiloquent attitude," saying of it: "Peary's lf patriotic declaration about . taking possession of the pole in the name of the President of the United States contrasts strongly with the commercial spirit he displayed in copyrighting the story." >y Forced Him to Confess. ^ A negro in Statesboro, Ga., ar I i ny a moo, charged wt!h an ?t attempted awiault upon a young lady, n was saved from lynching by his aged to father pressing through the crowd >o and forcing the boy to confess, after Id which the mob melted away and the ly officers took charge of the boy. :>f _______ 10 Blew Open Safe. At Macon, Ga., yeggmen at 3:3# o'clock Saturday morning blew open ^ a &afe In the store of P. W. Smith, within a stone's throw of the city 3o limits, and secured approximately $700 In cash, a pistol, two diamonds ^ valued at $300, a number of notes ' and mortgages and other valuable documents. 10 s. ' ry Negro Lynched. i? Two unknown negroes were killed * by posses In the man hunt near Sandy Point, Texas, Friday. The negro, Steve Haynos, slayer of Armour Munson, is surrounded in the lowe lands, and capture or death is cer>d 0 in ' e. Yachtsman Drowned. tie Ry the capsizing of a small yacht, he in which he and R. H. Ripley were as sailing, Frank Richardson, of Portari mouth. Va.t was drowned in the ar Elizabeth River Sunday. The tragil edy was caused, It Is said, by swells caused by a passing steamer. ERALD