There are several instances where contemporary reports on Whitehead's achievements referred to photos of the machine in flight being displayed. Apparently, they were present in the local hardware store window, but were lost.
I personally believe that he was successful, based on the publicity (at least locally) that he received, and photos of his aircraft, which all look quite remarkable and flyable. This doesn't take away from the Wright's achievements, but I believe that the development of aircraft has been a long evolution, certainly not limited to a specific "breakthrough" at one point. Hence, the "first flight" moniker is quite irrelevant.
Graeme
(Lets be honest, though - that would make a sweet model!)