Evening journal., 1897-07-10
SHORT Welded BLISS.
DR.. Thomas D. Cook and His
Young Bride Separate.
A YOUNG BANK CLERK INVOLVED

CORRESPONDING With hOOS-
TON HARLAN, OF THE NATION
AL BANK OF WILMINGTON AND
BRANDYWINE - MRS. COOKS
GENERAL DENIAL.
Dr. Thomas ID. Cook one of the most
popular young physicians and pharma-
cists in Wilmington, and his wife of |
three months, Mrs. Evelyn Booker |
Cook, have separated. and she is now
living with her father and mother, Mr.. |
and Mrs. William r. Booker. at No. 507 |
West Fifth street. The doctor medi- |
tates bringing divorce proceedings for |
infidelity, naming Houston Harlan, son
of superintendent Harlan, of the Will |
mington public schools. as the core
spondent Young Harlan is clerk in the
National Bank of Wilmington and
Brandywine. at Second and Market
streets, and is a graduate of the Jeffer-
son Medical College, class of "a, and
was treasurer of his class. He is city
vaccine physician for the northeastern
district.
This morning an Evening Journal re-
porter called On DR.. Cook at his phar-
macy, at Tenth and Pine streets, and
called his attention to the rumOrs that
were flying about town in relation to
the causes leading up to the separation
and asked him for q statement embody-
ing the real reasons for the trouble He
expressed an unwillingness to be inter-
viewed, but when assured that the
/ newspapers would certainly take cog
nizance of the matter. he said:
Il first met my wife In June. 1894.
! Having rented the entire building here,
and having no use for anything but the
store part and a room formy Office, ] adj
vertised for a tenant for the house part.
Mr. Booker my wife's fa.her. answered
the advertisement. The result was that
we came to an agreement whereby l
was to give him the use of the house
and in exchange for that he was to give
me my board and lodging. The family
moved in. Ii consisted of the father,
mother and daughter and the married
son and his wife. For more than a
year our relations were merely of a
friendly character.
"On Halloween, in October 1894, she
met Houston Harlan at some party and
he came home with her. and continued
keeping company with her. The Book
ers left my house in October or NOvem-
Der. 1895 and moved to Fifth and JEFF
ferson street She used to come down
to the store after that, and I saw her
occasionally at her home, but more fire.
!, auently at her brothers house, No. 1915
!, West Second street. The reason l did
not 20 TO the home of her parents more
was because Mrs. Booker preferred thaf
her daughter receive the attentions O
young Harlan, and every time wen
i, out there / was told afterwards by Mis-
, Booker that it resulted In unpleasant
\ ness for her. She expressed willing
ness to meet me in other places, and
= have letters in my possession telling
% me that she despised young Harlan anc
= only received his attentions 10 keel
peace in she family. In September
1896, we became engaged. and ! theI
. insisted that she cease receiving the at
tentions of Harlan. She promised to d'
= so. hut / learned that he had been seer
with her occasionally and thai he
mother permitted him to call at thu
house to see her / protested agains
I this, but she would always manage q
straighten things out by saying tina
she only did It to keep peace in tn
> family This state Of affairs existed ul
q 10 the time of the wedding. which wa
hastened by Miss Booker leaving hom
Il because of her refusal to break of he
tengagement to me in obedience to tn
command of her mother
1--WE were married the next day
March 10, by Rev. J. r. Milligan, and
I supposed that the trouble, so far a
young Harlan was concerned, was end
ed. After the wedding tour ! furnish
ie ed my home, No. 532 East Tenth stree
~ and we took up our residence there.
10 For six weeks we were as happy a
i could be desired. and she gave ever
"a evidence Of sincere affection and cor
IA tentment. During that lime she had nC
III been to the home of her parents. He
aunt. of Philadelphia, came down hcI
u to endeavor to reconcile the mother an
daughter. and prevailed upon her {
> meet her at her mothers house withoi
'e' telling me. That was the first week
lp May of the present year. / found it OF
before she came back her aunt havin
De me, me on Fourth street and told m
We had no unpleasantness over tn
visit. After that her visits to her mott
st er's house became frequent, and n
g went there in the daytime and often
night. Then it came to my knOwledi
that she had seen Houston Harla
there / asked her about 1t and she a
~ knowledged that she had seen hi
IN while there. l expressed a desire tn
- she cease the visits, but she continue
20 10 20. She said that his presence the
10 was merely a coincidence. Two anon
- nous letters came to my residence
-, her before she and her mother we
~. reconciled They were in verse, az
,e dwelt upon the discarded lover and h
~, agony, and 1 believe that they can
uS from him, as I did not know Of an
ether agonized and discarded lover
tho case.
nix "Petween the goth of May and he /
of June l was approached by frien
who asked me what business my wi
had at the post office. I told him 81
10 had said that she never was there b
"a once. He said that he had seen n
~ there several times. This awaken
"a my suspicious, and ! went to the 20
,ts office and asked fer her mail at q
,ar general delivery window. ] was 70
~. that there were no letters there. Su
pecting that they might have priva
box / Instituted search about my hor
for a key. She was frequently out un
10 O'Clock at night, and l had ami
L flan "a A