The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-03-15
DR.. COOKE LEFT
ON KANSAS CITY
DEFENDANT IN $4,000 SUIT
HAD CONFERENCE WITH A FRIEND
OF MRS. MILLER AT DE SOTO.

DR.. Cooke Said He Had Been Called
to New York by His AttOrSey and
That He Would Not Compromise
Case-Mrs. MiIIer's Friend APP
peared on Scene Says she Wants
to Bring About Settlement of
the Case to Save Her Friend from
Unpleasant NOtOriety.
Acting upon telegraphic instructions
received from his attorney, DR.. Howard
De Walden Cooke, the wealthy clubman
of Stamford, Conn, left yesterday aft
ernoon on the Kansas City for
New York to consult with Car
ter F. Fessenden. in regard to the
suit which has been brought against
him for $4,000 for an alleged breach
of promise.
At the wharf of the Ocean Steamship
Company DR.. Cooke made the state
ment that he would certainly not COM
promise the case, but would fight
it to an end. He declared that it
had been his intention to remain in Sa-
vannah for week longer, but he re-
ceived a telegram from his attorney
requesting that he come TO New York
for a conference.
DR.. Cooke said when he reached New
York he would inform his attorney
that he wanted the case tried at the
earliest day possible, as it is afford
ing him a great deal of unsought no
torietY.
1t was learned later that DR.. Cooke
had found that friend of Mrs. Helen
Karcher Miller arrived in the city Sat
urday, and was also registered at the
De Soto.
1t was reported at the hotel that she
sent her card to DR.. Cookies room and
requested an interview with him in the
ladies' parlOr They were in confer
ence for twenty minutes, after which
DR.. Cooke made known the fact that
he would leave on the Kansas City.
There is much speculation as to what
really took place at this interview,
and while nothing definite could be
learned it was strongly intimated by
Mrs. Millers friend that she had pro-
posed compromise to DR.. Cooke, and
that he informed her he would give his
answer by Saturday.
Says Mrs. Miller Was Engaged.
Mrs. Miller's friend was seen by a
representative of the Morning News
and made a statement. She, too, is a
widow and has for several years been
an intimate friend of the plaintiff in
the sensational divorce suit She is
registered at the De Soto and may re-
main here for several days.
My object in coming to Savannah
was to see if l could not bring about a
satisfactory arrangement of this affair
and save Helen all this unpleasant
notoriety, which is causing the poor
woman no end OF trouble said the
friend of the complainant. ST am sure
II she had known that this matter was
going to be given so much prominence
in the newspapers she would never
have entered suit against DR.. Cooke"
when asked If Mrs. Miller and Dr.
Cooke were ever engaged she said:
Yes, they were certainly engaged and
DR.. Cooke did not try to keep the mat
ter secret. He seemed to take the
greatest pride in introducing her to his
friends. She said he at times even
went to limits that were embarrassing
to Mrs. Miller, dwelling on her beauty
ana charm of manner in her presence
until her face was suffused with
bushes.
Wedding Was to Have Been in ApriI
Mrs. Miller's friend declared that the
wedding was to have been some time
during the early part of April and that
DR.. Cooke had spread the news broad
cast before he broke off the engage
ment She said in her opinion DR..
Cooke was influenced to break off the
engagement with Mrs. Miller by his
two daughters, who formed a dislike
to their fathers fiancee when she made
visit to the Cooke home in Stamford
According to the friend of the
plaintiff Mrs. Miller has gone into Sc
clusion and will refuse to see any one
except her most intimate friends until
the breach of promise suit is settled.
and she is indicated by a verdict from
the courts. She refused to state why
DR.. Cooke decided to return to New
York so soon after their conference.
and would not answer the question
when asked if she had been sent to
savannah by Mrs. Miller to offer a
compromise