The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-14
TT is A CASE
OF EXTORTION"
DECLARES DR.. H. D. COOKE.
DEFENDANT IN S5O,OOO BREACH OF
PROMISE SUIT AT DE SOTO.

DIR. Cooke, Well Known in Savan-
nah, Sued by Mrs. Miller, New
York Society WOman-Declares
That lie VIII Fight Case to End.
Has Received Threatening Tele-
grams Demanding Compromise,
He Says-DecIares That He Did
Not Kiss Mrs. Miller in Manhat-
tan Hotel and Has Never Been En-
gagged to Her.
DR.. Howard Dewalden Cooke, of
Stamford, Conn, the defendant in the
sensational $4,000 breach of promise
suit which was instituted in New
York by Mrs. Helen Karcher Miller, a
prominent society woman, few days
ago, is at the De Soto. He declared
last night that the suit instituted by
Mrs Miller is groundlessp and he will
fight the case to the end.
These in brief, are the alleged facts
leading up to the suit, according to
an interview published in the New
York Herald with George G. Rock
wood, who is a personal friend of the
plaintiff: DIR. Howard Dewalden Cooke
Mrs. Helen Karcher Miller, but he has
made known the fact to many persons.
He has been devotion itself to her and
upon one occasional a dinner in the
Hotel Manhattan-he publicly kissed
her, much to her confusion and en-
barrassment. After he proposed to her
and was accepted, dinner was given
in honor of the engagement, and the
only reason he is trying to back out
of it now is because another woman
to whom he has been devoted, has
heard of the affair and has succeeded
in influencing him to break his
promise"
Who Mrs. Miller Is.
Mrs. Miller was formerly the wife of
Samuel Duncan Miller, of Indianapolis,
| son of w. H. H. Miller, Attorney Gen
eral in the Cabinet of President Har-
| rison. According to the statements
published in the New York papers she
met Miller, while she was employed
in one of the departments at Washing
ton, and for several years after their
marriage the couple were apparently
happy. In 1896 they moved to New
York, and when, two years later, Mr.
| Miller returned to Indianapolis, Mrs
| secured a divorce from her husband on
the grounds of incompatibility. The
| husband, however, retained the custody
of the child. She made a sensational
attempt to take the boy from his home
in Indianapolis, but after an exciting
pursuit the husband again gained pos
| session.
DIR. Cooke Declares Suit ExtOrtiOn.
When seen at the De Soto by
representative of the Morning News
last night DIR. Cooke was shown the
newspaper clipping and at first said
that he had no statement to make,
declaring that any statement given
out must come from his attorneys. He
| hinallly consented to be interviewed
and made the following statement:
THE whole thing is a case of ex-
tortlon. l have been expecting it for
several weeks and was not surprised
to read the sensational stories which
have appeared in the newspapers
in the last few days. 1 have only
known Mrs. Miller a few months and
| you may quote me as saying that l
have never been engaged to her and
she is only attempting to make me
pay her a large sum of money in
| order to avoid the publicity that a
scandal of this kind naturally causes.
Il have employed attorneys and
am not losing any sleep over her
charges. l will remain in Savannah,
for week before | return to New
York. She has sent me several tele-
CRANES of a threatening nature de-
claring that. unless l compromised the
case that she would give out an inter-
view to Town Topics and other pap
ers.
Says He Did Not Kiss Her.
When asked about the published
statement that he had kissed Mrs. Mil
Ter in the Manhattan Hotel DIR. Cooke
said:
1T is an infamous lie. 1 did not
kiss the woman in the Manhattan Ho-
tel or in any other hotel. The whole
thing is trumpet up affair and 1 am
now in communication with my attor-
neys and will fight the matter to the
end"
DR.. Cooke has visited Savannah ev-
cry summer for ten years and is well
known here. He has a grown son and
two daughters that have spent much
time in Savannah. He is a son of the
late Rev. Samuel Cooke, who for thirty
years was rector of st. Bartholomew
Church in New York. DR.. Cooke is ac-
companied on his trip to Savannah by
his daughter, Miss Gladys Cooke.
The suit instituted by Mrs. Miller
has created quite a sensation in New
York society circles and Mrs. Miller's
picture has been published in several
of the New York papers during the
last week. The newspapers say that
she is wrought up over the publicity,
but DR.. Cooke declares that this is
just what she wants and says that she
has figured quite prominently in the
newspapers on several other occasions.
DR.. Cooke will remain in Savannah
and await instruction from his attor-
ney before he returns to New York
to contest the suit filed by Mrs. Miller.
He declares that he is confident that
he can show that the whole matter is
a trumped up affair and that while he
regrets exceedingly the publicity that
has been given the matter that he was
determined not to be robbed.