Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-31
THE ElOP|Nc COUPLE
Found in San Francisco, But
Flee Again.
COOKE AND MISS WHAlEY
Unfrocked Rector and Girl Parents
Of a Child.
AT WORK AS A PAINTER
Echo Of Scandal That Shocked Long
Island-Hunted for Eight
Months.
COOKE AND MISS WHAlEY
AT WORK AS A PAINTER

SAN FRANCISCO. December 31-As
reported in The Star yesterday. after
a search of eight months Rev. Jerry
Knoee Cook. college graduate ard for
mer pastor of st. Georges Protestant
Episcopal Church of Hampstead, L. l..
was found living quietly in this city
Sunday in little fiat at 1190 Greene
street with the seventeenyear- heir
ess. Floretta Whaley, and two
month old babe
But the trail of the fugitive WIS only
crossed. for yesterday they both left
their modest home before sunrise in a
pelting rain and the fiat was found
locked and silent. During the eight
months since he resigned his pas;orate
Cook has been living in Los Angeles
and San Francisco. earning living for
himself and Miss Whaley as d painter
and decorator, and sometimes accepting
the most exacting and mental labor to
provide for his little household.
The discovery of Cooks identity is
credited to Capt. James Clea:y of the
Moore agency in this city. Who OBJ
ley published In local newspaper
greatly resembled the supposed wife
Of a man he knew under the name OF
Gerald Balloon. When Cook was Wis
u
was engaged in making gravy for
his Sunday dinner. while Floretta Wha
ley beautiful. but with the pallor of
recent motherhood still on her features,
lay on lounge in the next room sing
ing to her baby. healthy ooy. The
fugitive pastor at first denied his iden-
tity and insisted that his name was
Balcom. but he offered his visitor a
cigar his hands shook and he finally
admitted that he was Cooke.
He Blames His Wife.
When a newspaper interviewer called
Sunday Balcom. or Cooke, admitted
his identity and sent the young mother
and the baby into another room. asking
the reporter to lower his tone that she
might not learn of the discovery of
their identity.
'Finis!' he exclaimed. Now the awak-
ening. My God, what an awakening! Look
here. Give me cnance to get away. You
are human, just as human as | am.
don't mind Sing Sing or hell, but it's she.
The child was born only two months ago,
and this win kill her. What's the use
What's the eternal use? The inexorable
law Will be, must De maintained. the
world will go around and nothing can
prevent it. | have preached it myself so
often that l ought to know it now.
Faith! There's nothing that will paint
black sheep white. But look here-listen
to my side. For ten years I have kept
silent. For the last eight months I have
porne without murmur the vilest lies
that yellow journalism could conjure and
now l will speak 1t was only yesterday
that paper hao a story about me giving
away my wife to a man in Louisiana, AS
II that could be possible. Give her away.
Give away my life? a
II worked my way through college writ
ing for the papers and periodicals to make
out my expenses. and then took a post
graduate course there. l then entered the
ministry and was given the rectorship
of st. Georges Episcopal Church at
l.. I. Prior to this had mar
ried. and three days after my marriage I
discovered that 1 had made the most
awful mistake man could make. I don't
intend to give all the details of the next
nine years of my life. but it was hell"
Cooke told of his marriage and of his
unhappy married life. He declared that
his wife admitted to him that she had
married him Tor no other reason than
that it would prove a convenient stepping.
stone for her social ambitions He added
that 1t would be "caddish to dilate on INV
troubles
Gave Up ALI for Love.
Then 1 awoke to love. and everything
else was worthless he continued You
know the end. On the one hand was a
loveless life. with honor and position and
wealth, and OH the other love and pow
erty. 1 chose this He pointed to the
scantily furnished room. 'T don't praise
myself for the step took 1t was weak
ness. it was unmanly; but am only
human. and as I am to be judged by
human beings. it is but right that they
should know that 1 gave UP all that /
bad fought for and won. Now all ask
Is to be let alone.
Il am doing a mans work. 1 have
but I have suffered. Now l beg
the world to let me alone with my wife
and child. I can live the life of a good
citizen. They say I am good decorator.
! was kept at work long after the other
men were let go during the financial
1 ask the world to let me be
a painter, nothing more; to do a mans
work and enjoy the average society and
happiness of the average man."
Cooke said he was afflicted with heart
failure, and several times he was on the
verge of collapse during the interview.
On the. promise that Mrs. Balcom"
would not be apprised of the fact that
their identity had been discovered Cooke
accompanied the reporters to a newspaper
Office to be sketched. On the way down
town Cooke tainted in the street car.
Cookies neighbors speak in the highest
terms of the pair. Mrs. S. NJ. Miles, who
lives in an adjoining apartment. said that
she saw Cooke and his companion. or Mr..
and Mrs. Balloon. as she knew them,
leave their fiat early yesterday morning
and go out In the storm. The man had a
few pieces of baggage. and the girl carried
a baby closely wrapped. All efforts to find