New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-02-08
ROBNETT ON TRIAL
PLEADS NOT GUILTY.
admits Using Epithet-En-
gaged TO Mss Hcsler.


attentions of civilian 10 his fiancee, MISS
! Dorothy Hesler, of Evanston, Ill, was the
! basis Of the defence of DR.. A H Ropnett
| at his court martial trial to-day over the
| episode at the naval dance at the Charles
! town yard on December II last. DR.. ROD
| netts trial to-day, which was on charges
| of conduct unbecoming gentleman ana
| profanity, lasted only four hours. Much
! OF the interest had been robbed by the tes-
| timony al the trial of Paymaster George
| P. Aaul last week on charges growing OUT
| OF the same incident.
The trial was sinplified also by the ad-
! mission of Dr. Robnett that he did use OBJ
| jectionable language when he called DR. T.
! S. CowIes to account for his attitude tow
! ard Miss Hester. DR.. Cowles, who was
| again on the stand. denied that he attempt
Cd 10 make clandestine appointments with
| the young woman. and in this he was cor
! roborated by his wife. She also supported
| him in regard to DR.. Robnett's words over
the telephone, which formed one of the
charges.
Then Miss Hesler took the witness stand.
and. flashing a diamond ring in the eyes Of
the court, declared that she had been en-
gagged to Dr. Robnett since November and
that DR.. Cowles not only tried to meet her,
but wanted TO send her flowers and candy
Hiss Hesler said that she appealed to DIR.
Robnett TO save her from Dr. Co"ies, ana
that the incident followed.
Tomorrow there Hll be arguments and
by Wednesday the finding of the court
will be sent to Washington.
The court convened at 10 a. m. and inn
mediatelv after DIR. Robnett pleaded not
guilty TO the two charges. After the court
had refused to dismiss the charges on Ma
jor LeonardS motion that DR.. Robnett had
already been punished by reprimand, DR..
Cowles called the first witness. He
again went over some of the incidents at
the dance of December II, and said that
when he had an interview with PaymaSter
Aud and DR.. Robnett outside the hall and
was asked TO withdraw, he gained the i'm
preston that both men were acting for the
dance committee.
The next day came the conversation be-
tween DR.. Cowles and DR.. Robnett over the
telephone in which the latter demanded the
return of Miss Hesler's picture. Nobody
left the courtroom when proceedings were
stopped to allow any one TO withdraw vino
did rot care to hear Just what DR.. Rob
nett is said to have told DR.. Cowles when
the latter refused to give up the picture,
SO the conversation was given IN full.
DR.. CowIes explained his effort TO obtain
an appointment with Miss Hester at an
elevated station by saying that the young
woman had been invited to dine at the
Cowles house, and Mrs Cowles suggested
that the doctor meet her on her way from
Maiden
When Major Leonard asked DR.. Cowies
Why he did not offer the same explana-
ton at the Aud trial, last week, the judge
advocate objected. and the testimony was
dad
made on the question.
After the court had allowed the question
DR.. Cowles stated that he told the Incl
dent last week as he remembered it at
the time Now he recalled additional de-
tails. He denied that he ever aggravated
DR.. Robnett or that he ever accepted a
challenge for a fistiC encounter. Neither
did he ever call DR.. Robnett a cur
A letter from DR.. Robnett to DR.. CowIes
vas introduced in which the former stated
that his sense of justice TO DR.. Cowles's
Parents induced him to retract his refer
ence over the telephone to Dr. CowIes's
parentage. In regard to q personal meet
ing continued the letter" IT will accom-
modate you at any time agreeable TO both
parties"
DR.. Howard E. Ames. Of the naval hos
pital, who was DR.. Cowless host at the
dance, S61Q IDaU he asked Dr. RObnett WHY
he used the telephone to speak in such
language to his guest. He said that Dr.
Robnett replied, holding his hand I'D, that
he had taken oath not TO say anything
about the affair.
Mrs. Cowles was the last witness for the
prosecution. She said that she overheard
the telephone conversation with Dr. Rob-
nett. She corroborated her. husbands state
ments as to DR.. Robnetts language She
also explained the elevated station incident
with Miss Hesler, saying that she invited
that young woman to dine and told her
husband that he ought to escort her from
the static nto their house, as Miss Hesler
did not know the way.
Then DR.. Robnett took the stand in his
own defence as the last witness. He adj
mitted that he asked DR.. Cowles by teIc-
phone if he had not received a request from
Miss Hesler to return her picture Dr.
Cowies replied that he had, but that It was
none of his (Robnett's) business whether
he returned il. He denied that he used VIC
lent language to DR.. Cowles, but admitted
that he did use the epithet DR.. Cowles had
mentioned. This was after DR.. Cowlcs had
called him cur" He did not threaten
DR.. Cowles. and at the dance he promised
Miss Hesler that he would not say any,
thing TO DR.. CoWles