The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-08
PECK TALKS A LITTLE.
Professor Says Friendship for Miss
Quinn Was Tenuous.

New York. June S.-Professor Harry
Thurston Peck of Columbia university
has broken his silence in the matter of
the breach of promise suit brought
against him by Miss Esther Quinn of
Cambridge. Mass. formerly on the
staff of the Smart Set magazine.
Professor Peck's first wife divorced
him in 1908. He remarked in 1909.
Miss Esther Quinn. who sues him for
breach of promise of marriage, alleges
that he asked her to marry him just
about the time his first wife divorced
shock some months later on discover
ing that he had married sweetheart
of his youthful days. Professor Peck
is now about 50 wears old.
"It is a fact" he said. that I am
being sued for breach of promise by
Miss Quinn, but the fact that the COM
plant and answer has been filed
lish letters that she says I sent her. I
intend to show people what their
rights are in such matters. 1 expect
to get a good deal of enioyment-er,
well, perhaps not enjoyment, but satis-
faction-out of finding out just how
far the newspapers may go.
Miss Quinn may have shown these
letters, or perhaps typewriter copies
of them. but the case hasn't gone to
trial. Suppose they should be for
geries
DO you characterize them as for
geries?'' Professor Peck was asked.
II do not" he replied. But suppose
these letters are not brought out in
evidence?"
'Is there any intention of settling the
matter out of court?" was inquired Of
him.
Certainly not" Professor Peck said,
smiling. Il have placed a general de-
NAL of the charges in my answer. To
settle it out of court would be submit
| ting to blaekmail, wouldn't it?"
DO you term this a matchmaking
suit?'' he was asked.
mol don't think / said that. But
! if such charges are made and a denial
| entered to them, and then a settlement
| is made-if the charges are not true =
| that would be blackmail, wouldn't it 90
| In answer to other questions, Profess
| sor Peck said: my friendship with
| Miss Quinn was tenuous. 1 met the
young woman several times, but always
our meetings were most matter of fact
| in character-meetings on business"
Were there no dinner parties at the
Cadillac hotel and other places-no
purely social meetings?'
| Professor Peck smiled anew and
| shook his head firmly in the negative.
''You did write her some letters?"
| About twelve or fifteen"
| "Only twelve or flfteen?'
"Well, there may have been more OF
. course, 1 knew her for about ten years
and there may have been more, But
| there was nothing in any of those let
| tiers that could possibly furnish
| foundation for the suit that has been
| brought
| Professor Peck exhibited the pale
gray volume of poetry of his writing
entitled "Greystone and Porphyry."
Miss Quinn declared three poems-nAll
sion," and when Love Becomes De-
spair'-were sent to her by him.
| The Columbia scholar declared that
the entire collection of poems contained
| in the book was published fully a year
| before he ever met Miss Quinn. He
| said, moreover, that he held the copy
| right, and that he would take the mat
| ter of the publication of any of the
| poems to law.
| "Rudyard Kilpling permits newspa-
pers to publish only five lines of any of
his poems,'' said Professor Peck.