New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15

OF ne Army anu navy "N"''''
following personal notice;
J. the undersigned. do publicly offer
my apologies to Captain Harold n
Hines L S. ~. retired and other ofn-
GERS for any remarks made by me al q
dinner given on board the United states
ship Wheeling at Sitka. Alaska in l9oo'
in which the British and American
navies were discussed. As apologies
were at that time exchanged between
the wardroom officers and myself, ! had
considered the question closed.
HELEN l.. COUDEN,
Wife of Rear Admiral A. r. Couden,
L. s. n, retired.
Whereby hangs An interesting little
tale, involving TO some extent the mari
tsl difficulties between Rear Admiral
Couden and his wife. who is suing him
for divorce in Washington If II had
not been for this divorce suit il is
highly probable this public apology on
Mrs. Couden's part twelve years after
the occurrence giving rise TO IT, would
never have been made.
On August &c captain Hines. who
now lives in Montclair. testified before
a referee in Washington, the records
show in the suit brought against Rear
Admiral Couden and at the latters re-
quest. His former commanding officer
wanted legal proof Of the fact. appar-
entity. that Mrs. Couden was aboard the
liohican for a certain period while this
cunboat. to which the officers and crew
of the Wheeling, the man-of-war men
toned in the notice quoted above. had
been transferred Rear Admiral Cou-
den was then captain and commanded
the Mohican. Captain Hines, then a
lieutenant. was his navigating officer.
Had to Put Wife Ashore.
ut is understood 10 be the admirals
contention that his wife was aboard the
Mohican against his wishes and with
out his consent and that he was obliged
TO run into port. without orders to land
her. making him liable TO court martial
MI this is alleged 70 he in support Of
his argument before the court that Mrs.
Couden made it impossible for him TO
live with her Captain Hines testified
only to the presence of Mrs. Couden
aboard the Mohican at the time in
question.
The admirals lawyers asked him then
if he could remember witnessing any
quarrel or dispute between husband
and wife. He said he could not. They
asked him if he could remember any
occasion in which the two had differed
i'm public. He said he could. and he
related the incident on the Wheeling
which led to the apology by Mrs. Cou-
den printed in Yesterdays issue Of The
Army and Navy Journal
Rear Admiral Couden in 1900 was
a captain in command os the Wheeling.
stationed i'm Alaskan waters, and Cap
tain Hines, then a lieutenant was his
navigating officer. Captain Coudon.
while his vessel was anchored off Sitka,
gave q dinner in his cabin at which
the other officers of the ship and Mrs.
Couden, among other women, were
present The conversation turned on
the American and British navies, and
Mrs. Couden, who is an Englishwoman,
took a vigorous part in it. AS the topic
unfolded she began making COMPARE
sons. aimed partly at her husband. be-
tween British and American officers, TO
the disparagement of the latter.
Her husband demonstrated with her.
lie questioned the accuracy of her
statements and their good taste in
such a company. But she persisted.
No one present displayed any anger,
however. A slight embarrassment and
temporary check TO their good spirits
were the only i'll effects TO the diners.
Captain Hines, in his testimony,
treated the incident as trivial, and the
officers present, for the most part, dis
missed II from their minds.
Apology Surprise to Hines.
1t is supposed, however, that Cap
tain Illness evidence before the referee
in Washington was reported 10 Mrs.
Couden by her lawyer, who was pres
ent at the hearing, and that she then
determined to make Captain Hines a
public apology. thinking to minimize
the effect of the testimony and also to
make known the fact that she had al
ready apologized to the other officers
present.
The apology evidently comes as a
great surprise to all concerned. A re-
porter for The Tribune brought il to
the attention of Captain Hines in his
Montclair home yesterday. The cap
tain expressed amazement He was
not willing 10 discuss the incident of
twelve years ago. except to say that il
was entirely trivial, that II called for
10 apology from Mrs. Couden, that he
did not know that she had apologized
TO the wardroom officers and that he
certainly hadn't expected her 20 apollo
gze to him.
Rear Admiral Couden was sued on
March Is last in the District Supreme
Court at Washington by his wife for
limited divorce and maintenance.
Admiral Couden's home is said, to be in
Michigan City. Ind.
Admiral and Mrs. Couden were mar
ried at the United States Naval Asy-
Ium, Philadelphia, on December ),
1888 Mrs. Couden declares that fol-