New-York tribune., 1920-03-03
Ex-Wife Sues
Mrs. Hardness
For 20 Million
Mrs. Cowan Calls Herself
y Victim of Marriage Plot
in Complaint; Says Hus.
bands Love Was-~Stolen

Mrs. Marie M. Cowan, wise~of Ken
nett Cowan. broker, who recently laid
claim to the estate of Harry S. Hark-
ness, who was her divorced husband,
followed her first action yesterday with
new Supreme Court suit for $2O,00O,-
600 damages against Mrs. Florence S.
Herkness, second wife and widow of
the sportsman. This Is the amount
fixed by Mrs. Cowan as the value of the
Hardness estate.
In the new suit Mrs. Cowan alleges
that Mrs. Harkness, while still the
wife of David H. Games, entered into
a conspiracy with Mr.. Hardness to dis
solve the marriage relation between
Mrs. Cowan (then Mrs. Harkness) and
Mr.. Harkness, and also that existing
between herself and Mr.. Gaines, this
alleged conspiracy having been COM
Gaines obtaining a divorce, with the
aid of Mr.. Hardness. and Mrs. Cowan
divorcing Mr.. Hardness. The divorced
Mrs. Gaines married the divorced Mr..
Harkness. This marriage, according
TO the allegations of Mrs. Cowan, was
the purpose of the conspiracy, where
by, she says, she was deprived of the
affections Of her first husband and of
his property.
Claim to Estate Pushed
Mrs. Cowan reiterates her claim to
the estate of Mr.. Hardness under q
will he made in her favor while they
were husband and wife, and the con-
sideration for which was mutual love
and affection" The former Mrs. Hark-
ness made will in favor of her hus-
band at the same time.
In her new complaint Mrs. Cowan
goes into details of the alleged con-
spiracy whereby she claims Mrs.
Gaines won her husband from her, but
all of these are stated on "informa-
tion and belief" and are not supported
by affidavits. 1t was 1916 or the latter
part of 1914, it is alleged. that Mr..
Harkness became acquainted with the
then Mrs. Gaines. The latter, says
Mrs. Cowan, knew he was her husband
"and that he should eventually, in all
probability, become possessed of large
means from his father, who was man
of great wealth"
A part of the conspiracy, according
to Mrs. Cowan. was that Mr.. Harkness
should not only treat the plaintiff in
a cruel and inhuman manner, so as to
make 1t intolerable for her to live with
him, but that it should be dangerous
for her to do SO by reason Of acts of
physical violence threatened and prac-
ticed by Mr.. Hardness. Pursuant to
the alleged conspiracy. he entered upon
such a course Of conduct, says his for
mer wife.
Mr.. Gaines, too, Is mentioned by Mrs.
Cowan as party to the alleged col
lusive divorce of Mrs. Gaines, which,
it is alleged, was brought about through
the cooperation of Mr. Hardness in
1917. The first Mrs. Harkness had left
her husband in 1915 and divorced him
in 1915.
Marriage of Harkness
Within short time after the Gaines
divorce, Mrs. Gaines was married to
Mr. Hardness, and as Mrs Cowan says
"arrived at position giving her great
influence and control over Mr.. Hark-
ness and his means" Mrs. Cowan
again goes into details of the execution
by Mr.. Hardness of his will on his
deathbed on January %, 1919, which
she realleges, was obtained by fraud
and while the testator was not Of
sound mind. In that document the
second Mrs. Harkness was made sole
beneficiary.
Mrs. Cowan alleges that in 1915
1915 and 1917 Mr.. Hardness and Mrs
Gaines were In each others compan,
almost daily, went on automobile trip:
and visited road houses and resorts il
unfrequented sections in and near New
York, sometimes not returning unit
daylight. Also on "information ant
belief" 1t is stated in the complain
"that said defendant, while still the wifi,
of said David II. Gaines, frequently II
1 Continued on page Jour