Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-07-11
REV. PAINE SENDS
APOLOGY FOR KISSING
L|EUTENANT'S Wife

Boston, July 10-Rev. George
Lyman Paine, executive secretary of
the Greater Boston Federation of
Churches, today sent letter Of
apology and explanation to Mrs.
Priscilla Redgrave Hague, bride of
Lieutenant Wesley MacLaren Hague,
U. S. N, in connection with the in
cident between Lieutenant Hague
and Rev. Mr.. Paine in the latter's
offices. Lieutenant Hague has said
that his anger was aroused when the
clergyman admitted kissing his bride
and that he went to the clergy
mans offices with the intention of
administering thrashing.
The letter of apology in part says:
II am gentleman enough to begin
by apologiZing to you as a lady,
humbly and sincerely. for having, as
it seems, given you any slightest
cause for annoyance. That was the
last thing in the world that was in
my mind. Certainly at the time you
took no offense. and l would have
stopped playfully tickling you with
a grass stalk the moment you asked
it..
letting me extend my hand for friend
" handshake and. while saying to him
I'm glad TO see you again. striking
with full force in the face and fol-
lowing it up with further blows while
I was dazed and trembling. Had he
first asked me for some account of
whatever had been done. simple and
foolish as it was. and what we had
not done, 1 am sure he never would
have struck me at all, nor acted like
the mailman he did.
"IfsI were his enemy and not his
friend. as 1 still count myself,'l coulc
have him arraigned on a charge OF as
sault and battery. ! am AFRAID the
affair will be out in the papers, but
the less said about it the better, and
the sooner they will forget it."
In a postscript the clergyman added
1T can't help adding that l th1nk
YOU owe me an apology for acting as
you did"
The episode referred to in the letter
was alleged to have occurred when the
Rev. Mr.. Paine took Mrs. Hague for an
automobile ride to Belmont and later
for walk.
A statement made tonight by Mrs
Hague in connection with the aHalr
follows:
"Nhen Mr.. Paine asked me to go to
ride with him / had in mind that ne
both baptized and married me, ana even
though my mother, who was unexpect'
odly present at the time he called, was
NOT invited, l saw no harm in golne
with him. If 1 had not been reluctant
ly forced to the conclusion that MT
Paine's motives were not innocent,
would never have written to my nus
band about the occurrence at all
"I am proud of my husband ano
his conduct in the whole affair and
sincerely hope that Mr.. Paine's con-
duct will be a essen to all young
married couples under similar CIR
cumstances.
"The best way to dismiss the
whole matter is to say that very
fortunately Mr.. Paine's conduct mas
been such as to endear my huspano
to me more than ever.
Rev. Mr.. Paine, who officiated al
the marriage of Lieutenant and MRS
Hague, and who baptized Mrs. Ha-
que. has stated that he kissed the
Girl on both occasions as well as the
dav of the automobile ride and that
in each case it was merely display
Of fatherly affection.
lieutenant Hague stated today
that he had retained counsel in con-
nection with the case. 1t was also
announced that Rev. Mr.. Paine
would conduct the services at Trim
ity Protestant Episcopal Church next
Sunday,