MRS. COWEN DENIES IT

LANDERKIN'S MOTHER-IN-LAW SAYS SHE NEVER ATTEMPTED TO INDUCE ELLEN BASKETT TO ELOPE

Mrs. Alice Cowen, of 132-1/2 Third avenue, mother-in-law of Milton Landerkin, the tug engineer who is alleged to have hypnotized 15-year-old Ellen Baskett into eloping with him, said today that she had nothing to do with the elopement; that she never tried to persuade the girl to run away with Landerkin, and that she never was on the street with the girl or ever attempted to induce her to drink beer with her in a saloon.

Mrs. Cowen says that since Landerkin and her daughter were divorced she has had nothing to do with the Basketts.

"Ellen came to my house one day," said Mrs. Cowen, "after all this trouble happened and I told her she could not come to my house any more. I did not want to be mixed up in the scandal, and I certainly never tried to coax the girl to elope with Landerkin. Landerkin has come to my house at intervals, but purely on business matters."