The Washington weekly post., 1900-11-20
LOVED 4 STATUE He CARVED.
Bet His wife Resented His InfaiuarIon
ard Get Divorce.
Prom the Fhiiaaaiphia Press.

Prom the Phiisaaiphia Press.
When Richard Il GalIiene wrote '1The
W0rzhIper of the Image ne was more OF
less laughed az fer what vas considered
far-fetehed imagery.
The story dealt with a man who fell In
love with tho carved face Of a woman and
deserted wife and child for the sake OF his
new idol
This was all eery well FOR the purposes
OF romance. B'1t It sounded so impossible
that Il did not meet with great favor
Yet only Week or so ago the Court OF
Common Pleas OF Cleveland brought forth
case that was almost an exact parallel
to lie Galliene's imaginary one. with
something Of the Pysmalion and Galatea
myth woven In it, FOR the man who fell In
love with the image in the Cleveland case
carved Il himself.
Judge F. 4. Dellenbaugh granted an alb
solute divorce TO Mary Huletts, the wife
OF August Huletts. who carved and loved
the wooden image.
They were married ten years ago.
August was a master mechanic and lad
the respect Of his fellOW-wOTkmen. His
wages were good and he and his brias
! lived in comfort
For several years they were the nap
piest of couples. Two little children came
! TO Brighten their home and fortune Vas
smiling ner prettlcst upon them. Aoout
two years ago Huletts began 10 speed
more Of his time locked in his room man
he did with mis- family. His love for ris
wife seemed 30 grow cold.
At first he would spend an hour or two
every evening with his wife and children.
on a model, he said. The time with his
/ family became shorter and ne spent more
and more of MS tine alone in his room
alone except for the wooden image.
For three months this continued.
At first the vile encouraged him in MS
| work She trusted her husband implicit
ly, and his injunction not 10 enter his
WorkrOOm until he gave permission was
! obeyed without question.
Then, when ne began to neglect his
! family for the closed room, she did not,
as most women. perhaps, would have
done. become serious and take peep into
the room
She began to chlde him for neglecting
her. He responded with happy smiles.
and talked necessarily Of the great work
he was doing.
Then she became jealous of his work.
She was jealous because il made MIN for
| get her.
For months no endearing word or soft
caress were her portion, and she missed
| these tokens Of love.
1T last the eyentful day arrived. She
was to see the result OF his work
lie was proud and happy and talked of
The beautiful image" but there was not
a word OF love for her TO make Up for his
| eoldness Of the preceding months.
The husband unlocked the door to the
sacred room ard she was ushered in.
Except for stray pieces of shaving here
and there. and a Workman's bench with
a teW delicate tools neatly piled upon il
and yelled object in the center of TIE
floor the room was bare.
The husband walked to the lone object
ana throwing from it a black cloth he
| pointed with pride and almost venera-
| ton to the wooden image"
II was wooden replica of the Venus
Of Milo.
1T was then" said Mrs. Huletts. when
she testified in court last week, that our
| trouble began
Until that sime I loved my husband
ana l lhouSht tnat he loved me- But az
! ter that image was completed he would
! spend all his time gazing at it, He even
! Bought clothes and dressed it up with
| clCihes better than | could afford 20 wear
Then he would take the image into
| the barn, and locking the door so that I
could not get in, he would remain there
| for hours.
Il became jealous of that wooden figure
But my tears were of no avail. NY
husband loved that wooden thing better
| than he did me-"
Mrs. Huletts then told how her hus-
| band began to neglect her entirely, and
| finally deserted her. She said he went to
another part Of the city-to a place on
I FairmOunt Street-tO live.
During the hearing of the case Attorney
| Starr demanded that the wooden woman,
whose inanimate form had caused such
/ trouble, be brought into court.
| Judge DelleIbaugh then questioned Au-
| gust HulettS as to his object in carving
out the figure. Huletts answered that he
! was studying photography and had used
| the figure to study the different effects
| of light.
| But Huletts said that he had destroyed
| the image.
Whether that is true or not. il has mys-
| teTiOuSly disappeared. but its evil work
! in destroying the happiness Of a contented
| family cannot be Undone.