The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-30
SHE BROUGHT UP 4 HUSBAND.
TAUGHT HIM TO PULL TEETH,
GOT HIN CONG IN BUSINESS.
And Now He Sues Her for Divorce When
She Is BB-He Is Younger Than Her Son
Pastor and settlement Head worker
Stand by Her-Wby she Didn't Sue Him.

Stand by Her-Wby she Didn't Sue Him.
The romance OF a dentist who varies her
professional duties with university settle
ment work, is revealed in the suit for di-
yorce brought against her by her youn g
husband, to whom she taught tooth-car-
pentry. She is known professionally as
DR.. Elma H. Edgar, but her husbands name
Ia Arthur Vernon Tucker, He has an Office
at 8 West Fourteenth street, while she
hangs out her shingle further uptown. On
account of her poor eyesight she haa been
unable to practise for some time.
She was formerly the wife of Thomas d.
Edgar. On his death she tool a house In
Brooklyn and set up in business as a dentist
Incidentally abe let rooms.
Arthur Vernon Tucker, "a years old,
bearded, and a machinist by trade, O a
furnished room, He o Mis-. Edgars
fancy, 30 that presently, 4foolishly" as he
calls it, they got married on July 10, 1892.
Tucker, according to the wife, who con-
fesses to So years at present, told her then
, that he was 35, or but a few years younger
than herself. AS a matter Of fact he was
2 tust one year younger than Mrs Edgars
oldest son, he says.
When they got back from their honey
moon, according to Mrs. Tucker, she sug-
rested that he learn dentistry. So he be-
came her student, and she kept the house
out of the $4,000 a year she was making.
He studied under her for three years, recit-
ing his book lessons to her every night
and assisting her in all the mechanical
parts OF the work. Finally he. got his de-
gree OF DDS. and a job In New York at
$50 q week.
An srran cement was made, Mrs. Tucker
says, by which she was to go IN supporting
the mouse, including her children, with her
own earnings, while he was to put away his
$50 every week in the savings bank until he
could open an Office. She went surety for
the lease of the Fourteenth street office,
which was fitted up under her directions.
She still kept her Brooklyn office, but per-
suaded most Of her. customers that she was
too i'll to treat them, and recommended
CDR. Tucker Of Fourteenth street as a
fine dentist. She was still known as DR..
Edgar.
So we'll did Tucker prosper, she says;
that he cleared 5000 his first year, and
within three years they had bought and
furnished a house in F~latbush, This
brought them along to 1899, when she de-
cided to quit practise, and then found, to
her amazement, she says, that instead OF
thousands, Arthur had only hundreds in
bank. He also had a young assistant who
boasted that the diamonds she wore were
given her by "the doctor" The family
gave up Flatbush and moved to Harlem,
where things began to get uncomfortable
right away.
Tucker saws that he could not stand
the scandal of having his stepdaughter,
q young widow then, run around with a
married man of the neighborhood. Mrs.
Tucker denies that there was any such
scandal and says that Tucker was anxious
to get free because he found himself more
- Ez-ao -. .,-,,,r than puitl the
woman fifteen years his senior, who had
taught him the business. Anyway, Tucker,
who had shaved off his beard and looked
quite youthful, very different" as Mrs,
Tucker says; from what he would have
looked like had he remained a machinist
all his life" left the house on February T.,
1901, taking his trunk with him and saying
he would not return.
Tucker saws that his wife's conduct was
such that no man could continue TO live
with her. He specifies choral and intoxi-
oants. But she has a letter which he wrote
her within a month OF his leaving the house
in which he said;
lay awake Sunday all night and thoug ht
over what you said to me-. Every word Is
burned into my brain with a red hot iron,
and while | realize the truth Of what you
said TO me / never could look you in the face
again. for | never can forget it till my dying
day. If you are sincere in saying that my
welfare Is still dear TO you there is only one
thing that you can do for me-, and that Ia to
give me my freedom. and the chance 10 make
new friends and try TO forget. or at least
deaden the memory of the unhappiuess which
have brought on YOU and myself.
As things are now | cannot. With some
one who knows nothing of my past l might
IN time be less unhappy than ] am at present.
but between us there are memories. due en-
tirely to my own folly and wickedness, which
would always confront and strange my
chance of happiness. I am tempted every
night of my life TO make it my last, not on
account of one whose name / never wish to
hear again, but on account of the miserable
w~retchedness and loneliness of my present
existence, and / want now, before you forget
me, to beg you to forgive as much as
you can of the misery and unhappiness |
have caused you, and to answer this letter.
Is I have answered yours, In the spirit in
which II is meant, II these should be the
last words / ever write or speak to You may
God bless you. T
Following this letter Mrs. Tucker did begin
q suit for divorce, but she dropped 1t after
awhile, on the ground, as she says, that she
did not want to cause any other woman
the same ~unhappiness she had felt. She
turned to a settlement and other charitable
work, and became one OF the head workers
street. In testimony TO her character, and
to refute the chargesIof her husband that
che Ia dissolute and Incorporate, she has
procured from her pastor, the Rev. Merle
BIT. Croix Wright of the Lenox Avenue
Unitarian Church a letter commencing her,
and James Hamilton, lead worker of the
University Settlement at 1874 Eldrldge
street, has also written a letter in which
he says Of her:
DR.. Edgar ia In that class OF volunteer and
unpaid workers which does so much to keep
alive the spirit of true settlement work. l
value her services very highly indeed. / am
constantly reminded of her by the girls who
have grown almost to young womanhood
under her care, whose character and beauti-
full spirit and entire devotion to their leader
are as fine a tribute as one could wish.
In his complaint for divorce, Tucker
accuses his wife of adultery in November
last at the Hotel Boulevard. Lexington
avenue and i24th street, with one William
Rogers. who is not further identified. Mrs.
Tucker says that the charge is an outrage
and ridiculously false. She has affidavits
from friends who say that she is OF ire
proaohable character and morals.
BULLET PASSED NEAR HER.
Entarpd the WIndnU OT n Room I'm Which