Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-29
.HEMM|CK ROMANCE
ENDS AS HUSBAND
OBTAINS A DIVORCE
Says Wife, Former D.. c.
Society Matron, Left Him.
DisIiked His Business.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. August 2S.-Christian
D. Hemmick of this city and WASH
ington, whose marriage to Mrs. Alice
Barney nine years ago was the so
ciety sensation of two continents. mas
just been granted a divorce from mis-
wife. The decree was signed To-Day
in Chicago by Judge Frank johnson.
jr., of the circuit court. He charged
desertion.
him on the night of January 25. 1913,
because she did not approve OF his
being in the theatrical business. She
went to Paris. he declared. and
thought she was still there. Guy
Hardy. manager of hotel in Chi
cago. testified that Hemmick had
lived "as a single man" for two years
in Chicago. Hemmick's attorney was
Michael F. Ryan. son of Chicago's
chief of police.
News Causes Surprise.
The news of the divorce was re-
ceived with scarcely less surprise in
social circles here than was the mar
riaKe of the couple in 1911. At that
time Mr. Hemmick, who is the son
Of Ronald Hemick, former United
States consul at Geneva, Switzerland,
was twenty-six years old. about
thirty-five years younger than Mrs.
Barney.
Mrs. Barney had been one of the
popular hostesses at Washington,
where she was noted for her philan-
thropies and varied talents. She was
an artist of considerable note. wrote
plays and acted in them, composed
music and gave oriental dances. She
met Mr. Hemmick in 1903. when he
took leading part in one OF these
amateur productions at the capital.
Mrs Barney was Miss Alice Pike
of Cincinnati, whose father was the
proprietor of a theater there. AS
oiri she went abroad and studied art
under Whistler. Returning to the
United States, she became the wife
of Albert Clifford Barney. an Ohio
When he died in 1904, it was said he
had left 100000 to his widow and
s2,5OO,0OO each to his daughters.
Laura and Natalie.
statues Caused Sensation.
About a month before Mrs. Barney's
marriage to Hemmick it was an
nounced that she had assigned all
her Washington property to her
daughters. retaining only a life in
been inspired by Hemmick. who re-
scented insinuations that he was mar
rying Mrs Barney for her great
wealth. The property decided over in
cluded the studio house, Mrs. Bar
ney's Sheridan Circle home. which
contained great art treasures and
oriental curiosities eventually to go
to the city of Washington.
The Barneys were brought into the
limelight some years ago with the
mysterious appearance of a statue of
an undraped woman on the lawn Of
their Washington home. Mrs. Barney
was in Paris at the time with her
daughters. and the rumor spread
around that the statue was the work
of Miss Laura Barney. who was
known to be student of sculpture.
AS the news went the rounds of
the city, large crowds began to col
lect about the house. and at last the
police. in an effort to discourage ad-
ditional sightseers. had to cover the
statue with a tarpaulin. Later 1T
was carried from the lawn and placed
in the hall of the Barney home.
Mrs Barney was known in Paris
as follower of the Persian religion,
Bahaism, which had a church in the
French capital.