The Washington times., 1920-05-25
WIFE SAYS DANCER
WON HER HUSBAND
Helen MoIIer, Who Learned Her
Art From Prairie Dogs,
Named in Suit.

NEW YORK. May 25.-Miss Helen
MolIer, the Greeisn dancer whose
economy OF drsperies caused New
York audiences 10 gasp on numerous
occasions. was yesterday named In
the divorce action Of Mrs. Edna w.
Poole before Supreme Court Justice
Tompkins, In Rockland county. An
.Interlocutary decree in favor OF Mrs.
Poole wss>ordered.
Mrs. Poole charged that Miss Moller
had often been introduced as the wife
OF Robert Alfred Poole. formerly OF
New York and Mt. kisco. A number
OF exhibits were introduced to indi-
cate that her husband and the dancer
had been very friendly. -
One OF these was photograph
showing Miss Moller in her dancing
costume. on the back there was
short note from the young woman
saying that she was going to dnace at
the Ritz-Carlton Hotel for a war
charity.
Testimony was also given that
Poole and the dancer had apartments
within the last seven years at I43
Fifth avenue and at 272 Park avenue.
also that they had been together In
Great Neck, l.. ].
Miss Anna Dill. a companion OF
Miss M6ller. testified OF the associa-
tions between Miss Moller and the
defendant.
Met At studio.
IL was while Miss Moller was con
Quoting a studio for Greek dancing
that she met Poole. according to the
testimony. The Poole's were married
in London. England, in zoos. Poole
is now at Monte Carlo and service of
the action was by publication.
Miss Moller. who came to New York
often. declared that she learned to
dance from watching the prairie dogs
of her native state as they skipped
about in the moonlight.
In March. 1918. she and her pupils
gave an exhibition at the Metropoli-
tan Opera House. The police believed
that Miss Moller should wear less
naphanous draperies. The question
was finally adjusted after Magistrate
Mcclellan had seen an exhibition OF
Greek dancing by Miss Moller's
pupils.
1t will surprise Miss Moller's
friends. who have been given to un-
derstand for the last two years that
she was Mr.. Poole's wife. when they
read that she was named in a divorce
action by Poole's real wife. Never
theless, inquiry by reporter leads to
the conclusion that the dancer went
through marriage ceremony with
Poole in the spring of 1918 in the be-
lief that he was free to wed.
wife's Lawyers Defend Dancer.
The information in defense of the
other woman" was given by the wifc's
attorney of record. Frederic b. Colver
although he did so only when con-
vinced that the news of the divorce
was in possession of this newspaper.
THE reason | am doing this for
Miss Moller." said Colver. ''is that I
believe her to have acted in good
faith and TO have been the victim of
circumstances, and that | promised
her friends l would try to keep the
whole matter quiet That is why the
divorce proceedings were tackled away
in place where we thought nobody
could get at them
Mr.. and Mrs. Poole have been liv-
ing apart several years. Divorce pro-
ceedings were brought several years
ago in Italy. and Mr.. Poole apparently
thought they settled the matter. But
Mrs Poole came here from England
last fall and told me she feared that
in case she should marry again there
U1lEht b' SoIIlt QUESTION DIS 10 inc
binding force of the Italian decree in
this country.
This office investigated and found
some technical defects in the Italian
proceeding believe the service did
not conform to American law. There
fore, we advised Mrs. Poole that in
order to conform technically to the
New York. laws. this proceeding should
be brought.
I'VE believe Miss Mollcr believed
herself to be Mr.. Poolc's wife. Miss
Dill testified that Miss Moller told her
that a marriage had taken place.
Furthermore they lived together open
ly, entertained friends at their home.
introduced each other as husband and
wife, and made no attempt at decep-
tion. Apparently both were laboring
under a misrepresentation.
""Our informa ton is that a marriage
ceremony, either religious or civil,
was performed, but we did not check
it up beyond certain point, because
we were not interested legally in that
phase of the affair"