The Washington times., 1922-07-15
WIFE BADE HIM
GOOD-bY AS He
FLED WITH GIRL
cuIp, EIoping Ohio Pastor,
eares Story Of Life in De-
fense of Conduct.


A typical Oliver Twist boyhood Of
thwarted desires. OF harsh treat
ment and sparing pleasures is the
early history Of the Rev. w. w.
Culp. the eloping pastor from Spring
Valley, Ohio, who, with his affinity,
was arrested near Port Huron yes
| terday. Married when but boy to
q girl he did not love. his whole
| nature reyolted against the marriage
In later years.
Simply, but dramatically. he told
| the story of his life. his boyhood
privations and his marital trials
and troubles. At one time, he said,
he relnted his story to a crowded
! mission and it's members eyes were
filled with tears at the tale. This
is his story from his own lips:
II was born in northern Indiana.
Ny mother and father were first
cousins and my grandfather and
grandmother were first cousins, all
Culps. Ny parents life together
was very hard. Father had asthma
and was n great sufferer. At one
time can remember crying because
Of the great pain my father was
enduring. There were two boys and
three sisters. all younger than !
was and 1t was a desperate struggle
for my father to support us. Fin
| ally when | was eleven years OF
age, he could support us no longer
and we became county charges.
From the time / went there
until left did a mans work.
There were no pleasures. was
never allowed to have company:
never allowed to visit. ! was lonely
for my mother and father. yearn.
ing to see them. but couldn't get
to them.
II wanted a Bible. For years
waited for that Bible. Finally, one
Christmas l received II and from
then onward went TO Sunday school
on horseback with the Bible under
my arm. The boys of the neighbor.
hood all said that l was destined
for the ministry. and myself knew
that I was. taught a Sunday
school class when ! was but four
teen. the class being composed Of
men and women OF marriageable
age.
His Marriage.
Finally, when / was seventeen !
went back home, and was there only
a short time until | met the girl
who later became my wife. had
met girl whom / loved. but God
did not place our love. I believe
that all love must be placed by God,
and i know that my love for Esther
Hughes IL the true love.
one day my future wife, whose
name was Mary Esta Hughes, only
slightly different from Esther's
name, went by the house with Il milk
pail. Father saw her and said:
There. son, is n fine country girl.
just the one for you I never loved
her; don't know why married her.
Just because she and father wanted
1t. guess.
The first year OF my married life
was a misery for me. l saw my
mistake. realized what had done.
Many times was tempted to commit
suicide. but always the thought OF
hell, of eternity awaiting me, de-
tered me. Then our first baby was
born, and that drew us little closer
together.
But my wife is not the partner
, for me. She Is not educated, she
does not know how TO read or write.
she does not know how to help me in
, my ministerial work. how TO meet and
; converse with people. I have lived
with her for fifteen years, and final
" could stand II no longer. She
has a bad temper will say that
she has a wonderful memory, and
has a good head for money.
When ! went 10 Ohio 1 met
Esther Hughes. She was the first
one saw in the little church on the
onening dav there. She was then
but fourteen, but was as mature
then as she Is now"
A Strange Story.
. Thus Culp, the runaway Methodist
minister from the little town OF
Spring Valley, Ohio, who was arress'
ed in TashmoC Park by Sheriff John
Mains, Of ST. Claire county, together
with his affinity, Esther Hughes
who eloped with him, explained his
abandonment of his wife and family
, of nine children. Church FUNDS the
exact amount Of which Is unknown,
are missing and the minister ADMITS
taking them.
It was a strange story the run
, away pair told, a story almost un'
|. belieyable in it's unusual features
and it's denunciation of a wife who
has borne to her minister husband
nine children, and yet found time and
opportunity to think Of his comfol
, and happiness.
, "She kissed us good.by and told us
to co." Culp declared. MY wise
? knew Esther and 1 have loved each
, other for long time.
= Esther had been living with us
for the summer. My wife had in
vited her into the home as a gtrl
. friend, not as a companion. She
, know Of our love for each other. She
realized that Esther had taken the
supreme place in my life. But she
) thought II she invited the girl into
our home perhaps conditions would
be more settled. She came, then not
temporarily, but permanently.
But after she had been In our
home a while, my wife became in
tensely Jealous. She longed for my
caresses, for my demonstration Of
= love. I could not be demonstrativt
, toward my wife, having no love
a i co. bor Che aw the love carpssps