Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-05-20
THE AUTOCRAT OF THE FAMILY.

The AUTOCkAT OF IHE FAMILY.
Tho RuIes a 81. Louis Man Required His
Wife to Swear to Observe While
Visiting New York.
The st. Louis Globe Democrat prints
the long complaint in the suit of Mrs.
Alice Davenport for a divorce from her
husband, Benjamin r. Davenport, of
that city. The parties are natives of
Georgia, but were married in that city
September "a, 1878. The wife asserts
that two weeks after their marriage her
husband, without cause, began to treat
her with suspicion and mistrust, and to
assume toward her q cruel and tyrani.
cal attitude, declaring that she should
subject herself in all things, even to the
most minute and trivial affairs, entirely
to his arbitrary dictation, direction and
command that he forbade her ever
speaking to any gentleman, and that,
she being ill, he refused her permission
to go to her mother in Savannah,
Georgia, and finally only consented to
her meeting her mother in this city
after she had taken an oath faithfully
to observe certain rules which, q gross
indignity to herself, he had written out
as follows;
Rules for the government of my
wife's conduct while away from me,
June l, 1879:
l. Not to speak to any person or
allow any person to speak to her on the
car, except the conductor and porter in
the discharge of their duties.
2. Go directly from depot in New
York to Mrs. Haight's house and occupy
room with mother and sleep only in her
room.
8. Speak kindly and politely to Mrs.
Haight but not in friendly or familiar
manner say to her that you do not
wish to meet any one in the house |;
ask for table to yourself, with only
your family, or go somewhere else.
A. Never sing in the parlor or sit in
the parlor, or sing in your room when
any person except your immediate
family be present.
5. Never leave mother day or night
for five minutes at time for any reason
whatsoever. Do not walk, ride, or go
anywhere without her, even with your
own brother.
6. Do not call on any person whatso-
ever, and allow no one who may call on
you to see you, unless they be your
brothers or their wives. Do not speak
to any person you may meet whom you
may have known in the past
7. Do not permit yourself to be in
troduced to any person whatsoever,
and if you are, refuse to speak to
them.
8. Write every night to me full,
truthful, and exact account of every
thing you have done, where you have
been, with whom you have been, to
whom you have spoken, and whom you
have seen. This must be done every
night.
Let nothing, sickness or death, pre-
vent your keeping these rules, for will
excuse no breach on any account. DO
not leave New York, even for an hour,
without my permission, except Brooklyn
or Harlem.
If my wife cannot keep these rules,
in word and in spirit I desire never to
see her again.
BENJAMIN r. DAVENPORT.
The Globe-D Democrat says: "Mr.
Davenport came to this city in 1878,
and at once gained considerable promi-
nence in the practice of his profession
He has the management of several
large estates, and is in receipt Of quite
respectable income. He is genial,
sociable gentleman, and has always
been regarded as above reproach. Mr..
Davenport entered his appearance, thus
obviating the issuance of process, and
instead of being returnable to the June
term it is returnable to the present
.(ApriD term. 1t is understood that Mr..
Davenport will not contest the case,
but will allow Mrs. D avenport to get q
decree by default.