Evening star., 1901-08-09
THE RODNEYS' ROW
Ma val Officer Must PayWifs S45
Alimony Monthly.
DEFENDANTS AFFIDAVIT OP.DENIAL
Remarkable Document Read in
Judge Clabaugh's Court.
SAYS HE STILL Low ES


There appears to be q most remarkable
conditions of affairs in this case" remark
ed Justice Clabaugh Of the Supreme Court
Of the District Of Columbia this afternoon
just prior to disposing OF the motion for
alimony made by counsel for Mrs. Mar
garet E. Rodney during the pendency of
her suit instituted for the purpose of Sc
curing an absolute divorce from Lieuten-
ant Commander Robert Burton Rodney,
paymaster, retired, United States navy. 4
Continuing, the court said he would not
undertake to decide who was responsible
for the trouble between the parties to the
suit. It appeared from the record, how
ever, that Mrs. Rodney Is entitled to an
allowance Of alimony. AS it was admitted
that Lieutenant Commander Rodney was
in receipt Of a salary of 81, GOO a year as q
retired officer of the navy. and as it had
not been shown that he was subjected to
extraordinary expense, Justice Clabaugh
announced that an order would be signed
requiring the defendant to pay the COM
plainant $45 a month until further order
of the court
In response to the rule to show cause is-
sued against him Lieutenant Commander
Rodney today filed an affidavit over his
own signature, and a number furnished by
certain of his friends. In reading the afff-
davit Of tn defendant to the court his coun-
sci. Attorney j. T. Devices took occasion to
explain that the. paper was prepared by the
defendant and that counsel had advised him
to modify it.
1.-The defendant insisted that it should be
presented" added Attorney Devices land
told him would ille anything he directed; /;
even a slab. If ne said So"
The reading Of the document was fol-
lowed with interest by large gathering
of attorneys and others present in the court
room. The crier found it necessary to rap
for order repeatedly.
A Fairy Prince.
Lieutenant Commander Rodney. In his
answer sets forth that the allegations made
by his wife are frivolous and hystericaI,
If not fraudulent" He continues:
That his wife, being addicted to drugs.
is cratic And, as Don Quixote cut open
the wine bags when asleep, she in this bill
slashes around at her loving but luckless
husband. In Burke's Peerage, article Owen,
this lady. this Margaret Edith, Is seen to
be the daughter Of the late George Rod
ney owen. youngest son of a member OF
parliament, the late tenth baronet Of Oriel-
ton, from original creation In 1641 niece of
the present eleventh baronet and descend
ant of Admiral First Lord Rodney, on
which data the defendant observes as fol-
lows:
"She dishonors her ancestry and she
ceased to be a foreigner and acquired the
very citizenship necessary through which
to attack. oppress and agonize her loving
husband Can officer Of the navy and Union
war veteran), only by being taken into his
trustful but betrayed bosom She regards
not his entreaties to follow the example
Of the good women of the Bible. And she
was in extremity of circumstances when
the defendant appeared to her. as she her
self called him, a fairy prince come to her
rescue She herself began the courtship
In most affectionate letter to the defend
ant. her cousin. Married November 3 last
and brought to Washington the following
and luxuries were expended upon her by
the defendant, and he felt sure of her fdel-
ity and gratitude
BIameless and POeticaI.
In reply now specifically to the asser-
tions Of Mrs. Rodney's bill regarding her
life at 723 18th street and elsewhere, the
defendant refers to the other affidavits he
filed. Continuing. he says in his affidavit:
"It was her own initiative and motion.
not the defendants. this reconciliation: she
began it early In March, and the defend
ant did not begin to again trust her until
April Is. So far from the defendant treat
ing her with persistent cruelty and inhu-
manity,' 1t was, she treating him In the
same manner for he Invariably treated her
with patient faithful love and even idola-
try"
The defendant calls the courts attention
particularly to the malignant innuendO' she
conveys in her wording and fmplores the
court to examine this letter itself and see
the defendants blameleSs and poetical lam
guage-as with all her husbands letters to
her, nothing but love and admiration. He
took charge of SealSkn sack (Which he
had bought and paid for) merely to keep
1t safe for her until next winter. Knowing
her spendthrift ways he feared she would
pawn it this summer.
He denies In every particular and un-
equivocally the mercenary assertions as to
his having any business or income outside
the navy. Although married only few
months ago, his wife has already cost him
several hundred dollars In needless ex-
penses alone, which Is being carried as SO
much debt against the little navy pay.
Fifty dollars of the above was by the
courts order paid to her attorney, and a
hundred more to the same attorney for
closing out the pendente lite upon her
treacherous so-called reconciliation; and
here the pendente lite comes UP again as
If nothing had happened Instead Of living
as the court expected within the large
temporary alimony granted her, she ran
up debts Of over 500 in that same short
alimOny period. for which the defendant is
still being dunned and harassed and upon
the reconciliation he refitted her with more
than another hundred dollars cash bought
clotheS.'
Still Loves and Ready to Forgive.
Whatever happens to be overlooked in
the foregoing specific deniaIs of her as
sertions is covered by the defendants gen.
eral denial, so he sets forth. 1t Is fur
ther stated:
And yet. after all this. the defendant
still loves his wife and is ready to for
give her. The spirit Of the law. as well
as the church. abhors divorce and would
have unity and love. Defendant impiores
the honorable court to duly consider these,
his kindly views and propositions, and not
add to the sufferings and losses his wife
has already caused. For to be again cast
in alimony and fees would be very great
and undeserved humiliation and will ag-
gravate the cruel vanity and littgious
mania Of his wife, and disappoint our
friends benevolent efforts for her being
coaxed happily around again. Instead OF
his money for her support being forced by
harshness Of legal process and paid to her
through attorneys, defendant implores the
court to let him continue to take care OF
her himself (even IL she insists on living
apart), as he has been faithfully and low
ingly doing to his best ability under his
losses and heavy other expenses"
The other affidavit referred to tended to
support the assertions of Lieutenant Com
mander Rodney as to his caring and pro-
viding for his wife, and as to her alleged
treatment Of him.
Attorneys Colbert and Sellhausen repre-
scented Mrs Rodney at the hearing this
afternoon.