The Washington times., 1901-09-25
Mr.. RODNEY'S PHILIPPIC.
Assails Character of His Wife and
Attitude of the Court.
Files Answer to Rule Requiring
Him to Show Cause for DisObeying
Order to Pay Alimony-Oners No
Excuse-A Remarkable Document.

|
| Order to Pay Alimony-Oners No
| Excuse-A Remarkable Document.
| Since Il few weeks after the marriage
| of Robert Burton Rodney, U. s.. N, re-
| tired, to Miss Margaret E. Owens at
| Toronto. Canada. on November last, the
domestic troubles of the couple have on
| several occasions been submitted to the
consideration of the Equity Division of
the Supreme Court of the District. I'm
mediately after the marriage ceremony
| Commander Rodney and his bride left
Toronto for Washington Mrs. Rodney
was accompanied by her cousin, Miss
Elizabeth NJ. Cole. who claimed that she
was employed by Mr.. Rodney at a salary
| of $50 per month companion for his
| wife.
! Since then three petitions for divorce
! have been filed by the Rodneys, two by
Mrs. Rodney and one by MIR. Rodney.
The first suit instituted by Mrs Rodney
was withdrawn. Besides this Miss Cole
| also instituted proceedings against Mr..
Rodney to recover an amount claimed to
| be due for wages.
| In defence to all these proceedings Mr..
| Rodney has always taken occasion to
| give his opinion of his wife and Miss
| Cole. Never before, however, has he given
such run to vituperation, as in his answer
fled yesterday to the rule to show cause,
issued against him on Friday last. Mr..
Rodney does not offer or attempt to Of
fer any excuse for disobeying the order
of the court requiring him to pay alimony
monthly to his wife during the pendency
OF her suit. Mr.. Rodney's answer follows:
This defendant in a court OF equity
contends for principle and against a per-
version of all equity. An adventures per-
sistently works this honorable court and
her husband for aliInony on her beauty
birth, and effrontery. and without so
much as one affidavit or witness, but with
all atlantis emphatically against her and
for that outraged husband. She calls for
limited divorce with permanent alimony,
by which TO indulge her unchastity and
free swing, upon her betrayed and de-
serted husband and at his compulsory ex-
pense.
She is an alimony hend; shrew TN
tamable by either Shakespeare or Satan.
Try no more conclusions, but, seeing her
coming, dodge up the nearest alley, and,
till she passes, pray that she, the ire
sistible soon collide with somebody
or something. the immovable. and
he be blessedly absent between them.
Only through philosophy and humor can
the defendant endure the SORROWS and
tantaiizations by which this lovely T'hais
makes him, as 1t were, the St. anthony
of the navy. And certainly never on his
road to heaven has he hitherto met such
all rare and singular bedevilmcnt. John
| Bunyan would have put this woman in
Pilgrims Progress
Her ancient heraldic motto tranc-
lated reads Honesty is the best policy
whence that maxim arose. But she af-
fects to find better-Beauty is the best
policy. For she is confident beauty is
not only always right but always suffi-
cient She alighted in our country out
of her aerial car Burkes Peerase. That
is where she halls from-'Burke's Peer
age article Owen-the only wife in the
! army and navy of such celestial origin.
she finds too prosaic the being pro-
vded for directly by husband, and de-
mands the amusement, flattery, honor and
dignity of being cared for through the
mandates of a court; husband pay by a
fixed hour or go forth into custody of
the marshal; ii is inexpressibly delight
full unto her. And her mosquito mind
cannot fancy why every wife in the land
is not at this moment doing the same
thing This vain young foreigner is never
weary of toying and playing with the
judicial machinery. and eXultantly think
ing it subserves her every caprice, her
enjoyment of free lovers, and her absO-
luteIv unearned profit. Vows and duties.
husband and fireside, modesty and meek
ness, decency and common sense, are no
where. She dares to style this honorable
court her supreme plum tree, responsive
to her gentlest shake responsive to my
gentlest shake'-it is the science of sirens
to be musical
she notes with complacency that Gods
appointed estate of husband has little
consideration, opinion or authority in the
eyes of our courts. American law is ran
cid with the spirit of false gallantry,
which would leave wives no duties
penalties, and husbands no rights or safe
guards. Alimony-alimony without bene-
fit of jury-alimony. se:zing money with
out stipulating the sufferer to be rem
dered or at least offered. some degree of
equivaient-is the anarchy of matrimony.
And that we have any security, any
homes at all, is through the praiseworthy
conservatism of respectable women them
selves who ignore the alimony tempta-
tion, so conveniently utilized by attorneys
for seduction, as last JAM airy was the
case right here.
The siren sang. Sing hey. the merry
maiden and the tar She acted propriety
till the day. November . last. she found
herself safely married. Then she tossed
mask one way and harp the other, and
began cutting up the shines Of the Pagan
goddesseS.
pcaceably allowed TO get away with only
one OF those girls. The first or sob
bride smaid is. eX ofiicio. privileged to
force herself along 1s a brevet wife, and
curiously enough. with the brides ac-
cord They seem brought up to do 1t
double OF course, Canada means we'll
wants its bTdegroons 10 get good meas
irc. but defendant Thought this reported
custom of the country joke. He soon eX-
perienced however. that the Canadian
institution of brevet wife was earnest
They insisted ori being inseparable.
duplicates at all times and doings They
sat dawn on his lap together-one on each
kree Their utimatum was-both of
none. Everything since has flowed from
this dilemma. Keeping both he would
The Hest PrescrSpttsn for Malaria
fhills and fever is a hottie of Groves Tasteess
Chiii Tonic IL is simply iron and auinine in a