Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-02-01
Daphne Gammert, aged IL, OF
Sioux City, Makes Sensational
Charges in Divorce Suit
FORCED TO MARRY OLD MAN
Then Taken to an Island and III Treat
ed by the Aged Husband, From
Whom She Escaped-GirI Was All
But Sold to Wealthy Man - Wants
Divorce and Large Alimony.

Sioux City, Feb. 1.-Charglng that
she was practically sold to her hus-
bard, her person bartered to an old
man in return for the transfer OF
piece OF realty; that her aged husband
beat her cruelty and dragged her
around the house by the hair of the
head, while she was in a delicate con-
dition; that she was held prisoner on
an island and not allowed to communi-
cate with her own people, Mrs. Daphne
Gammert, aged II, yesterday sued for
divorce from her husband, William
+. Gammert, aged SO.
The petition reads like chapter
from a history of the middle ages and
many startling statements are made. S.
w. Foye, wealthy resident of South
Sioux City, and Mrs. Foye are named
as conspiratofs and are charged with
having forced the girl to marry CAM
inert against her will, the charge being
made that in consideration of a trans
fer of property by Gamrnert TO the
Foyes, they, the Foyes, were to procure
or to aid Gammert in securing a wife.
She charges the Foyes with having
inflicted every indignity to her youth
full person imaginable, Of attempting
to compromise her with Garnmert, and
lastly of threatening to have her ar
rested unless she married the old man.
Being alone in strange town, and
without friends she declares she was
compelled to yield and to marry the
man who was four times as old as she.
Mrs. Gammert lived with her parents
at Chetopa, Kas., small town with
limited, school facilities. In November
1905, she alleges Mr. and Mrs. S. w.
Foye visited the town and becoming
acquainted with her and her parents
urged her to come to Sioux City and
live with them and go to school, the
girl desiring to procure better edu-
cation.
She had been in Sioux City but three
or four days when the Foyes told her
that she must marry Ganmert. She
had never met him and of course OBJ
jected. Then she says they began to
threaten and to subject her to indigni-
ties, which she declined to put down in
writing on account of their objection
able nature. Finally after threats OF
arrest she was taken to a house on
May street, the number of which she
has forgotten, and there on December
IL, 1905, less than a week after she ar
rived in Sioux City, was married to
Gammert.
Three days later Gammert took her
to his house on Walkers island, in the
Missouri river near South Sioux City
and there held her a prisoner as she
had been kept prisoner when an in
mate of the home of the Foyes and
also while in the May street house.
Shortly after her marriage, her aged
husband began to mistreat her with
ever increasing violence, beating and
pounding her cruelty. dragging her
around by the hair and knocking her
head against the walls of the house,
stripping off her clothes and commits
ting other indignities.
Being enciente, the i'll treatment
made her i'll and not being able to
longer stand her treatment she man
aged to make her escape on June G.,
1906, and went to the home Of her par
ents, who are now residing in Coffey-
vile, Kan. On November 26, last, her
child was born.
In her petition, which was filed to-
day, Mrs. Gammert asks for $500 tenn
porary alimony. 5000 attorneys fees
and $4,000 permanent alimony. She also
asks for the custody of the child. She
sets forth in her petition that her hus-
band is wealthy and is amply able to
pay the alimony she asks for and an
injunction was issued and served on
real and personal property of the de-
PENDANT to guarantee the payment of
the alimony should it be allowed pro-
viding the decree is issued.