New-York tribune., 1922-10-28
Spanked Wife
Loses Fight for
Counsel Fees
Court Sides With f. ID. Mont
ford, Former Banker of St
Paul, Who Accuses Her OF
Neglecting Finer Things
Declares His Love Dead
Chastised Her in Naples,
and Says She Needed 1t;
Tells of Stray Kisses

The Appellate Division heard the ad-
mission of Frederick D. Montford yes
terday that he spanked his wife, Mrs.
Adele Bioss Montford, and decided
against the wife in her application for
separation. The Supreme Court had
awarded Mrs. Montford $3.50, which or
der the higher court reversed. The
couple entered into g separation agree
ment last January, under which Mr..
Montford agreed to pay his wife s400
Month for her support and after
December, 1926, an additional $66.67
a month for their fourteen-year-o
daughter Claire.
Mr.. Montford, who was vice-presi-
dent Of the Second National Bank of
st. Paul, where the family formerly
lived, denied that the spanking he ad-
ministered constituted cruel treat
ment, but contended that it was
merely corrective. Mrs. Montford is
graduate of Miss Ely's School. The
couple were married in this city in
1906.
Took Place in Italy
The spanking episode, which the de-
fendant husband has made no effort
to deny, occurred in Naples, Italy,
while the Montfords were travelling.
Ihey were accomp panied by Danton NJ
Fonzo, said to be an Italian nobleman.
who served as interpreter
My wife," said Mr.. Montford, zone
evening became enraged because cor
rected my child, who was naughty, as
the best children will be occasionally,
and she attempted to assault me. l
thereupon spanked my wife"
Mr.. Montford complained that he
saw his wife embrace and kiss Mr..
Fonzo, the interpreter. Mrs. Montford
and Mr.. Fonzo made af1davits denying
the alleged familiarity and accused
Mr.. Montford Of treating his wife
cruelty.
When she filed her suit last March
Mrs. Montford gave her husbands ad-
dress as the Waldorr-Astoria. She
said he had property valued at $345,O00,
from which he had an income of $4,000
year. Answering this statement of
his alleged financial status, Mr.. Mont
ford said that although ne paid $4,000
and $4,000 year rent, he made such
great personal sacrifices to meet the
extravagances of his wife that in the
last five years he had been able to buy
for himself "only one new suit of
clothes, two secondhand suits and two
RAIN Beach suits, one costing $l2 and
zone SD, and for period Of three years
during the last few years could not
afford to and did not buy single
new pair of shoes"
Says She Ignored Finer Things
Mr.. Montford said his sacrifices for
his wife, his efforts to persuade her to
take an interest in what he conceived
to be the better things of life, sin good
literatue, good art, history, philosophy
and religion" were repaid with cold
ness, neglect, frivolity, fits of temper,
abuse, mockery, hypocrisy, deceit, ridi-
cule and upercilousness."
The husband added that it was the
conduct Of Mrs. Montford that H.;lled
the great love l once bore her." and
that her effort to "mulct" him for an
allowance she knew he could not pay,
was "a calculated campaign of at
tempted hlackmail."
Mr.. Montford metioned that in st.
Paul he moved in the best society but
that his wife, who was neglectful and
Indifferent of her social duties. was
known as "the late Mrs. Montford."
because of her invariable lateness in
arriving at social functions.