Domestic Abuse Charges Filed in Divorce Suit
Mrs. Temptess West seeks divorce from her husband, Amos, citing physical abuse and habitual drunkenness.
Claiming that her husband is an habitual drunkard and that on February 6 he kicked her, knocked her down, blacked both her eyes and threw her into the back yard, Mrs. Temptess West yesterday afternoon commenced divorce proceedings against Amos West. The complaint enumerates a number of attacks which Mrs. West says her husband made upon her. They were married in Seattle in 1889 and have three children.
“Claiming that her husband is an habitual drunkard and that on February 6 he kicked her, knocked her down, blacked both her eyes and threw her into the back yard.”
Reporting on intimate partner violence was often sensationalized in 1909 papers. This case highlights the precarious legal position of women attempting to escape abusive marriages in an era where divorce was heavily stigmatized.
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