1889-018: Sylvester Willis vs. Dora Willis

Scope and content:

Divorce suit. Sylvester Willis accused his wife of adultery, and for his evidence claimed that after cohabiting with her he contracted "that lothsome veneral secreat disease known as Clap," which he could only have gotten from her, and that "this disease was given to his wife by one of her nearest relatives." He also leaned on contemporary fears of miscegenation in his accusations against his wife by further claiming that while she was working in a factory "her conduct with negro men was so reprehensive that her employer or his agent drove her away from the factory in disgrace."

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