Compiled by Betty Jane Wilson, society president
The Valley Falls New Era, Feb. 21, 1884, reported a bloody battle between neighborhood divorcees, sparing no details, as noted in the following story:
"About as ghastly an occurrence as we have heard of for some time comes to us from the neighborhood two miles north of town. S.G. Green, a well-known farmer, obtained a divorce from his wife a few years ago, and had, until within a year or so, hired a housekeeper, paying her moderate weekly wages.
"Green's divorced wife came to him and begged to be taken into his service at the same wages he had been paying another woman. He consented to do so, out of the goodness of his heart, he alleges, agreeing to pay her $1.50 a week, and she set in to work for these wages.
"Things went along smoothly, with a few exceptions, until last Friday afternoon when a dispute arose as to the divorced wife's wages. She claimed $5 a week, which Green naturally refused to consent to, and a downright quarrel ensued. The former Mrs. Green exhibiting a decided determination to fight, she snatched a pair of scissors and flew at Green with a vengeance, inflicting a slight wound on his hand. She then grabbed a gun and would probably have used it with disastrous effect if Green had not seized the deadly weapon and wrested it from the infuriated woman, who then snatched up a hatchet and hurled it with unerring precision at Green's head, with the blade striking him on the upper jaw, cutting into the bone and splitting some of the teeth, altogether making a ghastly wound.
"He then laid hold of the woman, threw her to the floor with her face up and let the blood from his wound trickle into her nose and mouth until she presented a most sickening sight. When his wound had bled all it would, he took a pair of old overalls and tied her hands behind her. He then ordered her out of the house, and in the ghastly plight which she then presented, left the house and started for a neighbor.
"Green followed to see what kind of story she would tell and when she found this out, she turned back to the house, but was warned never to frequent the premises again, and he started off to town to get his wound dressed. But, on his return, he found the old lady 'holding the fort, clothed in her right mind.'
"How things have been going since, we are uninformed, but it is to be hoped that there will not be any more hostilities as we have been compelled to chronicle."
June 26, 1884, New Era reported:
"The case of Louisa Green vs. S.G. Green was tried before Judge Clark last Wednesday afternoon. After hearing all testimony and arguments, the Justice awarded Louisa Green $2 per week for 138 weeks."
The historical society's museum will be open at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 16.
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