Her Price Is Far Above Rubies

(Continued from part 3)

Actually, Fred had a plan for coming up with much more than $2,000, and I suspect that's why he apparently contested the divorce: he wanted to paint himself as an injured but still-loving husband because he had filed an alienation-of-affection lawsuit against Jerome Chester, seeking $10,000 in damages.

Now, $10,000 seems a high price to put on the affection of a woman who bestowed it so freely, but Fred probably figured Jerome could afford it, and when would another such money-making opportunity present itself?

The complaint Fred filed with the court stated that the affair between Jerome and Anna had begun as early as 1909. If Fred was informed at that time about Anna's behavior, it's astonishing he did nothing for so long. More likely, I think, is that investigation by law enforcement and his attorney brought out more details than Fred had previously known.

It was through this complaint that we learn of Jerome's courtship of his neighbor's wife — about the visits to the Yager house when Fred was away, about the walks in the woods, the buggy rides, the dances and shows. But the complaint got even more explicit, stating that "on or about the 1st of May, 1909, and on divers other times at the house of the plaintiff and on the 20th of May, 1911, at the Franklin Hotel, Valparaiso, and elsewhere, [Jerome Chester] wrongfully and carnally knew the said Anna Yager."

Fred's suit against Jerome and Anna's suit against Fred were both scheduled for hearing during the autumn term of court at Crown Point.

The first to come up was Anna's divorce case, in December 1911. The court devoted two days to hearing arguments and evidence, but — alas for the gossip-loving blogger! — the Gazette reported only the final decision: Anna's petition was denied. She left the courtroom as she had entered it, the legal wife of Fred Yager. Whether he still wanted her, I don't know, but at least he was off the hook for the $2,000 alimony she'd requested.

And even more sadly for the gossip-loving blogger, Fred's suit against Jerome never came up for hearing. The two men settled out of court, with Jerome reportedly paying Fred $2,000 — a nice sum for a working man, about $44,000 in today's dollars. So Fred definitely came out the winner in the whole mess, ending up with the furniture, the paycheck, the $2,000 … and the wife.

That seems to be the end of the reports, so far, but it's not the end of the story. The 1920 census shows Fred divorced and living alone on his little farm, and Jerome living in Chicago, married to a woman not named Anna. I hope the newspapers will tell me how they reached their respective conditions — and perhaps even what became of Anna, although I have little hope of that.


Sources:
♦ 1920 Census.
♦ CPI Inflation Calculator.
♦ "Divorce Is Refused." Hobart Gazette 1 Dec. 1911.
♦ "Get Big Damages." Hobart Gazette 16 Feb. 1912.