The Finley Grange's Mock Divorce Trial
A local organization stages a fake courtroom drama to serve as a closing act for a years-old, real-life legal grudge.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Finley Grange is having a hot new membership contest. To show the people what the Grange can do and as a sample of the various forms of entertainment they propose to carry out this winter, there will be a mock trial at the Finley hall Saturday evening, October 23. Judge F. R. Jeffrey, formerly of the U. S. Supreme Court of Washington, D. C., will preside and the opposing counsel will be G. L. Kraber and Jos. Gerards vs. A. Goss and C. Puderbaugh. The case will be E. Frauen vs. Marie Frauen, a suit for divorce. This is the closing chapter of the breach of promise case, Marie Ford vs. Ed. Frauen, which was tried before this court two years ago, in which Miss Ford was awarded 30c damages by the arbitrary ruling of Judge Hal Cole and which damages Mr. Frauen evaded paying by marrying the plaintiff.
“This is the closing chapter of the breach of promise case... in which Miss Ford was awarded 30c damages by the arbitrary ruling of Judge Hal Cole.”
Mock trials were a popular form of community theater in the early 20th century, often used to lampoon local characters or settle public disputes with humor. Today, the practice has largely faded, but it offers a fascinating window into how turn-of-the-century communities processed social tension and legal proceedings through public performance.
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