Walla Walla Woman Files for Divorce Amid Abuse Allegations
Emma Lewis files for divorce and a restraining order against her husband, citing a pattern of violent abuse and choking.
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.
Charging cruel and inhuman treatment, Emma Lewis through her attorneys, Oscar Cain and John H. Pedigo, this morning in the superior court began action for divorce against George C. Lewis. Mrs. Lewis also asks for the custody of two minor children, $600 attorney's fees, $50 a month alimony and secured an order restraining her husband from disposing of or encumbering real property valued at $7,000. Mr. Lewis is also restrained from interfering with his family pending the settlement of the suit. The cruel and inhuman treatment Mrs. Lewis charges consists of frequent beatings she has undergone at the hands of her husband. On several occasions she avers Mr. Lewis choked her and within the past ten days she has been subject to gross indignation at his hands.
“The cruel and inhuman treatment Mrs. Lewis charges consists of frequent beatings she has undergone at the hands of her husband.”
This case serves as a sober reminder of the prevalence of domestic violence and the legal mechanisms, however limited, that were available to women seeking autonomy and protection in the early 20th century. The request for a restraining order highlights the evolution of civil protections for survivors of domestic abuse.
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