The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-15
THE FIVE MRS. GREENES.
A st. Louis Lawyer Tells a Bigamous
Tale About a FellOw-Citizen.
Washington Post.


1.-The escapade of Samuel Herbert Dy-
oft, the Washington shoe clerk, who seems
to have married three women, calls to
mind the story Of Gardner w. Greene,
who had five wives who looked like sis
ters." remarked a st. Louis lawyer at
Chamberlin's the other night. 1T sounds
Incredible" he continued, but Greene ac-
tually married five women who were of the
same figure, same complexion. and all.
When the fellow was tried for bgamy all
five of the wives appeared against him,
and the judge couldn't tell them apart;
neither could the lawyers. In order to
keep matters straight the Greene wives
had to sit in the same seat at each session
Of the court No. l first, No. next, and
so on.
Greene was a barber and was one of
the finest specimens of manhood that
have ever laid eyes on. He was of fair
complexion, full six feet tall, slender
perfect face, a full head of curly hair. and
a poem of q mustache to use a feminine
expression. The first wife was quite we'll
tO-dO-money left by her father, / believe.
Greene courted her and won her. She was
a pretty woman, of rather uncommon
STYLE. She had a Grecian nose and dark
hair, which hung in beautiful rtngletS over
a broad forehead. Her eyes were sloe
black. but her skin was as white as ala
baster. She was rather tall, and grace
Jul and willOwy as could be. She was
smart, too. and a man could not have
wished for n better wife than had fallen
To the lot Of Gardner Greene. barber. But
she had hardly been married n month when
he slipped of to Ohio and married another
woman He brought her back to St
Louis and installed her. in a fiat not two
blocks from the first wife.
We'll, he lived with them for about two
months, fitting from one to the other, and
was as happy as a king, and they We're
happy IS queens. Than he went over into
Indiana. after promising each wife Gas
young husbands Will that he would write
every day. While he was in Indiana he
married third. This didn't keep him from
writing regularly TO the two others. In
fact. he wrote often that the postman
on the street in which they both lived got
two letters-each Of which was addressed
TO Mrs. Gardner W. Greene-mixed. and
gave the missive intended for No. l TO No.
?, and vice versa. Then there was trouble.
one of the women hunted up the other.
Instead of fighting and pulling hair, as two
wives OF one handsome man might be eX-
pected to do, they compared notes decided
that Gardner was gay deceiver and
struck off to Indiana on No Is money-to
find the man, who was still writing letters
burning with affection. Sometimes the let
tiers To the two wives were just alike. .ex-
Cept that one commenced, Ny Darling
Hester and the other. My Darling Hattie
when the two Mrs Greenes reached the
little town in Indiana Gardner W. was
gone but Mrs Greene No was there
The other two had noticed that they were
exactly alike, and when they saw No. 3
they were amazed 10 find that she was
their perfect image. Greene had gone to
Chicago. and Mrs. Greene No. Joined the
merry chase-also on No. is money. In
Chicago Greene had married No. T. and had
gone to his starting point St. Louis. with
her. The three other wives were in Chica-
go about n week before they made this
discovery. and then they posted Off TO St.
Louis. wondering II they would ever catch
up with their husband. In St Louis. with
the aid of the police. they found No. 4. but
they couldn't find Greene.
oh he's looking for another one said
No. l. Let's keep up the chase and
away they ali went 10 Texas. where they
heard that he had gone. 1t vas a false
scent. and in about ten DAYS they came
back. In the meantime the police had To-
Gated Greene at De HodiamOnt an aris-
tocratic little suburb OF St. Louis The
money that he had obtained from No.
having run out. he had settled down TO his
old business of barbering. and had married
No. 5. Well, this last one joined the other
four, and they agreed TO call on Greene
NJ the Four Courts. where he had been
locked IN. They were pretty mad for the
newspaD ers had commenced to make lots
OF fun over the resemblance OF the five
Mrs. Greenes, for No. ; and No. looked
exactly like the other. three. but when they
were ushered into Greene's cell they had
10 laugh. for he bowed politely. and what
do you think he said2
Ladies. I'll tell you all together what
have told each OF you separately. You are
the prettiest women in existence. There are
no more like you
Mrs Greene No / was the smartest
woman OF the lot. and she engineered the