Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 186, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1913 — SUES “GENE” GREENE FOR BREACH OF PROMISE [ARTICLE]

SUES “GENE” GREENE FOR BREACH OF PROMISE

Vaudeville Singer Married in Rensselaer Now Sued By Jilted Chicago Sweetheart. A sensational story appears in the Chicago American of today, Wednesday, that will be of considerable local interest hecadse the parties involved on one side of a $25,000 breach of promise suit, were married in Rensselaer on July 29th. The story from the American is printed in full at the conclusion of this article. “Gene” Greene is a singer of considerable note and a close personal friend of Earle Reynolds and Nellie Donegan, the roller skaters. Greene was with them abroad last year and Mr. Reynolds has since that time been acting as his hooking, agent. Together they will go to Australia week after next to play in the theatres in the largest cities of that country. Because of their friendship Mr. Greene decided to come to Rensselaer to he married, hoping to keep his wedding a secret until he was on his way to Australia. In company with Miss Harriett Elizabeth Kleissendorff and some of her relatives they came to Rensselaer in a big touring car and Mr. Reynolds had. everything arranged for the wedding, which took place, at the Presbyterian church. Rev. J. C. Parrett performed the ceremony and Miss Belle Laßue played the wedding march. Mr. Greene requested the minister not to give out any information to the newspapers and also asked The Republican not to mention the marriage until after he had set sail from San Francisco. Evidently Greene’s desire to keep the marriage a secret was to keep the marriage from reaching the ears of'Miss Virginia Kibbe Yahnke, who claims that he had promised to marry her and who has brought suit for $25,000 for breach of promise. The American’s story of her suit and of Greene’s activity since the death of his wife, are here told: Widowed, married and sued for breach of promise all in the short space of five months is the record held by Eugene Greene, known on the vaudeville stage as the “Harry Lauder of America.”

“Gene,” as he is familiarly known to the vaudeville attending public, recently created a furore when he had a funeral march played at his secret wedding to Miss Harriet Kliessendorff in the-church at Rensselaer, Indiana. Today Miss Virginia Kibbe Yahnke, singer and plaintiff in the suit filed against Greene for breach of promise, declared that the wedding music rendered in the Indiana church was most appropriate. Her suit filed in the Municipal Court asking for $25,000 damages, it is predicted will be followed by testimony of a sensational character. Here is the chronology of Greene’s unusual domestic affairs in the last five months: February 21—Greene’s first wife died in Dresden. March 21—Miss Yahnke was introduced to Greeny she alleges, by Bernard Adler, song composer. March 22—Greene proposed marriage to her, she charges. July 20—Greene is married to another girl, Miss Kliessendorff, at Rensselaer, Ind. August s—Greene made,defendant in $25,000 suit for alleged breach of promise to marry Miss Yahnke. Today Miss Yahnke at her honle, 4400 Champlain avenue, discussed her case. “Gene told me that our marriage need be delayed but a short time,”said Miss Yahnke. “He said that probably we would be married in October, as by that time the public would have forgotten that he ha'd so recently been a widower. “You can imagine my surprise, therefore, when I read of his secret marriage last week in Indiana." Miss Yahnke asserted that letters and telegrams of love from Greene which she had In her possession disappeared mysteriously from her home one night last July after Greene had been a visitor.