Alexander Trout Loses Two Fingers

New York, 1895

Woodhaven and Ozone Park News

While Alexender Trout was feeding wood to a buzz saw in Brown Bro.'s wood yard at Ozone Park on Tuesday, his hand slipped and struck the saw. Two of his fingers were cut off.

A bulldog owned by Leonard Rouff, of Ozone Park attacked Charles Marusack on Tuesday and severely bit the youth. The dog jumped at Marusack three times, and each time its teeth went deep into the youth's hand,

Paul Demperlein was fined $3 on Friday by Justice Lott for an assault upon Mrs. Pander, Demperlein's wife was also charged with assisting her husband to whip Mrs. Pander. She was discharged, there not being sufficient evidence to hold her.

Cyrus E. Smith, superintendent of schools embracing Union Free school No. 7, was reappointed for the ensuing year by the board of education at their meeting Friday night. The superintendent receives a salary of $1,600 a year. He celebrated his appointment by entertaining a number of his friends.

Scarlet fever prevails at Ozone Park. Several cases have been reported. The places infected are the flats of Mr. Tuttle, Mr. Kelly, and Mr. Upham, and the house of Thomas Riker. All of these cases are under close watch and the health officer is taking every precaution to check the spread of the disease.

George Van Brunt, an oyster planter, asked Justice Lott, of Woodhaven, for a warrant for the arrest of Alexander Craft, William H. Pearsall and Herbert Craft, who are also oystermen. Van Brunt charged them with malicious mischief. The three men went out for a good time. They wound up at the Stump, on Jamaica Bay, where Van Brunt has a small cottage. All three were armed with shot-guns. They amused themselves by shooting at Van Brunt's cottage. When they heard that a warrant for their arrest had been issued, they went to Van Brunt and said they were sorry for the amount of damage they had done and offered to settle for any amount agreeable to the owner of the building. Van Brunt accepted the offer, and discontinued the proceedings.

There are prospects for a road and fence war between the owners the Napier property and the highway commissioners. Recently Oakley avenue was declared a public highway, a commission having met and awarded damages to the owners of abutting property. The proposed line extended through a fence on the Napier estate that was apparently overlooked, and when the road was opened a week ago there stood the fence barring the way to the railroad depot. The fence was removed and the road opened. The owners of the property have since caused the fence to be replaced and also gave it a heavy coating of tar. It has not yet been removed, and when it is there is likely to be a stronger one put up and a guard placed over it. There is certain to be a lively squabble before the road to the depot is cleared.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, April 19, 1895, p. 8.

Eva Gildersleeve Lost Her Hair

New York, 1895

Eva Gildersleeve, 13 years old, was on the highway leading to Mt. Sinai, when, according to her story, a man sprang out from the roadside, and catching hold of her braid of hair, drew a keen knife across it and quickly made his escape with the trophy.

Note: There's a later clipping on this story about Eva.


Robbed Two Houses

Burglars entered the residence of Charles E. Meyers at Hempstead Friday morning, and also the residence of Dr. Gautier. In the first house they obtained a gold watch, silver plate and money worth $550. In the Gautier residence a $350 gun, clothing and other articles were taken.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, Feb. 8, 1895, p. 1.

Miss Walters Assaulted

New York, 1895

Saved Herself By Biting a Finger of Her Assailant.

Miss Annie Walters, residing near Kissena Lake, Flushing, is confined to her bed from nervous prostration as the result of an assault made upon her Sunday night. She was returning home from church about 8.30 o'clock and was passing through Queens avenue.

She had just passed Henderson's greenhouses when a burly, roughly dressed man grabbed her by the arm and threw her upon the ground. He placed his hand over her mouth while he attempted to drag her into a clump of bushes.

In the struggle she succeeded in getting her mouth free, and screamed with all her might.

Dealing her a powerful blow with his fist, the ruffian then released her and ran away.

She managed to get to her feet and went to Thomas Doughty's house. Mr. Doughty went out at once and made a search for her assailant, but was unable to find him.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, Feb. 1, 1895, p. 12.

Attempted Murder At The Piggery

New York, 1895

Frederick Glushing, who keeps a piggery at Woodhaven, ran into Justice Lott's house Friday evening shouting "Murder." Gushling was but partly dressed and wore no shoes. He had run a mile and was nearly frozen. He told the justice that a man who was employed by him had been assaulted by three men, one of whom was about to blow the old man's head off with a gun when he started for the justice.

Judge Lott summoned Town Clerk McCook, and went to the scene of the assault. The Italian's home was a complete wreck. The old man, who lived alone, was found lying more dead than alive in a corner. He said he had been assaulted by Jacob Mykert, David Klein, and a man called Tony. Two of the men were arrested, but Tony could not be found. Justice Lott discharged Klein and sent Mykert to jail for six months.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, N.Y., Jan. 11, 1895, p. 12.

Awarded $450 for Fainting Bertha's Assault

1920

State Must Pay Woman Attendant for Insane Patient's Act

LINCOLN, Nebraska — The State of Nebraska must pay $450 because "Fainting Bertha" Liebke, while incarcerated in the Lincoln insane asylum, threw formaldehyde into the eyes of Anna E. Sprecher, an attendant, which resulted in partial blindness.

The State compensation commissioner awarded the claim after a semi-legal battle put up by former Attorney General Dexter Barrett, who discovered that the assault had not been reported to the board of control as the law required.


Here's World's Eighth Wonder

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The eighth wonder of the world. A "For Rent" advertisement in a local newspaper stipulates that the couple seeking a home must have at least one child. The owner, the advertisement states, is fond of children.

Note: I had another "Fainting Bertha" story a month or so ago. Check it out.

Dishwasher Runs Amuck With a Bread Knife

California, 1921

History states that the Battle of Thermopylae Pass in ancient days was not such an exciting affair, and if so, it faded into oblivion, alongside of the affair of late yesterday afternoon in which Denny Zanatos, proprietor of the restaurant on Main street above Third, known as Guidi's, did a Marathon down Main street to avoid the wild charge of a Greek dishwasher in the same restaurant, who took after the fleet restauranteur armed with a butcher knife.

The assailant began arguing with Zanatos over wages. Then the battle began, resulting in the knife wielder being arrested by the fire chief and is facing a charge of assault with intent to murder. It is claimed that the prisoner chased Zanatos about the Guidi restaurant a dozen times, not giving the fleeing Athenian a chance to open the door to make escape. Finally a waitress came to the man's rescue and when the door was opened he made one grand leap for the street and would have made Atlanta in her race of the Golden Apple look like a novice had he been her opponent on the mythical cinder path.

—Woodland Daily Democrat, Woodland, California, Dec. 17, 1921, p. 1.

Wife Thrashes Her Husband In Court

1920
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill., May 20. -- Not satisfied with justice as meted out by the police court here, Mrs. Thomas A. Payne took matters into her own hands and gave her husband a sound thrashing before court officials could interfere.

Payne pulled table between himself and his wife for protection. Court Official Huot finally seized the woman and placed her in a chair. Mrs. Payne then collapsed and cried. Payne made no attempt to defend himself.

He was before the judge charged with assaulting his wife. The evidence, however, showed that he did not assault his wife, but simply tried to protect himself when attacked by her in a business street. he was found not guilty and the charge dismissed.

--The Saturday Blade, Chicago, May 22, 1920, page 2.

The Deadly Hatpin

Woman Arrested For Puncturing Five People In the Arm.

New York, May 8.—Pedestrians on Upper Broadway last night were startled by the actions of a middle-aged woman, dressed in deep mourning, who approached four men and one woman successively and calmly jabbed each in the arm with a hatpin. When arrested the woman gave the name of Mary Maloney and an address in West Ninety-four street which investigation showed to be a vacant lot. She was picked up, charged with felonious assault. Each victim was punctured in the right arm, though why the strange woman in black wielded her hatpin weapon is a mystery. All of the victims positively identified the prisoner as the woman who jabbed them, but she indignantly denied the charge.

--Warren Evening Mirror, Warren, Pennsylvania, May 8, 1909, page 7.