Justice Goetting

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Old Print Article: “An Assault Which May Prove Fatal,” Booklyn Daily Eagle (1890)

June 1, 2011 in Old Print Articles, Urban Studies | Permalink

"He is now confined to his home under medical treatment."

We’re plenty dumb right now, but people in the nineteenth century were even dumber, as the following story from the October 17, 1890 Brooklyn Daily Eagle about a boy with a wooden hoop and a neighbor with a bad temper proves. An excerpt:

“Justice Goetting this morning held Stephen Rose, of 76 Roebling Street, on $1,000 bail to answer on Thursday the charge of striking 13 year old John Murray, of 230 North Eighth Street on the head with a brick, and injuring him so badly that he is now confined to his home under medical treatment. His physician, Dr. A.A. Weber, is doubtful of his recovery. The complaint is brought by Miss Mary Murray, the boy’s sister. The defendant is about 61 years old. The residences of the two parties, it appears, adjoin, and it is alleged that Rose, annoyed by the boy breaking up a wooden hoop against the wooden fence of the yard, climbed on a ladder and dropped a brick on his head.”

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Old Print Articles: The Plight Of The Locksmith, Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1860-95)

April 25, 2011 in Old Print Articles, Urban Studies | Permalink

"On Saturday he got an air gun and shot a bullet through my store window."

Locksmiths did not have an easy time of it in the 19th century, as the following trio of stories from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle demonstrates.

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“Objects To Being Shot At” (September 19, 1892): “Frederick Harbold, a locksmith of 741 Flushing avenue, was in the Lee avenue police court to-day to complain of Alexander Betts, 17 years old, of Flushing avenue, whom he says is the bad boy of the neighborhood. ‘This boy,’ said he, ‘takes pleasure in annoying storekeepers. So long as he confined this annoyance to rapping on my windows I did not mind, but on Saturday he got an air gun and shot a bullet through my store window. I heard the bullet whiz past my ear. I thought this was going too far and I want him arrested.’ Harbold was told to apply for a warrant at the Gates avenue police court.”

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"Then he threw the man down, it is alleged, kicked him and pulled his whiskers."

“Fun With A Locksmith” (June 24, 1895): “Patrick McCann, a laborer, 27 years old, had a lot of fun with Joseph Cohn, a poor Hebrew locksmith of 215 Third street, who went to the house at 141 North Ninth street, in which McCann lives last Wednesday. McCann, who is a giant in strength, told the traveling locksmith he wanted a key fitted to his kitchen door and when he got Cohn in the kitchen he locked the door. Then he threw the man down, it is alleged, kicked him and pulled his whiskers and when he tired of this sort of fun he placed the end of a revolver at the unfortunate fellow’s head and demanded 10 cents for beer. As Cohn did not have any money McCann locked him in the room and kept him prisoner for two hours. McCann will pay for his fun, however, as Justice Goetting sent him to jail for five days this morning.”

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“Sudden And Very Remarkable Death” (September 4, 1860): “Joseph Yarkhim, a Bohemian and a locksmith, 60 years of age, and unmarried, was, on Sunday evening, found dead in his room. A neighbor entered and saw the old man apparently alive, sitting nearly upright on a chest, slightly bent forward, but in quite a natural position, and having in one hand a piece of twine. The neighbor walked up and extended a hand to Mr. Yarkhim, but was instantly shocked at the discovery that the open eyes that were fixed upon him were fixed in death. The old man had died with singular suddenness, and apparently without a struggle, as no distortion appeared in his features which wore their usual mild though sudden expression. The Coroner was summoned, and found the deceased retaining the same singularly life-like posture and aspect–the eyes apparently staring at the visitors as if in inquiry at the object of their call. The inquest resulted in a verdict of ‘death from debility and privation.’ Deceased was a friendless and penniless old man, whose life has been a series of hardships and vicissitudes that at last exhausted the last remnant of his vital energy. He often omitted eating, and had no near friend to advise or attend to him.”

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Old Print Article: “Called A Sneak And A Coward” (1891)

January 4, 2011 in Old Print Articles, Urban Studies | Permalink

"Kahn says he used the means beneath the dignity of a butcher to get these customers." (Image by Bartolomeo Passarotti.)

Two butchers in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn had a feud in the late nineteenth century which began to boil over. How would they settle the dispute? According to an article in the November 10, 1891 Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the rivalry might end in a duel fought with butcher knives. An excerpt:

“Rivalry in the butcher business in Greenpoint has become so desperate that a duel is proposed. Harry Grimes is a butcher employed at 553 Manhattan avenue. Nearly opposite is the butcher shop of Felix Kahn, at 580 Manhattan avenue. Kahn is a Frenchman who has a high temper. Grimes got some of Kahn’s customers recently and Kahn says he used means beneath the dignity of a butcher to get these customers.

Kahn’s assistant and young Grimes would frequently race for the house of a customer and would bang their butcher carts together in the race. Kahn finally boxed Grimes’ ears, and the latter said he could finish Kahn in two rounds, but that he would not stoop to anything so low as a street fight. The entire neighborhood became interested in the war of the rivals and they recently learned that Grimes had challenged Kahn to fight a duel with butcher knives, and that the challenge had been accepted. Neither of the principals would talk of the expected duel, and people were expecting that one or both of the butchers would be carved up.

"There is only one thing left for me, and that is to brand you as a coward and a poltroon." (Image by Annibale Carracci.)

Kahn showed his hand yesterday. He does not want blood. He wants protection, and his French blood having cooled off, he wishes to satisfy his honor in the courts of justice. He appeared before Justice Goetting in his Lee avenue police court to-day, and asked that the strong arm of the law be placed between him and the keen edge of Grimes’ knife. He gave the court the following challenge which he had received:

‘Mr. Kahn:

DEAR SIR–Some time since I indicted a letter to you, but you have not had the manliness or even the politeness enough to respond. What am I to understand by this, to say the least, ungentlemanly conduct. There is only one thing left for me, and that is to brand you as a coward and a poltroon, unworthy to be called a man. But what can be expected from Poland or Baxter street. For fear the letter I sent you miscarried. I will again give you an opportunity to respond, therefore I challenge you to fight me any time within the next week. The sooner the better. The insult and indignity cannot be wiped out too soon and nothing but blood will satisfy me. The failure on your part to answer this, my second communication, will stamp you as a sneak and a coward.

Yours respectfully,

The Butcher Boy Whom You So Cowardly Assaulted’

Kahn told the court that he had no desire to spill the blood of Grimes and that he was so fond of his own blood that he had no desire to lose any of it. Justice Goetting consented to act as his second and directed Clerk Schiepphaus to correspond with the blood thirsty butcher and request him to come to court to arrange for a compromise, which will not include blood letting.”

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