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A Poker and a Pistol Used to Some Purpose. New Year's opened unfortunately for the neighboring town of Milford in a bloody affray at a public ball at Kugler’s Hall, where a poker and a revolver were brought into play. The parties active in the emeate were John Con nolly, Jr., Barney Goodwin, —— Leininger, Stanton, a cousin of Connolly’s, and a stout, active young German, who drives a coach for John Wade, and who is generally and familiarly known as “Fritz.” The fuss that wound up in a bloody row at Kugler’s Hall, shortly after mid night New Year’s, had its origin in Mears’ con fectionery. Fritz and his girl, on the way to the hall, had stepped in there to take a little lunch and wine, seated in the back room. Leininger came into the front room and put his hand in the raisin box. The proprietor grumbled at this, and advised Leininger to buy raisins if he wanted them. It is the old fa miliar story of “one word led to another,” until some pretty tall swearing was done. This brought Fritz out from a back room. Now Fritz is considerable of a man, and he doesn’t want his girl to hear bad language—not a rush of it,at least. Fritz expostulated. This brought a flood of bad language upon him, which re sulted in a scuffle, in the course of which he threw Leininger, or John Connolly, Jr., down, and Goodwin on top of him. There the trouble took a recess. Fritz walked off to the ball with his girl on his arm, followed by Leininger, Con nolly, Stanton and Goodwin. As he was about to walk upstairs Connolly accosted him, and said the party wanted to have it out with him, then and there. Fritz excused himself politely until, at least, he could leave his lady in safety in the ballroom. He was working out a men tal problem, just then. He solved it by de ciding that four to one was something that couldn't be reconciled, then ,and there at least. The gang wanted him to promise that he would return when he should have taken his charge to the hall Fritz may have promised to come back or he may have made an evasive answer. However he had no idea of going out to the sidewalk again and fighting four men. Not for Fritz. The result was that the party followed him up stairs, avowedly to give him a beating. Fritz was standing near the stove, fully prepared for them. He had run the poker up one of his coat sleeves and meant business if attacked. He was also prepared in another way, as the result will show. We believe Stanton was the first to strike a blow at Fritz, who immediately struck him across the head with the poker, a left handed blow, however, which cut the scalp and staggered him. Then the poker was taken away from him and he was knocked down and kicked and badly beaten, the poker being used on him with ugly results. By a desperate effort he managed to get up, get away from the gang, brush through the crowd and jump upon a bench, at the same time pulling a pistol. Connolly saw the weapon drawn, and seemed to think from the start that it was meant for him first, for he immediately commenced dodg ing with much energy and perseverance, using an old fellow there as a wall. But Fritz at last got a bead on him and blazed away, sending a ball agaist his forehead, inflicting an ugly glancing wound of the scalp. This ended the row. The bleeding men were sent home to bed and the care of the village doctors. No arrests thus far, man, Mr. J. N. Clemmer, presented Dr. T. R. Wilson, their Professor of Ophthalmic and Aura Surgery, with a beautiful silver coffee urn. The Doctor said, in reply, that he was once very un expectedly born into the world, and it occa sioned him a great deal of surprise. Since he was born he had not been so surprised as on the present occasion. On the first occasion men tioned he was so overcome he said nothing in telligible, and he was not in a condition to do much better now. Supper, dancing, c., fol lowed until the new year made its advent.
Newspaper Details
Cincinnati Commercial
Cincinnati, Ohio, US
Sun, Jan 03, 1875
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
OH, USA 09 Sep 2026
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