by Laurel | March 12th, 2013
06 March 1916
Simple Explanation of Why 13 John Street Sent Two to the Hospital and Four to the Police Station
Dr. S. A. Mahoney had to put in considerable time in patching up two John Street residents at the House of Providence Hospital last evening and four other friends were disposed of at the police station, where they sang songs and gave orations in honor of the occasion. The cause of the general jubilee was a christening at 13 John Street yesterday.
In doing honor to the naming of the infant, beer flowed free and after enough had been absorbed by those attending a difference of opinion arose. No one knows what the difference was about, but it was there. In the argument the empty beer bottles played a prominent part and two brothers, Michael and George Getluk, were taken to the Providence Hospital and loose flaps of skin on their heads and necks were fastened back on by Dr. Mahoney and their hands were bandaged. Michael was unconscious when discovered.
The riot took place about 5 in the afternoon and shortly afterward the police arrived to gather up the fragments. Four of those fragments named Peter Tapun, Stephen Morey, George Dachowlez and John Alyuk were brought to the station, bandaged up where cuts were found and placed in the cells for an appearance in court this morning. The charge of disturbing the peace would be too mild, for the peace was much more than disturbed during the height of the celebration — it was shattered. The inside of the rooms looked as if it was a European battlefield. During the melee the infant was removed with its name intact.
Michael Getluk had to undergo an operation in the hospital late last evening. He had severe lacerations of the scalp and the tendons of his hand were cut. He was very weak from loss of blood and his condition was considered serious, although the physician believed that he would recover.
Adapted from The Springfield Republican.
