Interesting story....
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Source: NY-OLD-NEWS-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [NY-Old-News] >> Monroe Co., NY Mar 25, 1905
Rochester, Monroe, NY
Democrat & Chronicle
Sat Mar 25, 1905
HOTEL AT BURT WAS BOMBARDED
Small Riot Followed Row in Barroom
Windows Broken By Stones
Guests in the Hotel Took Refuge in Closets -
Landlord's Family Fled to the Cellar -
Arrests Made by Sheriff Reardon of Lockport.
Lockport, March 24 - Willis D. CARRIER's hotel at Burt, on the Rome,
Watertown & Ogdensburg Railroad, was almost completely wrecked by a mob that
attacked it at an early hour this morning. Sheriff REARDON was notified by
telephone that a riot was in progress at Burt and (unreadable) come quickly
to save the lives of women and children in the hotel. The sheriff made a
requisition for a trolley car and started for Burt at full speed shortly
after midnight.
According to what can be gathered to-day, the Carrier hotel barroom was
filled with men of the neighborhood who were drinking freely. About 10
o'clock Joseph VOLSCHANE, a man 25 years of age, residing at Burt, came into
the hotel barroom. He claimed this morning he went there to apologize to
CARRIER for something of an offensive nature he had done against CARRIER. He
alleges that CARRIER, instead of accepting his apology, struck him over the
head with a club and drawing a revolver ordered him to leave the hotel.
Whatever caused the trouble, most of the men in the barroom took sides
with VOLSCHANE. They went out with him. After a time a large crowd returned
and began to bombard the hotel with stones. A scene of remarkable violence
followed. For two hours the rain of stones, some of them weighing three and
four pounds, continued. CARRIER fired his revolver several times, but aimed
over the heads of the crowd. Nearly every window pane in the hotel was
broken. Stones flew into the rooms occupied by two transient guests and they
quickly took refuge in the adjoining closet. CARRIER and his wife removed
their children to the cellar after a stone crashed through a window and just
missed striking a babe asleep in one of the beds. While CARRIER was carrying
the baby out of range of the missiles a stone crashed through a window and
struck him in the right eye. This morning CARRIER's eye was dressed and the
doctor now says he believes the sight can be preserved, although it was
thought at first the eye had been completely destroyed.
Sheriff REARDON was accompanied in the special trolley to Burt by Deputies
George KELLEY of Middleport, Charles AVERILL and William SPALDING of
Lockport. The attacking mob had got wind of his coming and had dispersed.
SPALDING and CARRIER drove to Newfane for warrants. On the way somebody threw
a large stone at them from ambush, but it missed the officer and CARRIER,
striking the wagon box. Not far from the hotel the other officers found four
men whom they arrested. They gave their names as Alfred GILLIS, Alexander
JOHNSON, Joseph VOLSCHANE and Ernest GODFREY.
The four prisoners were brought to jail this morning and locked up. This
morning they were taken before Justice MEYERS at Newfane, but the case was
adjourned until to-morrow morning. This afternoon Deputy SPALDING endeavored
to serve a warrant on William GILLIS. The man got a start on the officer and
an exciting chase through the muddy fields ensued. After a long run SPALDING
got his man and brought him to Lockport. VOLSCHANE was released on $1,000
bail this afternoon.
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