June 11, 1914 - Judge Requests Ventilation in Court - Steamy Love Affair

Reading through articles that Joe collected in a scrapbook I am amazed and amused by the events that occurred 100 years ago. Here is one that caught my eye, in part, because of the headline.

COURT DESIRED VENTILATION IN DIVORCE AFFAIR

Post June 11, 1914

Handsome Aimee McKeen Just Hated "0ld Ed" McKeen Observations by Janitor.

ICE CREAM AND STONE WALL RECALL AUTO TRIP

As Thermometer Rises Evidence Goes with It—Judge Calls for Open Windows.

     "Please open the windows. We need a great deal of ventilation on this," was the request of Judge Gardner Greene this morning in the Superior court, second part, as he listened to some evidence of the most discolored variety in the divorce suit of McKeen against McKeen.
      Edward McKeen, conductor on the New Haven system asks for a decree from Aimee Louise McKeen upon the ground of infidelity.  Minor Dibble, stalwart and fair haired, is named as correspondent. The trial was commenced on Tuesday afternoon and it was evident from the start that it will be filled with much more than the average amount of smut which goes with such cases.

An Interesting Witness.

     The most interesting witness this morning was Walter B. Brooks, a colored man who was in the employ of the Southern New England Telephone Co., at the time Dibble worked for that concern in Stamford.
      Brooks made a good witness. He worked for the telephone company along with Dibble, he told the court. Dibble was the head installer. He had an office down stairs in the basement, where he used to write up the books. Aimee McKeen used to call there at all hours. And she was a stayer, too. Once it was as late as one in the morning.

"Loving a Little Bit."

     Mrs., McKeen and Dibble "mostly talked" while they were in Dibble's office. Once Brooks saw the "loving little bit."
"What do you mean by that?" he was asked.
"Why he would take her in his arms and kiss her and hold her close, you know."
Brooks said sometimes they would put out the light, but when he approached the electric light would be turned on.
     Yes, Mrs. McKeen and Dibble met at the house of the witness. "I remember the first time they came," said the witness. "Dibble arrived first and Mrs. McKeen came about 10 minutes after. She said to him: Are you here?' and he said to her ‘You here?' They seemed surprised. Dibble came to my house to write letters,  he  said,  because  he  could do it better. After that they came regularly."

Had  Little Suppers.

     By and by Brooks and his wife got up little suppers. All four would sit down. Dibble would pay the bills. Sometimes they had wine, sometimes beer and occasionally whiskey.  Occasionally Mrs. McKeen would bring her daughter, Charlotte, with her.
      There was one occasion witness recalled when Mrs. McKeen said Dibble was to cut her corns and she asked permission to retire with Dibble so that the chiropody could be attended to.
      "Oh yes, they were good stayers," said the witness. "They would keep my wife and I up very late. Once until 1 o'clock. He would say: 'We had better be going,' but they did not go."

Said She loved Dibble.

     Witness heard Mrs.McKeen say she loved Dibble more than any man in the world. She said she did not care "for old Ed McKeen anymore. She hated McKeen worse than she did a dog.  McKeen was worse than a snake."

Carried Notes to Mrs.  McKeen.

     Witness said he carried 20 or more notes to  Mrs.McKeen. He knew of Dibble buying her candy, flowers, shoes and a set of furs. Witness saw them go on automobile rides. They went frequently to Woodside park. Witness heard Mrs. McKeen say: "If Woodside park could talk what awful tales it could tell."
     Brooks heard Mrs. McKeen speak about a trip to Sound Beach. They sat upon a stone wall and ate ice cream and she would say to Dibble: "Oh you ice cream, oh you stone wall.
     At this point the evidence took a turn which leaves it for the court records. Brooks told of going to the late Dr. Rowell to get a prescription for Dibble. He also told of his knowledge regarding Dibble's complaint.
     It was at this point that Judge Greene felt the air in the court room oppressive and asked the  attendants as above, to open the windows.

Wanted a Disguise.

     Brooks told of an occasion when Dibble asked the witness to rig him up in a disguise, so  that Dibble could call on Mrs. McKeen in the day time. Witness said he could rig up the disguise for $2. He bought a little black moustache and a ten cent pair of glasses. With these and a raincoat and a small bag he rigged up Dibble so his mother would not know him.
     The witness said he frequently heard conversations between Dibble and Mrs. McKeen over the telephone. "They would have a lot of kid talk and then make dates," said the witness. Witness knew it was Mrs. McKeen talking because he recognized her voice.
      After some further statements the witness was turned over to Attorney Shapiro for cross examination. He was subjected to a long and grueling examination in which he was confronted with some interesting letters.

Mrs. McKeen Called.

     Mrs.McKeen was called to the witness stand by the plaintiff. She said she was now living at Southington and was taking boarders, and doing dress making and millinery. Dibble lived in Southington and took table board at her house. She had been living in Southington since January 12, 1914. Prior to that she lived at Branford. Dibble was there too. She left
     Stamford in April, 1913 and went to Interlocken, Mass. Dibble called to see her one afternoon and remained a short time. That was in May,1913. On June 18, 1913 she moved to Branford in this state.

Seen On Train.

     John W. Graham, baggage master on the New Haven road, told of seeing Mrs. McKeen and Dibble take the morning train out of New York on two occasions.
     Mrs. Mary F. Lockwood of Stamford lived near the McKeens. She saw Dibble frequently visit the McKeen home. Dibble would take Mrs. McKeen out to ride in the automobile. Witness said she always supposed Mr. and Mrs. McKeen were happily married until Dibble appeared.
     Mrs. Minor Dibble, wife of the corespondent, testified regarding her knowledge of her husband's health. She was married to Dibble 20 years ago. The case is still on.



Will keep an eye out for the results of this case!
I will follow up with an interesting addition to this article very soon.

May 3, 1914 - Postcard fom Maine

So, I have realized that 100 years ago Joe was traveling away from Connecticut to try cases. Here is a postcard from Maine and it is just a week after he was trying a case in Virginia. Busy guy!

5/3/12 (it was really 1914 - as noted in the postmark)
Real well again. Here for a short time and go to Exeter, N.H. to try a case tomorrow.
Was out learning to canoe this a.m. Have some friends here who have a private yacht
and have just returned from an all day trip on the Bay. I like the place and people so
well, will go here for a short time this summer.
J.G.S.

This postcard is of Fort Allen's Park and Harbor in Portland, Maine.


The next letter will be July 2.
I believe I will find articles and photographs to fill the time gap.

April 25, 1914 - Postcard from Virginia

Short note from Virgina where Joe was traveling on business.

Have been here several days, but couldn't write much owing to the fact that the men with me have been jumping from one place to another. Don't know just where next, but perhaps Richmond,
J. G. S.

As you can see from the front of the postcard the photograph is from Fort Monroe, VA so out of curiosity I checked it out. Click on the link where it says Fort Monroe and you too can learn some history of where Joe went.

The next letter will be on May 3.

March 30, 1914 - Rape - "She fought desperately with a hat pin . . ."

Here are two articles from different local newspapers both from March 30, 1914. One was the Ansonia Sentinel and the other the Post (my assumption is the Bridgeport Post). In reading this scandalous news and knowing Joe's values and moral code I am sure this was a very difficult day for him in court. Joe was just 28 years old and very unworldly in such affairs.

WILLIAM STONE
HELD BY COURT
IN $2,000 BAIL

Bridgeport Youth, Formerly of
Shelton Is Accused of Serious
Crime by Young Woman.
William Stone, alias Elias Boutelier, aged 17, of No. 431 Lafayette street, was bound over to the Superior court by Judge Dillon in the Shelton borough court today, charged with a statutory crime.
The complainant in the case was Alma Houle, a Huntington young woman, who charged that Stone attacked her in the vicinity of her home last night. Stone formerly lived here and had known Miss Houle for some time.
Bonds were fixed at $2,000. Stone is a conductor in the employ of the Connecticut company in this city. Attorney Joseph G. Shapiro of this city is the prosecuting attorney of the Shelton court and presented the state's case today. The torn clothing worn by the girl was presented in court as evidence of the struggle. The girl jabbed Stone with a hat pin several times until he wrenched it from her grasp.
Stone was arrested in Bridgeport last night and taken back, to Shelton for trial this morning by Lieutenant Barnes of the Shelton Police department.

WAS BOUND OVER
William Stone Plead Guilty to Charge
of Attempted  Rape of
Alma Honle.
William Stone alias Boutelier, formerly of this place but now located in Bridgeport, was arraigned in the town court this morning charged with rape on the person of Miss Alma Houle, of the old Coram Road. The boy, who is but a little over sixteen years of age, plead guilty to an attempt at rape, through his guardian, S. T. Palmer, and was bound over to the next term of the superior court in Bridgeport, in the amount of $2,500, and being unable to secure the bonds was taken to Bridgeport jail by Lieutenant Barnes.
The offense was committed Sunday night, the girl who is also but sixteen years of age, having come from a visit to Ansonia, on the trolley that reaches her about 9:30 o'clock, and found young Stone waiting to take the car to Bridgeport. He did not take the car but accompanied the girl towards her home. While passing through the loneliest part of the way he assaulted her and although she fought desperately, using a hat pin and a stick pin in her defense, he overpowered her and accomplished his purpose. He then left her and ran to the trolley taking the next car to Bridgeport.
When the girl arrived home she told the case to her parents and the local police were at once notified. They communicated with the Bridgeport police and the lad was arrested. Lieut. Barnes went down for him this morning.
The boy admitted all the essential parts of the story, denying, however, having consummated the act. He had just secured a position as conductor on the Bridgeport trolley and in his application for the situation stated his age as being twenty-one. He was born here, however, and the record shows that his statement in court of being but sixteen years of age is correct, he having been born August 28, 1897. He and Miss Houle were formerly schoolmates and she had no hesitation at accepting his company last evening under the circumstances.
Committee  Will   Meet.

They obviously did not want this young man out on the streets because setting a bond of $2,000 in 1914 was a lot of money. Especially for a seventeen year old boy.

Hope to find more interesting articles before the next letter at the end of April.

International Exhibition of Modern Art 1913 - aka Armory Show

International Exhibition of Modern Art 1913 - aka Armory Show
This is a bit out of order in terms of the original date because I just visited the 100th Anniversary of this famous exhibition this weekend. It was such a controversial exhibit that the New York Historical Society decided to bring it back century later. Once again the exhibit got much press as you can see in this link to the New York Times article. It is hard to believe today that the art was so controversial.

Here are some fun things I found on line from the original exhibit.

This has a notation that states that The Nude Descending the Staircase sold for $324.00 to
Frederick C. Torrey.

Just as we would see today there was lots of material for the cartoonists.

The publicity followed the exhibit as it traveled throughout the United States.

Interesting to see how the exhibit was set up then. The Brancusi heads in the left of the photo were under glass in the current exhibit.

Below is the entrance to the exhibit that just closed today in New York.

 

The art world has changed in the past 100 years and no one in 1913 could have imagined the twists, turns and controversial subject matter in art today. And now we have the "Nude Descending the Staircase" outside for all to see on the museum steps.

Hope you enjoyed this peek back into art history.

February 13, 1914 - Young Boy Arrested

Here is a newspaper clipping that I found. I wonder what became of that boy. I did find a little about the Commodore Hull school.

Young   Boy  Arrested.

Thomas Williams, a boy of thirteen years of age, was arrested Thursday afternoon by
Officer Nettleton because he was absent from school, Officer Nettleton acting as
truant officer during* the indisposition of Chief Robbing. It was learned that besides
playing truant the young boy has been thieving:, he' having gone through the desks of
the teachers in the Commodore Hull school and secured small amounts the total being
about $1.40. The lad also confessed to having committed other misdemeanors. The
hearing was set down for 2 o'clock, this afternoon owing to the fact that Prosecuting
Attorney Shapiro was engaged in work in the higher courts, this morning.

Sentinel Feb. 13, 1914

The school got it's name from Commodore Isaac Hull, born in that area of Connecticut.

More articles will follow as I sort thru papers.

February 1, 1914 - Personal Tax Bill

Having just paid the second installment of our property taxes yesterday this is comical to me. I spend lots time figuring out where I will pull the money from and how I will make it happen again. I manage to do this twice a year and am amazed every time. Coming across this receipt in Joe's papers was quite comical.

I do not know what he was paying taxes on but I did look up the street address which is Fairmont Place in Shelton, CT and that street still exists and it is a short walk to Howe Avenue where he went to pay the taxes.

The next post will be a short newspaper article on February 13.

January 30, 1914 - Havrilla Dies in State Insane Hospital

Here is an article from January 27, 1914 that was in "The Farmer". This was a newspaper in Connecticut but I can not find where it was printed. This article is about the an event that occurred due to the textile strikes in Shelton in 1914. Quite a bizarre article.

HAVRILLA DIES IN STATE INSANE HOSPITAL; PINTO
IS HELD WITHOUT BONDS
   
His Death Is Second To Be Laid
Directly To Disturbances In The Big
Textile Strike In Shelton -- Stone
Grazes Babe's Head

(Special to The Farmer.)
Shelton, Jan. 27—Alex Havrilla, the farmhand brutally beaten on the night of Monday, Jan. 12, by Frank Pinto, a local bartender, died at the State Hospital for Insane at Middletown, just before noon, today.

Pinto, who was in the Fairfield County jail at Bridgeport in default of bail of $5,000, is now held without bail pending the outcome of the inquest to be held either today or tomorrow at Middletown. As soon as word reached Shelton, Chief Robbins of the Shelton police communicated with Joseph Shapiro, prosecuting attorney in the Shelton court, Shapiro notified the County jail officials to accept no bond for Pinto. Efforts to raise the necessary bail for his release have been under way for several days.

Havrilla's death is the second which may be attributed directly to the strike in the Blumenthal mills, which is now in it's llth week. The first was that of a tiny baby, one of twins of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Homick. The parents were dragged from their home by police officers and mill guards, and were beaten and arrested. The children were left home with none to care for them, and with the cold air sweeping through the door and windows, broken by the police the baby died two days afterward.

Havrilla came to Shelton while on the way from a farm in Orange to visit a former employer in Hartford. He was walking through Howe Avenue, near Louis Pinto's saloon when a stone was flung through the open door. Frank Pinto rushed out with a pool cue. Kemp, one of the mill guards who was in the saloon is alleged to have pointed out Havrilla as the stone thrower, several bystanders at once declared he was wrong for four youths who had taken part in the stone throwing had fled before the two got out of the saloon.

Pinto shattered the pool cue on Havrilla's skull, and inflicted cuts and bruises galore. Then the O'Brien guards dragged the bruised and bleeding victim into Pinto's saloon, called in a deputy sheriff and caused his arrest. The exposure of the outrage through the columns of The Farmer led to Pinto's apprehension. Pinto is planning to contend that the insanity of Havrilla, which the prosecution regards as due to the beating, prevailed before he got his beating. The Shelton police allowed Kemp to get out of their jurisdiction and now cannot locate him.

The committee of citizens raised at the borough meeting last week to seek an end of the strike presented a written report of their doings to a committee representing the strikers this afternoon. The borough committee comprises Judge Dillon, Sam Beardsley, Postmaster Holmes, John Preston and Warden Barlow. They spent some time with Fritz Stolzenberg, superintendent of the Blumenthal mills, this forenoon. They have been given to understand that Stolzenberg's will, in the strike situation, will prevail, Sidney Blumenthal, head of the concern, having left the matter in his hands. This afternoon the borough committee meet the strikers' committee in the city hall, and the latter committee will convey their report to the meeting of the L W. W. local tonight or tomorrow morning. The strikers' committee comprises Albert Stancek, J. Rosco, J. Jacobson, John Rose, Peter Zamba, Victoria Felencek, and P. Mario.

Policeman John Donovan's eight month old baby had a close call from death Sunday night when a stone weighing several pounds crashed through his window, and struck the crib at the child's head. The metal of the crib was dented, but the child was unscathed. Donovan rushed to the window and fired his pistol into the dark.

Another complaint a of brutality against the mill guards came this noon. Abraham Optozner, a baker, crossed the canal near the Blumenthal plant, to see some of his trade, when a mill guard, he avers, set on him and beat him claiming he had no right there. He left his bakery wagon in the street and rushed to the office of Chief Robbins demanding redress. He said he had been knocked down and kicked. Followed by several dozens, he and the chief went to the plant, where the baker made a futile search for the guard. When he returned to where he had left his horse and wagon, the rig had vanished, and up to today he hadn't succeeded in finding it.



Next post will be February 1.

January 29, 1914 - Meyer's First Yartzeit

One year ago Joe sent the news to Helen that his brother Meyer died suddenly at the young age of 24. That letter can be found on January 28, 1913. That would make this the first yartzeit (Yiddish word for the anniversary of the death of a close relative, on which it is customary to kindle a light and recite the Kaddish) for Meyer. While going through a box of pictures I found this photograph of the headstone in the cemetery. The Hebrew translation on the stone is:

Here Lies:

Meyer Mendl

Son of Dov Ber

He died on the 21^st of Shevet, 5673

(small letters above his name is an acronym that means:)

May His Soul Be Bound Up In Everlasting Life

MEYER MERWIN
SHAPIRO
BORN JAN. 1, 1889
DIED JAN. 29, 1913

Interestingly, Joe wrote Helen on January 28, 1913 about Meyer's passing and the headstone says January 29, 1913. I now believe the discrepancy in dates came about because Meyer most likely died after midnight. In his haste to write Helen he put the date on the letter not thinking about the time. The postmark date is January 29th in the morning.

The grave is in East Haven, CT and I plan on making a trip to that cemetery in the Spring. The site that had this information also indicates that he is in the same cemetery as his father, Barnet Shapiro, my great grandfather.

I will be posting an article that I found tomorrow January 30.
 

January 11, 1914 - "Lei m'intende?"

This year starts with a short note to set up a possible date to attend "La Boheme". His humor, as always, is intact. His ability to remember the lyrics almost  perfectly is a testament to his mind.

Sunday morning
Dear Helen,
Just as I was about to leave for Waterbury I read in the World that on Saturday night, there will be a special performance of La Boheme.

Could I ask you to order two seats like those in Madame Butterfly.

The machine is honking for me; so thought I'd write before it slipped my cabeza.*

If you can't go, why just cancel this request. I know it will give you an opportunity to hear that

"Mi chiamano Mimì, ma il mio nome è Lucia.La storia mia è breve. Sono tranquilla e lieta ed è mio svago far gigli e rose."**

 That is as near as I can recall it, spelled as it listens.
"Lei m'intende?" (Do you hear me?)
Si
Sincerely,
Joe

* Cabeza is head in Spanish.

** "Yes, they call me Mimi, but my true name is Lucia.My story is short. ... I am happy and at peace and my pastime is to make lilies and roses."

If you would like to hear the aria that he is quoting, here is a link to "Si Mi Chiamano"

The next letter will be on April 25. I suspect that letters were lost over time. I will be filling in with family information and newspaper articles.