Woodhaven and Ozone Park News

New York, 1895

Mrs. Frank Luse presented her husband with a son Monday morning.

The snow storm caught the agate ware factory short of fuel oil and it was compelled to close down Monday.

Justice Lott of Woodhaven sent Joseph Sagerer to jail for five days for beating his wife and attempting to kill her with a carving knife.

Hydrant inspectors tested all the fire plugs in the district. Some that were found frozen were thawed out, and put in shape for use.

Americus hook and ladder company had volunteers on duty day and night at the truck house during the recent severe weather. Fortunately they had no calls to duty.

There is one thing about Woodhaven people worth noting — they pay more taxes, and pay more promptly, than the people of any other part of the town, notwithstanding the hard times.

Saturday morning an engine attached to a Rockaway Beach train got out of water and as everything was frozen up, the engine came to a stop at Americus truck house, where the men on duty attached two lengths of hose to a fire pump and filled the water tank.

John Buckley, aged 32 years, a blacksmith, residing at Woodhaven, has for some time shown signs of mental derangement. Saturday he was examined by Drs. Philip M. Wood and T. J. Flynn, who pronounced him insane. He was taken to the Poughkeepsie asylum on Tuesday.

The Democratic association of the Sixth district elected the following officers: President, O. W. Chevalier; vice president, L. Ruoff, Jr.; second vice president, E. Schwick; secretary, H. C. Schnider; treasurer, E. Miller; ballot clerk, F. Loverat, I. M. Lummis; town committee, H. C. Derby, F. Grosse, J. Taylor.

John Solly of Woodhaven has brought suit against James F. Touhey and William H. Fitzpatrick, of Flushing, for $1,800. About a year ago Solly's daughter caused the arrest of Frank Eglie. Eglie has a wife and family in Brooklyn. Judgment was obtained against Eglie and the Flushing contractors became his bondsmen. Eglie has disappeared and his bondsmen are called upon to settle. In the meantime Miss Solly has married.

A will contest which will awaken a lively interest in Ozone Park and Woodhaven will be opened before Surrogate Abbot in Brooklyn on the 27th inst. The will is that of Mrs. Mary Wochtler, who died at the house of her daughter, Mrs. Margaret Bonner, at Ozone Park. Mrs. Wochtler was nearly 80 years of age. Her estate is valued at $3,000. In the will her property is equally divided between her daughter, Mrs. Bonner, and the two sons of her second husband, Andrew and John Wochtler. In a concluding clause of the will it stated that Mrs. Bonner had used $1,200 which she and her mother had in the Williamsburg savings bank, joint account, and that unless this amount was paid back to the estate she should receive nothing.

Mrs. Bonner says she never had the money, but that $650 was spent for a monument and one of the step-sons drew $600 from the bank. Mrs. Bonner thinks stories were told to her mother to injure her.

William G. Bennett of Albany was arrested at Ozone Park for bigamy on Thursday and placed under $2,000 bail to await the arrival of the woman who claims to be his first and legal wife. The accusation against him is brought by Mrs. Alida Bennett, a daughter of Conductor William B. Howard of the Long Island railroad. Bennett met Miss Howard in Albany in the summer of 1893. The acquaintance continued after Miss Howard returned to her home. The couple soon became engaged. Bennett's request for an early marriage was opposed by the girl's parents and the ceremony was performed on December 14, 1893, by the Rev. Frederick W. Cutler. After the ceremony the couple went to Albany where they resided for three months. At the expiration of that time the young wife returned to the home of her parents, where she has resided at intervals ever since. Bennett visited there and often took his wife away with him to Albany. On one of these trips the young woman received information which convinced her that Bennett had another wife living when he married her. An investigation resulted in the discovery of another wife.

Justice Lott held Bennett to await the action of the Grand Jury upon a charge of bigamy.


OZONE PARK, Feb. 12.

To the Editor of the Long Island Farmer:

DEAR SIR — In your paper of February 1st, you ask the momentous question, "What has become of the West End Leader?" And echo answers, What? For lack of any reason for, or explanation of, the sudden and sad disappearance of John B. from the editorial eminence he attained by his well known cheek, pluck and ability, I suggest the following: In a late issue of the Brooklyn Times appeared a facetious letter under the heading "The Swift Decision," signed "A Hater of Deception," showing how our great and good ex-school commissioner for personal and political purposes degraded the high and noble office of newspaper editor by making it appear that a victory meant a defeat, there being a trifling difference of $9,987.50 between the damages sued for in the case of "Houssler vs. Swift" for false arrest, and the mere nominal sum given by the jury. The judge, besides, with praiseworthy justice, giving John B. Merrill's client the honor of paying all expenses, about $100, which (as "A Hater of Deception" remarks) "puts the saddle on the other nag." If any one can give a better reason for the sudden demise of said paper, let us hear from him.

A LOVER OF HONESTY.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, Feb. 15, 1895, p. 12.