St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-07-18
THIS is REFORM.
A Sunday Tragedy in a Dance
Dive Out on Blair
Street.
The Vile Resort Permitted to
Run Wide Open on Sun
day,
Though Respectable Citizens
Had Petitioned the mayor
to Close It.
A Young Lad Fatally AS
saulted by the Brutal
Barman.
Excitement So Great the
Place Was Closed for Ten
Minutes.
Owners Of Adjoining Prop.
erty Declare Their Homes
Ruined.

Aiot Ao1oiiy. NOuuuCu Ill tlic SdlOOn anu
dance hall at the corner of Mackubin
and Blair streets, Yesterday afternoon.
The boys assailant. for the lad is only
seventeen years old, was the keeper of
the ''dive." George Graf, and the weap-
on used was large and heavy beer
glass. The stories of the affair differ
materially, the keeper of the resort,
his two brothers and one or two en-
ployes claiming the assault was made i'm
self-defense. This. however, is denied
by several persons present who are not
interested in the keeping open OF the
place, and their version is that the as
sault WIS unprovOked as far as blows
were concerned.
Frank Fishback, who was in the place
at the time. says that Novodtney CAME
up to the bar and called for glass of
beer. George Graf. who was acting as
bartender, told Novodtney he was not
twenty-One years old and could
not have any beer. Novodtney
again demanded a glass of beer and
said he had had beer before and if he
one now. Graf, who was very busy,
the crowd Ill front OF the bar beihg
large, said it didn't matter, he couldn't
have any. At this Novodtney said he
would tix Graf in the morning and see
If lie would sell, beer to nnners.- FhS
threat repeated two or three times by
Nov0dtney seemed to enIage Graf. and
seizing beer-glass, he leaned over the
bar and struck NOvodtney
A Terrible Blow
in the face. Police Officer Klinger-
smith, who was standing just outside
the door, rushed into the bar-room and
saw NovOdtney staggering toward the
door. The boys face was covered with
blood and the force of the blow had
almost knocked him out. Klingersmith
assaulted NOvodtney, and his brother.
Frank Graf, and started toward the
patrol box, a block away, at the corner
of Lafond and Mackubin streets. The
crowd. the officer said, was so large
and so threatening that he did
not wait for the wagon at
this point. but hurried his prisoners
along to the next nearest box, at the
corner of Western and University
avenues. Novodtney was taken to his
house at 610 Western avenue. and Dir.
Hanley called. The lads injuries were
found to be not necessarially fatal, but
made by the beer glass are in the head,
the most serious being cut just
over the right eye and extending
down on the cheek. The eyelid being
cut through,it is feared the sight of the
right eye may he lost. The other cuts
are on the forehead and top of the head,
and while severe are not considered
dangerous. The wounds were sewed
up, and last night Novodtney was rest
ing easily, although very weak from the
loss of blood.
A vile Resort.
The resort where the murderOus as
sault occurred is one of the toughest in
the city. and has long been an eyesore
to residents in the vicinity. The saloon
license is in the name OF George Graf,
and the place is run by him, assisted by
his two brothers. Frank and Steve. All
and in connection with the
saloon is large and commOdious
dance hall. Every highland Sunday
night is no eXceDtiOn-a a dance is given
in the place. This programme is added
TO on Sunday afternoons. dancing COM
at 2 O'Clock, with very short
about o'clock. The
dance hall and bar room were
well filled at the time the assault
was made on NovOdtney. and the
affair. created considerable excite
ment in the neighborhoGd. Patroiman
Klingersmith ordered the place closed
until, as he expressed it, ''things had
cooled off a little" and those in attend
ance soon cleared out. A GLOBE re-
porter called at the place half an hour
after the assault and questioned Steve
Graf, one of the brothers, about the af-
fair. The streets in the vicinity were
alive with people engaged in talk about
The occurrence, and expressing the
hope that the affair would result in the
place being closed, particularly on Sun
lay.
The Proprietor Begs OFF.
Steve Graf, two employees and the
wife of George Graf, were in the bar
The row. Steve Graf took the reporter
nto the dance hall, at that time de.
serted, and with the assistance of his
3rother's wife gave his version of the
assault. According to his story, No
1odtney was refused liquor, and. be-
coming abusive. leaned over the bar
md grabbed George Graf by the throat.
In self-defense his brother George had
struck him. and then the whole crowd
pitched onto his brother. In order to
protect himself his brother then
grabbed hold Of a glass. and in the
struggle the blow was struck. His ex-
Dlanation was frequently interrupted by
lis sister-in-law, who kept repeating in
German that they 'kept nice. quiet
md orderly place" and 'sobeyed the
aw about closing the dance ball and
saloon every night at midnight" They
we're much annoyed, she said, by BOYS
who would get drunk. at other saloons
md come to their place to raise trouble.
In proof of her assertions regarding the
luietness of the place, a large card
hung on the wall of the dance hall was
pointed to. The card said no profane
anguage or disorderly conduct would
De allowed in-the hall, and any person
lot conducting themselves properly
would be put out.
Story Won't Wash