The New York herald., 1921-01-22
HOOTCH EMBROILS
BIG GYPSY WEDDING
Reserves and Ambulances Ar
rive When General Fight
Reaches It's Peak.

Patrolnan Mike O'Connor of the Clin-
ton street station was standing at Grand
and Forsyth streets yesterday after
noon gazing sternly at the traffic when
Samuel Perless, who owns the Odd Fell
lows Hall In 9s Forsyth street. rushed
up to him bare headed and breathless.
''Mr. Policeman. they are wrecking
my hall! he cried. "rhe gypsies are
smashing my windows and running my
place. They came to have a wedding
and they turned it into fight. Look !.
You can see''
Mr.. PEERLESS seemed to be speaking the
truth. From the hall came the sound
OF battle, the banging of chairs and
tables. the thud of falling bodies, the
shrieking of women and over and above
II the soothing odor of home made
hootch. Just before Patrolman O'Con-
nor started to follow Mr.. PEERLESS back
to the scene of disaster the door of the
hall opened and a man sailed grandly
through space and landed on the back
OF his neck in the street. He scrambled
to his feet and hurried back for more.
Patrolman O'Connor entered the hall.
but once inside he turned around and
walked right out again He hastened
to the nearest telephone and called up
the Clinton street station.
Send all the policemen you have"
he said. "and six ambulances."
Five minutes later the patrol wogan
arrived with reserves, and then three
ambulances changed into the street from
Bellevu ue and Gouverneur hospitals, am
bulanCe surgeons clinging to the back
prepared to handle as many customers
as might be furnished. The cops
marched into the hall They found the
air full OF odors of homemade hootch.
and in addition to that II was filed
with hams and roast pigs and roast
chickens. and long. sinuous lengths Of
bologna sausage. The material for the
wedding feast was being used as mis-
siles.
The police found themselves in quite
a fight. Between 800 and 400 men ana
women were in the hall, and every one
of them was fighting with every ono
else. Family ties were forgotten.
Brother struck brother and sister struck
sister. and one corner was devoted en-
tirely TO an old gypsy. who was trying
earnestly to decapitate his wife. The
floor was strewn with the forms OK
those who had been overcome either
by hootch or the fighting. mingled with
strips torn from the finery OF the women.
and sashes ripped from the waists of
the men. The police stopped the riot
finally. the completed casualty list from
all causes being seventeen. The num-
ber arrested was also seventeen. all of
them being taken to the station after
their bruises had been patched by the
surgeons,
Among those arrested and injured
were the four who were TO have been
married. Anthony Guy and Miss Semar
Mileage of 542 Third avenue, Brooklyn
and John Guy and Grace Remler of 4sS
East Hath street. The only hospital
case was that OF Tony Guy. IA. OF the
Brooklyn address. who was found under
n table suffering from alcoholism. He
was sent TO Gouverneur Hospital.
The police heard Of three reasons
for the fight. One is that 1t started
when some one tried 90 eject two un-
invited guests: another is that one Of
the brldegrooms charged one OF the
brides fathers with proflteering on the
dowry. and the third is that II Just
started. The third reason is supported
by the fact that none OF the home
made hootch was left.