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News from the Rochester Star, April 29,1896
Milestones Vol 20 No 3 Fall 1995

ROCHESTER
Reporters:
Miss Ann Taylor
Miss Mary Shallcriberger

MAY BE FATAL
William Young Shot at the Home of Joseph
Tea in Rochester - A Drunken Spree.

William Young, a resident of Rochester, was shot in the left breast, just below the heart, at the home of Joseph Tea, in Rochester, at 9 o'clock last night. The wound is a dangerous one and the chances for recovery are considered doubtful.

Shortly after the shooting, Justice Hervey was sent for, and took the injured man's sworn statement, which is as follows:

"I was over at Monaca, and when I came over I went to Tea's place and started to walk through the yard to the water closet. "Doc" Ransom was standing in a doorway and shot me. I think he shot two or three times. We had not been quarreling and I had not been drinking with any of the people at the house."

Here he was asked by the justice, "Are you sure it was 'Doc' Ransom who shot you?" He replied, "I am sure it was."

"Doc" Ransom, the man charged with the shooting, is unmarried and is about 35 years of age. He originally resided in Rochester but for many years was a resident of Alabama. He returned to Rochester about one year ago, and until quite recently was employed by Joseph I. Reno in the furniture business. He is well educated, but unfortunately was with a crowd drinking at a place that has an unsavory reputation.

The police officers are on the hunt for him, but at last accounts had not found him.

William Young, the man shot, resides in the Leaf block on the Diamond. He is an expert bookkeeper and came to Rochester at the time Love Sewing Machine was in operation, and was bookkeeper for that establishment,

Dr, Rose was called and gave him medical attention, and today he was taken to the Beaver Valley Hospital.

The sworn statement of Young is contradicted by James Tea, son of the man at whose place the shooting took place ' who says William Wickham did the shooting.

The statement is in no way corroborated. Wickham denies emphatically that he did it, and says he tried to prevent Ransom from shooting, and Mrs. Tea tells the same story.

Wickham was placed under arrest, however, to await a hearing. James Tea is also being held to appear as a witness.

The house at which the shooting took ,)lace is located near the Rochester Depot and for a long time has been regarded as disorderly and a nuisance.

MONACA
Reporters:
Miss Mary C. Campbell
Miss Mary E. Beisel

THE PHOENIX GLASS WORKS

The Phoenix Glass works, located in Monaca, has a world-wide reputation for producing fine wares.

The company was organized August 8, 1880, and the first factory was erected immediately thereafter. It was first a cooperative concern, but some two years later the system was changed, and a new company organized.

The Phoenix company absorbed the Edward Dithridge works of Pittsburgh, and later purchased the Doyle factory, of Monaca, now known as the "Upper Works."

The purchase of the Doyle factory was made by Edward Kaye, the present manager of the Phoenix.

Twice has the Phoenix factory been burned down, but true to its name, out of its ashes, as often arose new buildings, grander and better than the old.

The factories are now both practically fire proof and it is hoped that they will not suffer the fate of the former building on the same site.

The last fire occurred in February, '95, at which time the main factory was burned to the ground. The company at once leased the Dithridge factory in New Brighton, where a full force of hands were operated until the new factory was built.

The upper factory was burned in 1893, and was replaced with an iron structure a few months later.

Fine tableware was manufactured in large quantities and cut glass was a specialty. Later, gas and electric appliances were made, this industry still being carried on to a large extent, The most beautiful lamps to be found anywhere in the world are manufactured at the Phoenix. Some of these are worth as much as $500 and $1000.

The decorations on the better grade of lamps are hand work and are "Colonial," "Underglaze," "Oriental," etc., the very finest artists in the country being employed.

The lamp department is under direction of Mr. F. J. Duffner of Pittsburgh, who has been with the company for six years.

Andrew Howard is president of the Phoenix company, and A. H. Patterson, secretary.

BEAVER FALLS
Reporters:
Miss Jessie E. Moulds
Miss Nell Wilson

A QUEER PRACTICE
Buying Soda Water by the Pitcher and
Bucket Full to Carry Home

One of the queer practices that has been developed in Beaver Falls this spring is, to use a slang phrase, the "rushing of the soda water growler."

"Yes," said an uptown druggist yesterday, in response to the inquiry of a STAR reporter, about the odd practice, 'Rushing a soda water growler' is a common practice in this locality. It used to be that we sold soda water by the glass only, but of late - we sell gallons of it to people who call for it in pitchers, buckets, cans and other receptacles. One Hungarian family always sends a glass sugar bowl of huge dimensions.

The practice is confined principally to foreigners, yet we have many families of our own nationality who rush the can just as lively as the Huns, Slavs, Italians and Bulgarians. The Hungarians generally take plain soda but generally the call for it is with syrup in.

"Why they buy it this way I do not know," said the druggist, "unless it is because they get more of the beverage for the money, and besides they can sit at their ease at home and drink it. At any rate it is better for them than beer - at least it don't set them to fighting and breaking up housekeeping."

The reporter thought so also as she left the store with a mental prayer that "rushing the soda water growler" would eternally supplant the "rushing of the beer growler.

Tramps May Have To Work

The poor, dear tramps, who are so unfortunate as to reach New Brighton, will have to work now. Mr. Martsolf, the burgess, has had ever so many loads of stone hauled into a pen alongside the city building, which he intends to make the tramps break. They are a species of stone known as hard heads and the tramps will have to work awfully hard.

A Small Wreck on the P&LE

A small freight wreck occurred on the P&LE Railroad this morning, between the Fallston overhead bridge and Brady's run. In the fog an engine ran into the train ahead. A coal car and the caboose were smashed and the north track obstructed for some hours.