Greenpoint, Greenpoint, Greenpoint - Welcome To Greenpoint

BETTY
FAMILY PORTRAITS

"Go play by ya effin fathers stoop on Calyer Street ya little suva-na-bish <cough> <cough>!"

ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES A LADY

Nov 15 1894, Matilda F try's for 19 years to divorce her husband George F, a saloon keeper at 27 Greenpoint Avenue.

In September 1896 she was granted a separation and given $5 per week alimony by Mr F. Mr F claimed that even though he had been married to Matilda for more than a quarter of a century, that the marriage was illegal and so he should not be liable for her support.

Mr F claimed that she had married him on Jan 1 1868 but Matilda was already married to Fritz D in 1866.

She said that the marriage only lasted 3 days when she was told that Fritz drowned after falling off a Greenpoint ferry.

Matilda and her sister identified Fritz's clothes at the morgue, but soon after there was positive evidence that Fritz had been seen alive. In fact Mr F said that Matilda showed Fritz to him on the street and begged him to protect her from him.

Regardless of it all, Matilda married Mr F under the name of Mrs S, a third husband in this chain of love.

"Vada ya vant that I go to the poor house to give you these curtains for five-dollars off? Are you seeing a money tree behind me? Do I look like one of the Herzog brothers? Am I like a jack-ass to you? This is pure cotton"

MR. SCWARTZ
FAMILY PORTRAITS

BIG DADDY
FAMILY PORTRAITS

"Now hold on baby -- I ain't askin' to scalliwag ya at the dry dock..... all I'm lookin' for is a little jiggle darlin' "

MAID ON FIRE

In April 1888, widower Martin S of 397 1/2 Manhattan Avenue relieved his house keeper Betty K of 15 South 1st Street, of her $12 per month duties on the grounds that she was "not an early enough riser".

"It was not in the contract that I was to kiss the boss so I refused to do so and that was the real reason why I was discharged", said Betty.

Apparently widower Martin S's midnight advancements on Betty caused her to warn him that she would not be able to get up early enough the next morning to prepare breakfast.

The result was that she did not present herself in the kitchen until 8 o'clock the next morning, and prepared only one meal for the entire day.

The defense attorney moved to dismiss the case on the grounds that there was no law by which Miss K could bill her services for kissing and love making -- which by her own testimony was the only thing she seemed to have done during the two days she was in the Mr S's service.

On May 31, 1888 Betty K won her case.

Too Young For Knee Pants

In August 1899, Joseph C a manufacturer of knee pants at Graham and Metropolitan Avenue's was brought before the Magistrate accused of employing Millie D of 29 Meeker Avenue, and two other girls under the age of fifteen.

LIL' RED
FAMILY PORTRAITS
"Play the piano? Ya wanna see me play the piano? Ya mutha plays the piano!

JIMMY THE CUZ
FAMILY PORTRAITS

"Yo cuz I'll break ya face for ya. Now go get me a Manhattan Special and a pack-a-Kools at Betty's on Graham Avenue"

THE W FAMILY

The W family was more or less notorious, and well healed in Greenpoint and were the subject of scandals that were quickly buried.

In 1886 Two of the W boys were involved in the disappearance of a servant girl from the Wyandank Hotel. The girl, Delia L, 19 was engaged to Augustus W, brother of William W.

Miss L suddenly decided to change her mind toward their marriage which troubled Augustus to think that this would offend his parents enough to disinherit him. Miss L reported her troubles to the authorities and was soon offered a good sum of money by the W family to drop her suit.

Soon after she refused, she went missing and the W boys left town. It was rumored that William W intercepted Delia after she had left her lawyers office and brought her to the home of Mrs B where Augustus soon joined them and liquors were taken into the house. Sometime after midnight a wagon rode away carrying 3 people, of two at least were Willim W and Delia L

The legacy of the W family wasn't only restricted to the boys. As a matter of fact Essie W who was known to court "fast men" and never lacked admirers seems to have lead on Alphonso P. The lovers were to marry in 1887, and as a gift to his future bride, Alphonso gave her $100.

On Wednesday, All arrangements were made and the two were to meet back in a Greenpoint hotel.

Essie was nowhere to be found.

It was said that she humored him in his ideas of matrimony because it tickled her fancy (not to mention the hundred-bucks).

However, on Saturday in January 1887 they were finally married

BRUTAL BOXING

In August of 1897 it was alleged that the Greenpoint Sporting Club (144 Greenpoint Avenue) was a venue of extraordinary brutality.

It was alleged that on August 30, 1897 boxer Jack H resorted to foul tactics by butting his opponent Charles M against the posts and also using his elbow. The bout was deemed a draw because of his shenanigans.

Four years later in 1901 The Seymour Club of Williamsburg was on an outing in Flushing where it was alleged that a prize fight and knockout bout was held illegally in front of many of the clubs prominent members (including Senator McCaren). It was at this bout that Bruiser K of Greenpoint was knocked out by a straight blow to his jaw by Kid D.

PUNCHY
FAMILY PORTRAITS

"Ama goo ...ooh goood souf pour on a Fi...Friday at uh...uh..da ole Sunny site .. side gardens... but... but owny on uh uh Fi .. Fi.... Friday ..

YAMON
FAMILY PORTRAITS

"Ya mon. Dis is no Broadway and Lorimer you know. No mon. What I got is good for the wood too."

DIRTY MALE:

Mar 23 1880: Edward F W accused of sending obscene matters through US mail

FEB 12 1880: Edward F W, 55, President of the Greenpoint Savings bank arrested and accused of sending obscene matters through US mail.

Edward, a 30 resident of Greenpoint, was a wealthy ship builder at 41 West Street at Oak, residing at 83 Calyer (Colyer) Street.

A charge was made by Mr George R of 84 Calyer (colyer) Street that he and his adopted daughter had received obscene letters from Edward.

For the last 2 years Greenpointers have been annoyed from receiving anonymous obscene letters through the mail. Mr George R being a neighbor and formerly working in the same offices as Edward recognized the handwriting as well as a familiar mark on the envelopes.

A complaint by Anthony Comstock (Society for the suppression of vice) was pursued. Comstack proceeded in starting a letter writing communication with Edward anonymously and from the samples received, and analyzed by handwriting experts determined that the penmanship was the same as the obscene letters. This offense can be punishable by a jail term of 1 to 10 years.

Mr Josiah P, a real estate agent residing on Eckford Street also had received a strange letter some 2 years before but ignored it. Soon after the first letter strange hoaxes began for Josiah P.

First an ad appeared in the newspaper calling for Italian laborers to work for advance wages for Josiah P. Josiah's home was besieged with hundreds of angry workmen who were ready to mob him because they thought they were hoaxed.

Then another ad soliciting the need for "a good watchdog". The next day about 150 men from all parts of Brooklyn arrived with dogs on leash.

Then to top things off, one day Josiah read a notice of his own demise - a death notice - and obituary. The next day several of his friends arrived in carriages to view his wake.

The trial continued through April where it was concluded that the accused banker committed no offense within the scope of the law.

WILLIAM
Family Portraits

Family Portraits

FITZ

Family Portraits

POLICE SERGEANT ELOPES

In 1884 Arthur J (567 Leonard Street), a well known and one of the handsomest sergeants in Greenpoints 7th precinct eloped with the wife of a Greenpoint inventor Mr William A.

Mr A received two anonymous letters of his wife's infidelity.

The Sergeant left his wife and 2 daughters so destitute that a June 1884 newspaper article readers were encouraged to send donations to the Captain of the 7th precinct..

His 14 year old daughter Maggie became gravely ill with a nervous condition caused by the scandal.

The Sergeant was in the habit of retaining the largest portion of his monthly salary for himself.

In March of 1896 the Sergeant died.

"George's Has Everything"

georgestoon.jpg (122300 bytes)

Artist Julius and Walter were arrested and accused of having taken pictures (nudes) of 20 year old Rosa , a dark haired young woman of Hebrew appearance, of 13 Orient Avenue in their studio at 39 Greenpoint Avenue showing her in "the altogether".

She had posed twice at a rate of 50 cents per hour. Her father found them and quickly reported the incident to Anthony Comstock, chief special agent of the society for the suppression of vice on Park Row in Manhattan.

Mr Comstack went to the studio and seized in the area of 17 negatives. During the presentation of the evidence in the court room several reporters attempted to look at the images prompting Mr Comstack to object, stating that "I do not propose to having all these young men looking at the pictures. It is against the law for them to look at them".

District Attorney Foster Backus, referring to Rosa as a "brazen huzzy", noted in court that "strong drink was not the chief agent of damnation of the youth in this country". "When art reaches a point that it must degrade our women, then I think we can get along without art" said DA Backus.

The pictures in question were one of the model half kneeling, another was a view of her back and shoulders, and the other a full shot in stockings and garter. The artists claimed that they took the pictures to use as a study.

On December 21st Justice Walsh found both artists guilty and fined them $100 each with an alternative of 29 days in jail. Both paid the fine with one of the artist having the cash on hand and then leaving his partner in jails a few hours more until he got the cash for his release.

Rosa had received many offers to pose again or even appear on the stage. She said that she just wants to forget it all and "be good".

James S a wealthy widower and roofer (42 Franklin Street) of Greenpoint was accused by Mrs Maggie T a 28 year old blue eyed, lively blonde of 41 Franklin Street, of throwing himself on Maggie and kissing her.

Maggie was temporarily employed by S while his usual housekeeper was out of town. It was at this time in June when the alleged incident had taken place. Maggie did not report the incident until July because she was afraid that it would cause her husband and Mr S to meet in a bodily encounter.

It was insisted that this was a case of extortion because Maggie had known he was rich. In fact after James S had dismissed her Maggie hounded him with requests for 25 cents.

On this day in August Justice Goetting had his hands full with pleas and excuses of intoxication.

George P of 142 Franklin Street, a 73 year old old and quite deaf collector for the Standard Oil company was arrested and in court on October 15, 1900 when his grandson set the authorities on him. Mr P was caught with improper photographs in his possession. An indecently realistic picture of Mazeppa was found in his desk.

Apparently Alva F of Powers Street, daughter of old man P, had been seeing a married man, David G who worked with Mr P and who's wife was suing him for divorce naming Alva in the suit. David G was also recently fined for assaulting old man P. It seems that old man P had been trying to discourage his daughter Alva from seeing David G anymore when all of this trouble began. On November 1900, all charges were dropped against Mr P for lack of evidence

In January 1876 Frenchman Andeas Fuchs who lived at 93 North 3rd Street took a hammer, an ax, and a saw to Williams Simmons over alleged intimacies with Mrs Fuchs. Fuchs axed, hammered, cooked in the oven, dismembered, and scattered the Simmons remains in Greenpoint.

During the butchery, Fuchs stripped the flesh from the bones, and took the heart and other organs and put them in the oven to be consumed. He placed the head in newspaper and headed toward the river and carried the larger bones out to the Newtown Meadows. Simmons's body parts were found in the lumber yard on Milton & West Streets wrapped in The Brooklyner Press Newspaper dated December 1, 1875.

His body parts were found separately. First found was the neck to the lower ribs; Then the remainder of the torso, and the upper portions of the legs; The lower legs were found last.

Simmons who was employed by the North 3rd Street shop Of Jones & Henry, makers of carriage axles and was witnessed to be much too intimate with Mrs Fuchs. Simmons used to go to the oyster bar on Grand Street where he carried a significant amount of money with him ($80 to $100) most of the time. He was a mechanic who made about $40 per week.

Fuchs was sent to prison on May 29, 1876. He was to be hanged on June 2, 1876, but 1 week before Governor Tilden commuted his sentence to life in prison in Sing Sing. Andeas Fuchs died in prison In July 1882.