Sunday, March 31, 2013

A Greek-Rumanian War.

New York Times 100 years ago today, March 31, 1913:
It Breaks Out In a Clubhouse and the Casualties Are Heavy.
    The dispute between Bulgaria and Rumania over the question of the location of the border line dividing those two countries was the indirect cause last night of a Greek-Rumanian war in the Rumanian club, the Lupoaica Benefit Society, at 124 West Forty-first Street, near Broadway. It took six patrolmen to end the battle, after which several physicians from the New York Hospital patched up the wounded, mostly Rumanians.
    Thirty members were in the clubrooms at 11 o'clock when eight Greeks forced their way in. When the Rumanians arose to resent the intrusion the leader of the Greeks, Demetria Papajwsi, a waiter of 265 West Thirty-ninth Street, assured them that they were on a friendly visit, and thereupon the invaders were invited to refreshments. But a moment later, when the Rumanians started singing their national airs, the Greeks taunted them with favoring Turkey and opposing the Christians by the dispute with Bulgaria.
    Some one drew a revolver and fired two shots, which were heard by Sergt. Sheridan and six patrolmen in the vicinity, and when they reached the door of the club every man in the place appeared to be fighting, or throwing bottles, chairs, and other movable articles at the foe. Six wounded men were unconscious on the floor, and near by was a revolver with two empty cartridges in it, but no one had been hit apparently by the bullets, for all the injuries were cuts and bruises. Demetria, leader of the Greeks, accused a Rumanian, who described himself as John Collins, 230 West Forty-fifth Street, as the one who had fired the weapon. He was locked up on the charge of assault, after he had charged his accuser with hitting him on the head with a bottle.
    The club manager, Stora Vrana, said they never before had any trouble with the Greeks.

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