Days Gone By In Staunton

Thursday, Sept. 20, 1923 -- CIRCUS ATTRACTS MANY -- The Al. G. Barnes circus which held forth in our city on Thursday afternoon and evening of the past week attracted large crowds to both the afternoon and evening performances. The offerings came up to expectations and all were well pleased with the programs. This is one of the largest aggregations which ever stopped off at Staunton and their methods of operation attracted quite a bit of attention. The outfit carried from 500 to 600 people and several hundred horses. Grocerymen had a busy time supplying the demands of the culinary department and the feed stores also did a good business. The circus, while in Staunton bought four old horses which they slaughtered, using the meat to feed the lions and tigers.

BACK FROM TRIP -- Mr. and Mrs. H.H. Hopper recently returned to our city on Thursday evening of the past week from their trip through the Northwest and West. They started for home from Los Angeles and made the run of exactly 2300 miles in fourteen days. On their entire trip they travelled 8400 miles. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hopper are looking fine and enjoyed their vacation immensely.

DANCING SCHOOL -- Prof. N. H. Levy, who has had a successful season in dancing here last season, is returning to start his classes here, beginning Tuesday, October 2nd, in Struck's Hall. The evening class will start at 8 p.m. and the children's class at 4:30 p.m. In the evening class Prof. Levy will teach beginners as well as advanced pupils in the latest up to date dancing. For the children he will teach Ballet, Solo and Fancy dances. Parents are invited to attend with the children.

ANNOUNCE CLOSING OUT SALE -- Messrs. Latowsky Bros., of New Douglas, one of the old time mercantile establishments of that village, are at present inaugurating a gigantic closing out sale, preparatory to retiring from active business. The Star-Times office last week printed up a large quantity of big bills on which the values offered are listed and these have since been distributed throughout the territory adjacent to New Douglas. Messrs Latowsky up to the present have announced no plans for the future.

Thursday, Sept. 27, 1923 -- MR. FLEISCHMAN SERIOUSLY SHOT -- (Note: A good portion of this story was missing because of a torn page and information was filled in as best we could.)

Mr. Fleischman, who has been conducting a business establishment in the Quade Building in our city, early Tuesday morning was shot by three men in his home on Edwards Street in our city. The bullet grazed his arm, inflicting two wounds, entered his stomach and then lodged in his bone. His condition is critical and it is doubtful whether he will survive.

Quite a bit of mystery is connected to this occurrence and it is difficult to procure the real "low down" on the matter as neither Fleischman nor his wife will talk.

According to neighbors of the Fleischmans, two or three automobiles were noticed to drive past the house shortly before the shooting occurred. Neighbors heard the report of the shot when the wound was inflicted.

The local police were notified immediately following the shooting, and when they arrived at the house they were told that three men had entered the home and Mr. Fleischman was commanded to put up his hands. He appeared to not want to comply with the demand and one of the trio fired the shot that may claim Fleischman's life.

The fellows involved n the crime are said to be young men, apparently aged from 18 to 21 years old. Immediately after the shooting they ran to an automobile they had in hiding but about a hundred yards from the Fleischman home and ran same into the ditch where it turned over and was abandoned.

Neighbors saw the fellows run in a easterly direction and are of the opinion that one of them was injured when the car turned over. The machine, which was a Chevrolet, has a St. Louis license tag and according to the police there is owned by ? Silverstein.

The night after the shooting Mrs. Fleischman is said to have stated that she knew the identity of her husband's assailants, but later denied this.

Fleischman was rushed to the St. Francis Hospital where an operation was performed and the bullet removed. Physicians express doubts as to whether he will recover.

Some angles of the affair are shrouded in mystery and the fact that neither Fleischman nor his wife will talk, leads to the conclusion that some St. Louis gang may be connected with the matter.

BOUGHT BUILDING -- A deal was closed last week whereby H.H. Hopper bought of C.F. Hackman the business building adjoining Mr. Hopper's place of business on the east. The structure at present houses the stores of C.W. Faulstich and H. Bargfield on the ground floor, while on the second floor the telephone offices are located and some of the space is being used as flats. Mr. Hopper will be given possession of the property on October 1. For the time being there will be no change in the tenants.

CLUB HOUSE TO BE BUILT -- The Board of Directors of the Oak Hill Country Club held a meeting Tuesday evening at which time bids for the construction of a club house were received and opened.

Five bids were received, and of these the bid of Al R. Bethel for the sum of $15,000 for a brick building, or about $600 less for a frame structure was low. All contractors figured on a specified plan and were instructed to hold their figures as near the $12,000 mark as possible. From the low bid of $15,000 the figures ran as high as $17,500. The Board of Directors accepted the bid of Mr. Bethel for the brick structure, subject to the approval of the members.

A meeting of the members will be called for some evening this week, probably Friday evening. Notices will be sent out definitely stating time and place. Bethel, two other local contractors. Ernest Mull and Ben. Ackerman, submitted proposals and bids were also received from C. A. Folix of Litchfield and Wm. Wilson of Granite City.

INJURED FINGER -- Mr. C. R. Wall, while in the Staunton National Bank on Sunday afternoon, seriously injured the small finger of his right hand. Mr. Wall had been applying an anti-rust preparation to the big door on the bank's vault, and while in the act of closing the door, caught the little finger of his left hand between the door and the casing. The nail was shorn off and the bone broken, causing a very painful injury.