100 years ago in The Record

Thursday, June 28, 1917

An argument over a pool game in a Cohoes saloon turns into a “cutting affray” that leaves one man hospitalized and his antagonist in jail. The Record reports that the timely arrival of a patrolman is the only thing preventing the affray from escalating into a gunfight on Van Rensselaer Street. The trouble begins shortly before midnight on Ontario Street between John Sahare, a relative newcomer in town, and Michael Mazula. Always attentive to ethnicity, our paper identifies both men as “Austrian Poles.” Our Cohoes correspondent notes that Mazula “is well known among the Polish people of the city, and has been arrested several times.” His record includes a second-degree assault charge after he used brass knuckles in a brawl. It’s unclear exactly what the two men argue over, but at some point Mazula punches Sahare. Mazula soon discovers that he’s picked on the wrong man. Sahare chases him outside and slashes him on his face and his left hand. Mazula might have had it worse if not for his younger brother Philip, who chases Sahare from Ontario to Van Rensselaer. Catching up to him, Philip pulls out an automatic revolver, while Sahare brings his knife out again. “Another fight would undoubtedly have resulted had it not been for the timely arrival on the scene of Policeman Tracy Ablett,” our reporter writes, “Policeman Ablett drew his gun and ordered the men to drop their weapons. Sahare threw the knife away, but it was later recovered and taken to police headquarters.”

Sahare will most likely face an assault charge, while Philip Mazula is being held for carrying a concealed weapon. Michael Mazula is expected to make a complete recovery, but probably will remain hospitalized until next week.

HOME DEFENSE CORPS

Rensselaer County’s home defense corps will be the county’s third line of defense in the event of an invasion of the United States, after the National Guard and the depot battalion stationed in Troy.

Refusing to rule out the possibility of invasion while the U.S. remains at war with Germany, the Home Defense Committee meets tonight at Troy Savings Bank to organize the county corps. The committee hopes to raise a corps of between 500 and 600 men between the ages of 16 and 64. Volunteers must be of good moral character, while those under age 21 must get parental consent in writing before joining.

While the U.S. has been at war since April 6, “the work of organizing this corps has been delayed because of the greater importance of assisting in the Liberty loan and Red Cross campaigns,” our reporter explains.