100 years ago in The Saratogian

Sunday, April 8, 1917

A former Mechanicville policeman is under arrest today for shooting a man during an argument over the U.S. war against Germany, The Saratogian reports.

Dennis Nolan is being held without bail on a charge of first degree assault while his victim, Michael Haggerty, fights for his life at Troy Hospital.

The trouble began last night at Lynch’s café on Saratoga Avenue. While the Saratoga Springs paper doesn’t detail the argument, other local papers report that the 32 year old Haggerty took Germany’s side, enraging the 37 year old Nolan.

The U.S. declared war on Germany on April 6 after breaking off diplomatic relations in February over indiscriminate attacks on merchant ships bound for France and Great Britain. Despite widespread popular anger over Germany’s actions since the European war began in the summer of 1914, some Americans still feel that Kaiser Wilhelm’s empire is in the right in the continental conflict, while others simply hate Great Britain, whose side the U.S. has now joined.

Mr. Lynch, the saloon proprietor, tells investigators that he threw Nolan out after the ex-cop threatened to “whip” Haggerty. The investigators believe that Nolan went home to get a gun, but it’s not clear whether Lynch knew this when Nolan reappeared in front of the saloon. After denying him entry, Lynch decided to escort Haggerty home.

After closing his saloon, Lynch walks Haggerty across a foot bridge across Tenendaho Creek onto Round Lake Avenue. At the other end of the bridge, near Haggerty’s home, they run into Nolan, who’s now brandishing his firearm.

“Haggerty seized Nolan’s gun hand and struck him, knocking him down,” a Mechanicville correspondent writes, “and as Nolan regained his feet he is said to have fired a shot which struck Haggerty in the abdomen, inflicting a serious wound.”

Lynch rushes Haggerty home and calls a doctor and the police. Doctors Bolton and Mauro determine Haggerty’s condition to be “very serious” and call an ambulance to take him to Troy. Two Mechanicville patrolmen find Nolan, their former colleague, in bed at home, where he surrenders without a fight.

LOCAL BASEBALL

Three days before Major League Baseball opens the 1917 season, the Catholic Union nine of Saratoga Springs opens its season with a 14-4 victory over the Mechanicville Butlers on the Rye Lot Diamond.

“The game was loosely played,” The Saratogian reports, “Cold weather also had its effect and the wind carried the ball to all parts of the field.”

Catholic Union scores its 14 runs on only nine hits, plus four Mechanicville errors, and in spite of Mechanicville pitcher Williams’ twelve strikeouts.