Look Back: 1896 riot in Kingston over a keg of beer

A boarding house on Center Street, Kingston, catered to Lithuanians needing a place to stay.

And those Lithuanians enjoyed a good time.

Joseph Pokoytski, who owned the boarding house, secured a keg of beer and invited some of his guests for a gathering on Feb. 4, 1896. One guest played a violin during the impromptu party on the front porch as they consumed beer.

When the keg emptied, Pokoytski directed Joseph Polock and John Harsey to the saloon of John Luiantchi to purchase another keg at 1 a.m., Feb. 5, 1896, reported the Wilkes-Barre Record.

Once Polock and Harsey took possession of the new keg and began the walk back to the boarding house on Center Street, they were followed by “20 to 25 English-speaking toughs,” the Record reported.

Polock and Harsey hurried to the boarding house and ran inside, telling Pokoytski and others that trouble was outside the door.

Those “toughs” wanted the keg of beer and began tearing about the wooden fence throwing wood planks and rocks at the boarding house demanding the keg, reported the Record.

After several minutes, the English-speaking toughs walked away but returned soon later.

“The Lithuanians went on their their jollification. Shortly after 1 a.m., a rap was heard at the door. The boarding house boss went to the door but not seeing anybody on the porch, he ventured out into the yard,” the Record reported.

What happened next was a full blown riot.

Rocks and wood were thrown and bullets were shot from revolvers at the boarding house as those in the crowd demanded the keg of beer, the newspaper reported.

Polock was struck in the head with a fence picket and Adam Kobinski was struck in the head with a stone.

Bullets passed through the thin wood walls and windows striking two Lithuanians in their legs.

Luzerne County Detective Isaac Eckert investigated the riot and arrested three men, David Davis, William Davis and Charles Wolfe, who were charged with felonious wounding and assault and battery to kill.

Trial for the three English-speaking “toughs” was held May 2, 1896, when Assistant District Attorney Ralph H. Wadhams called them “a bad gang,” reported the Record.

A jury convicted David Davis and Charles Wolfe with felonious wounding and were sentenced May 5, 1896, by Judge John Lynch to three years each in the Eastern Penitentiary.

William Davis was acquitted by the jury.