Father Christmas caught on fire
After dressing up in a Father’s Christmas costume that was made out of luxuriant quantities of cotton wool, Otto Krellwitz went to the swankiest part of town. In Houghton, Michigan, everyone was looking forward to the masquerade ball, but the night didn’t go as planned.
“The dancing and hilarity were at their height,” reported the Midland Daily Telegraph in February of 1891. “When an untoward accident occurred which brought the proceedings to an unexpected termination, and for a short time seemed likely to end in a catastrophe.”
The hapless Krellwitz danced when he saw a young boy dressed in a ghoul costume while carrying a candle. He was ablaze.
“The women started screaming, and the place was immediately thrown into a state of the utmost commotion, some of the dancers rushing to the doors to get out, whilst others ran to Krellwitz’s assistance. The latter, however, losing all presence in mind, ran frantically about the saloon, setting fire to the costumes of all which whom he came into contact. For several minutes the scene was indiscernible. A perfect panic, reigned, those whose clothes were on fire rushing wildly about to the danger of others.”
Many guests were burned as well as Krellwitz. “It is feared that he and one or two others may succumb to their injuries.”
Two years earlier, at a fancy dress ball, near Dun Laoghaire in Ireland, a guest known as Mr. Deane came dressed as Father Christmas and he also caught on fire. “He was quickly caught on flames.” The Western Daily Press mentioned. “His wife, to whom he was only recently married, rushed to his assistance, and unfortunately her clothes became ignited.” The host’s son ripped the cloth off the table from the billiard table and threw it over them both. But guess what, he was also burnt.
“The lad himself was none the worse for the adventure. Except that his cheek was slightly scorched.” The Essex reported.
Carol singer shot dead
In the frost street in Victorian England, there was this small group of carolers that were singing, wrapped up against each other because it was so cold. Their voices were everyone’s comfort while they walked down the streets. A second later, a loud gunshot rang and one of them slumps to the ground.
It happened in the small hours on December 25th, 1886. The time was on their booze-enriched evening, apparently, a gang was making their way to Clapham.
“Let’s call it the Rising Sun. The landlord would enjoy that,” One of them suggested.
It was 01:00 when they went into the backyard and played flutes and a clarinet and a drum as well.
Inside, James Gardiner was awakened by the hubbub. For an hour straight he suffered in silence. His bedroom window was an inch open, he yelled at them to stop. “Not heeding his request, they continued to sing, and James and a six-chambered revolver was fired.”
Robert Janaway, father of two was hit in the side. The window was flung open. “Have I shot anybody?” Gardiner called out. “You’ve shot Bob.” William testified. “There was a rare fuss.”
Robert was carried out of his home and to the hospital, but he died during emergency surgery. When the police arrived at the pub, the landlord was sobbing in his night clothes, repeatedly crying out, “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.” He wanted to scare them both, and he managed to do that.
-One dead in the battle of Christmas dinner-
During the mid-19th century, James King gave his life to Queen and the Country. He didn’t die in the fields of Crimea like his brother-in-law did, but in Hampshire. It wasn’t the bloodiest or the lengthiest, or the most significant, but it was definitely the weirdest.
On Christmas Day, 1859, the 24th Regiment of Foot and the Tower Hamlets Militia were sharing barracks in Aldershot. They ate Christmas dinner, and those who left had troops. The Tower Hamlets Milita had beef and pudding with beer. Things soon escalated. Mops and brooms turned into weapons, some lobbed rounds of coal. Some of the 24th went to get their rifles and started to load them.
King started singing with pals when a volley of fire erupted from the ground. “I am shot,” he cried.
“I felt for the wound, but could not find it,” George Sawyer told into King’s death. “He was only larking, but a comrade pulling up his shirt, which was soaked in blood, he was bleeding slowly.”
The guns blazed lasted for 10 minutes, every window was smashed, and the walls and doors and windows were prepped with bullet holes.
“The men on landing looked in anything but good condition.”
Gunfight at a Christmas Day wedding
This is something nobody would think would happen at their wedding, but for this couple and their guests it did.
Festival goodwill was short in supply and around town in Hazleton, Pa, on Christmas 1893, just up the road, a free-for-all brawl happened. 50 men left two shots and two more were stabbed. It was at the Polish wedding in town. For some time, there had been stuff going on between the Poles and Austrians of Hazleton. There were also these affairs as well. Austrians apparently packed some dynamite in the house where the couple would return to as husband and wife.
One of the Austrians let the best man’s speech slide, and as the guests scattered, the house ended up exploding. When the smoke was finally cleared there was a fire-fight.
Many people were shot, and more were injured by knives and clubs. The groom was killed. The Daily Gazette didn’t convey the jaw-dropping turmoil of the day: Lively Conflict at a wedding.
