This Day in History: 1874-08-15
A raffle at Hagerman’s Hotel set off a wild night in Mahwah. The raffle attracted a large crowd and the spirits flowed. “Scotch Charley” won the gun and treated the crowd to what the Bergen Democrat’s correspondent referred to as “copious quantities of tanglefoot”. They then moved to “the Castle DeMerritt (Mrs. Merritt’s tavern) where more wines and liquors were consumed. A quarrel broke out between “Dutch Ant” and a servant girl over an old grudge. She eventually hit him with a lighted lantern injuring him so badly that it is feared he will lose an eye. Jas Hopper tried to arouse “The Lord of the Manor’ who was asleep in the cupola. When awakened the proprietor wanted to know “what in h___ was going on downstairs”. Several efforts were made to get her (or his?) books on but when arriving downstairs the rioters had left. (Bristow)