Today in Wheeling History: February 12--The “Wheeling Daily Register” reported around 300 boys from Bellaire, Ohio and Benwood, West Virginia met on the ice of the Ohio River and engaged in vicious fighting using weapons that resulted in the death of a 13-year-old Bellaire boy (1872).
For weeks, boys from the rival towns of Bellaire, Ohio and Benwood, West Virginia, had been engaging in fights whenever they encountered each other on opposite sides of the river. On Saturday, February 10, 1872, around 300 boys from the towns gathered on the ice of the Ohio River for a pitched battle using stones and even pistols. One Bellaire boy, 13-year-old Furson, was struck behind the ear and fell unconscious. He later revived enough to go home but suffered terribly overnight. Tragically, Furson died the next morning from his injuries. After the death of Furson and serious injuries to others, it was questioned if authorities on both sides of the river would finally intervene to stop the violent riots between the boys. Some called for the arrest and punishment of all involved in the riots that led to Furson's death.
To learn more: (http://tinyurl.com/2a3wcj2b)
Photo credits: Wheeling Daily Register
For weeks, boys from the rival towns of Bellaire, Ohio and Benwood, West Virginia, had been engaging in fights whenever they encountered each other on opposite sides of the river. On Saturday, February 10, 1872, around 300 boys from the towns gathered on the ice of the Ohio River for a pitched battle using stones and even pistols. One Bellaire boy, 13-year-old Furson, was struck behind the ear and fell unconscious. He later revived enough to go home but suffered terribly overnight. Tragically, Furson died the next morning from his injuries. After the death of Furson and serious injuries to others, it was questioned if authorities on both sides of the river would finally intervene to stop the violent riots between the boys. Some called for the arrest and punishment of all involved in the riots that led to Furson's death.
To learn more: (http://tinyurl.com/2a3wcj2b)
Photo credits: Wheeling Daily Register
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