Jan Raczkiewicz Was Shot on February 16, 1915, in Grand Rapids, Michigan!

Jan had a big year in 1915 for some reason. He switched careers. He was engaged to be married. And he was shot – two times actually, on the same night. So what was going on in Jan’s life at the time? ***** First is the information about his career change. He had been working as a cabinet maker but in 1915 he was a shoemaker. He then went back to being a cabinet maker the following year. Was the career change for a good or bad reason? It is hard to tell. Was he fired as a cabinet maker? Or was he trying out something new that could become his own business if it was successful? Jan had been working as a cabinet maker for Phoenix Furniture Company the year before. The year of the shooting, he had a brief career as a shoemaker with Adolph Montrim. Then by the following year, he returned to making cabinets again for a different company -- Johnson Furniture. He remained at that company for the next several years until he no longer shows up in the city directory and I know now that it is because he returned to Poland. ***** Next is the information about his love life. He married Franciszka nee Kudlika 11 months (January 25, 1916) after he was shot. When they were married, he was a shoemaker and “Frances” was a dishwasher. ***** We learned about the shooting after my sister Lori found the article in The Grand Rapids Herald, which is no longer in existence. She was able to search the online records of the Grand Rapids Public library and found the article which was a shocker. According to the article, Jan was at a wedding where he was involved in an argument. The problem followed him the few blocks he walked home to the apartment he lived in with his brothers. Alcohol was probably involved and there is no information from the article to determine the fault of Jan related to any of the events. The convoluted story reported to the police and the inability to answer the police’s questions may have been related to several factors, one being that Jan’s English might have been limited even though he had been in the US for about five years at this point. ***** In the year 2020 Grand Rapids saw a sharp spike in shootings and in fact, there were 35 homicides in 2020 versus 18 in 2019. The pandemic and racial inequities are the probable reasons. It makes me wonder what was going on in 1915 in Grand Rapids and how safe was the city to which Jan and his brothers had recently immigrated. Like other immigrants, Jan moved around quite a bit during the first five years he was in the U.S.. All of the houses are in the same general neighborhood. The article says the wedding was near First Street and Stocking Avenue. It is likely the arguing began at the reception rather than the wedding. There were two halls in that area at the time: the Taxpayers Hall (on First Street east of Stocking Avenue) and Swantek Hall (on Stocking Avenue at Second Street.) Taxpayers Hall was on First St. just east of Stocking. ***** This is another mystery related to the oldest brother Jan. ***** The article: JOHN RACZKIEWICE ATTACKED IN FRONT OF HOME BY TWO MEN. John Raczklewlcz, 26 years old, 122 Winter avenue, N.W., is in Butterworth hospital suffering from bullet wounds in his left chest and left hand, the result of being shot while in front of his home last night shortly after 10 o'clock. The wounds are not believed tb be fatal. The police could learn little about the shooting. Their first report was that Raczkiewicz had shot himself, but when taken to the hospital the wounded man said he was fired upon by two men with whom he had quarreled while attending a wedding on First street near Stocking Avenue last night. When questioned by the detectives, Raczklewlcz was unable to tell who the men were with whom he had quarreled, or what the quarrel was about. He said he believed the men had followed him home and laid in wait for him. The wounds were Inflicted wth a 22 caliber revolver. One of the bullets Iodged In the hand, while the other entered the left chest, taking a downward course and came out about the middle of the side. Detectives Youngs and Bllnston are investigating. ***** Image credit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/264767850370094/permalink/1837902863056577