A Bewitching Guide to Halloween: 1923

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Freaky Flint History with Joe Schipani - The Black Hand Returns December 10th, 1923

Flint is well known for its modern violent crimes but Flint's history is filled with little known stories that read stranger than fiction. Gruesome murders, weird accidents, and violent deaths. Join us every Thursday as Joe Schipani details some of the odd but true deaths he found in Flint's archives.

The Black Hand Returns December 10th, 1923

In 1910 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Boneventire moved from Italy to Detroit.

Joseph worked hard and made a good life for he and his family until around 1920 when he started getting threats from the Black Hand. Meeting their demands was challenging and soon he got to the point he could not meet them.

His wife’s brother offered to help them move to Flint to escape the pressure of the Black Hand. The family managed to escape Detroit the night before the Black Hand was to make good on their threat.

The Boneventires did well in Flint.

Mrs. Boneventire was happy to be close to her family.

On the night of December 10th, 1923 Mrs. Boneventire was in the kitchen making bread while her husband entertained her brother’s family and the two boarders that lived with them.

Mrs. Boneventire was putting bread in the oven when shots fired through the window behind her.

Eleven bullets went through her body. The family rushed in and carried her to the bed. She died as they laid her in the bed.

A patrolman heard the gunfire from a couple blocks away and came running.

The police found the gun in an alley a block away and a note by the back window that said “you can’t hide.”

No one was ever arrested for the murder of Mrs. Boneventire.

~ Joe Schipani is the Executive Director of the Flint Public Art Project and the FFAR Project Assistant at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint. Find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HauntedFlint/

Freaky Flint History with Joe Schipani: Austria vs Croatia Nationality Debate December 6th, 1923

Austria vs Croatia Nationality Debate December 6th, 1923

Ivan Griski left his wife and two small children in Austria while he came to Flint to start a new life for his family.

Shortly after his arrival he opened a pool hall on Leith Street. Business was doing well. Soon Ivan would have had enough money to move out of the boarding house on Everett and St John Streets and buy a family home so his wife and kids could move to Flint from Austria.

Tom Bik moved to Flint from Croatia. He too was planning to send for his family once he made enough money but his wife and children decided that they didn’t want to move to Flint.

At first Tom had a hard time finding work but he finally landed a job at one of the auto factories. But without his family Tom was getting old and bitter.

On the night of December 6th, 1923 Tom was visiting some friends at the boarding house on Everett Street. Tom rented a room at a boarding house on St John Street.

Ivan and Tom met and quickly got into an argument about whose country was better. This was a common occurrence in the neighborhood because there were many boarding houses filled with immigrants.

But this fight quickly escalated into the streets. Ivan was about eighteen years younger than Tom, who was fifty two.

Ivan hit Tom hard. He really gave him a beating, proving Austria was better. But Tom, determined not to lose, pulled out a hunting knife and stabbed Ivan just below the left shoulder.

One of the residences in a boarding house across the street witnessed the whole thing and called the police. When the police arrived they found Tom standing over Ivan’s dead body. Tom quickly confessed to the murder and told them after a twenty minute debate on nationality, Ivan attacked him and he pulled his knife out of self-defense.

The police brought Tom and several witnesses down to the station. Most of the witnesses agreed with Tom’s statement of self-defense.

The two that claimed that it was not self-defense were not taken seriously because of their Austrian origin.

Tom was set free and not charged with murder.

Freaky Flint History with Joe Schipani - Moonshine and Gambling August 31st, 1923

Moonshine and Gambling August 31st, 1923

On Sunday August 26th, Slavaka Domesett went to his cousin George’s house. George Sipus ran a little illegal gambling and moonshine operation out of his home. There had been many people at the house that night including George’s brother Stephen. On the night of August 26 the house was filled with people, moonshine, and card games. George’s wife was busy entertaining the men and making them food.

Stephen was on a losing streak all night. Slavaka noticed and egged him on, encouraging him to keep gambling. Eventually a fight broke out. Stephen pulled out a pocket knife and sliced Slavaka’s arm. This started an all-out brawl.

After the two men went flying through a window, George kicked them out of his house.

After getting booted from George’s place Slavaka went to a physician and had his arm and face stitched up. They had been cut when he went through the window. After getting stitches Slavaka was upset and in pain. He went back to his George’s house on Massachusetts Avenue for moonshine to help his pain.

But this time he was prepared with a gun in case Stephen was there and wanted to brawl some more.

He walked in and discovered Stephen there. Stephen was quick to try and make amends with his cousin. The two men decided to bury the hatchet over a couple of drinks.

Everything seemed to be going good for a while. Stephen was still on his losing streak and after a couple more hours of drinking, Slavaka started in again with the comments.

George’s wife noticed that Stephen was almost to the breaking point so she distracted the two men with lunch. They seemed to calm down while eating. Mrs. Sipus tried her hardest to keep them distracted.

But the remarks once again started flowing from Slavaka. Stephen stood up and pulled out his knife. Slavaka pulled out his gun.

Mrs. Sipus quickly moved in front of Stephen thinking Slavaka would never shoot a woman. But it was too late.

Slvaka fired two shots. One hit Mrs. Sipus in the chest. The other hit Stephen in the abdomen.

The police and ambulance arrived soon after but Slavaka made a quick getaway.

The police chased him for a few miles before catching him south of the river.

As Slavaka drove over the Halsey Street Bridge, he flung his revolver into the river. After his arrest, Slavaka admitted that he did not intend to shot Mrs. Sipus and that the trigger was already pulled when she got in the way.

Slavaka was jailed on attempted murder charges.

Stephen and Mrs. Sipus had been rushed to Hurley hospital, where both were operated on and listed in critical condition.

Stephen made a full recovery, while Mrs. Sipus died the following Friday on August 31^st, 1923.

Slavaka’s charges were changed to one count of murder and one count of attempted murder.

He spent the rest of his life in prison.

Freaky Flint History with Joe Schipani - Dinner Table August 17th, 1923

Dinner Table August 17th, 1923

Edward and Jennie Hart both worked at the Fisher Body plant. The couple rented an upstairs apartment on Red Arrow from Jennie’s brother and lived there together with their fourteen year old son.

The Hart’s spent numerous nights quarreling over Edward’s jealousy of his wife’s close friendships with other women. He often accused her of having sexual relations with them. He wanted all of her time.

Earlier in the spring of 1923, Edward’s mother purchased land for him so he could farm it, hoping it would relieve some of his tension. The farming business seemed to be a failure right away. Edward could not manage to get any crops to grow.

The failing farm business caused more tension between the couple. Edward left his job at the Fisher Body plant to start the farm, leaving his wife to provide for the family. When Edward returned to the plant a few months later after his farm failed, he grew suspicious of his wife’s new friendships.

According to police reports, Jennie’s brother claimed that the arguing had gotten worse after Edward returned to work at the plant.

On the afternoon of August 17th Jennie spent most of the day at a friend’s house. Jennie returned home in the evening to cook dinner for her family. Edward’s car had broken down earlier that day. Just before dinner he sent his fourteen year old son Eldon to fix it and bring it home.

Eldon was still not home when dinner was ready, so Jennie decided to start eating without him. According to the police report, Jennie’s brother and sister-in-law once again heard the couple fighting. Edward again accused his wife of having sexual relations with a woman. Jennie’s brother stated later that he heard Edward say it was going to end tonight, just before hearing the gun fire. Edward shot Jennie three times: in the arm, in the back, and through her breast right into the heart, killing her instantly.

After shooting Jennie he turned the gun on himself and pulled the trigger.

Jennie’s brother and sister then rushed into the apartment and found Jennie lying dead on the floor and Edward dead on the table.

One of the neighbors called the police. During the investigation they found a note in Edward’s shirt pocket. The note asked to have the Fisher Body Plant give both his and his wife’s final paychecks to their son Eldon.

Eldon arrived home after fixing his dad’s car to find an ambulance taking his parents’ bodies away.

Edward had sabotaged the car by pulling a cable on the motor. The murder/suicide was clearly premeditated.

Freaky Flint History with Joe Schipani - Confession of a Convict June 28th, 1923

Confession of a Convict June 28th, 1923

In mid-1923 Earl Hammer was released from a prison outside of Michigan and decided to head back to Flint.

In May, he arrived in Toledo, purchased guns, and robbed a garage in town where he stole a car. From there he headed to Grand Rapid to meet up with some friends. While in Grand Rapids he spent time robbing gas stations and grocery stores.

Before his departure to Flint, he abandoned the car he stole in Toledo and stole a nice sedan. Hoping not to get caught, he put the Ohio plate from the previous car on the sedan.

Once he arrived in Flint he went on a robbery spree. He hit Crescent Sporting Goods store on Detroit Street, where he attacked the owner with a baseball bat; Abaham-Foss sporting goods store on South Saginaw Street; a gas station on South Saginaw Street, where he left with fifty dollars; another gas station on Beach Street, escaping with sixty dollars; and Hubbard Hardware Co. on South Saginaw Street.

Worried about getting caught, he left Flint for the day and drove to Saginaw to rob another gas station.

That night when he arrived back in Flint a motorcycle cop, Patrolman Hudson, noticed him speeding on Saginaw Street near Fourth Avenue.

Knowing he had a lot of stolen money and guns in his car Earl quickly turned on to Fourth Avenue and kept turning on different streets trying to lose Hudson.

The chase went on for some time.

Finally Hudson caught up with Earl on Richfield Road. As Patrolman Hudson was going to cut him off, Earl pulled out his gun and shot the patrolman three times. One of the shots killed him instantly. Earl sped off while Patrolman Hudson’s motorcycle crashed and rolled.

Patrolman Hudson was soon found by a reporter from the Flint Journal who saw Earl’s car drive away from the scene.

They gave a description of sedan to the police which helped them locate it at a boarding house on Stevens Street.

Detective Bishop slowly approached the while several officers surrounded it to make sure he didn’t escape. When he knocked on Earl’s door, he heard another officer yell that he was trying to escape out a second story window in his room.

Hearing this, Bishop broke down the door to Earl’s room. Earl quickly grabbed his gun. They struggled. Bishop was able to divert Earl’s shots. After a long struggle, Earl regained possession of his gun, but before he could shoot, Bishop got his own gun out of the holster and shot Earl three times. One of the bullets severed Earl’s spinal cord leaving him fatally wounded.

Earl was rushed to Hurley hospital where the doctors said nothing could be done for him.

Earl accepted his fate and asked the doctor to get a Clergyman, because he wanted to die like a man even though he did not live like one.

He then proceeded to confess everything to the Clergyman.

Freaky Flint History with Joe Schipani : Fighting over a Girl May 6th, 1923

Fighting over a Girl May 6th, 1923

In 1923 Bessie Herman had moved to Flint from the south. Unfortunately, an African American, it was hard to secure a place to stay because most motels and apartments were for whites only.

Her family secured her a room with a friend of a friend on Durant Street. As soon as Bessie found a job, she moved into her own place. Two brothers, who were friends of the family, were very protective of their family friend.

On that May evening Earl and Cornelius Howard had Bessie and their good friend Eevee Butler and his wife over for dinner. Eevee proceeded to make passes at Bessie all evening. He even offered to let her stay with them and sleep in the bed with him and his wife. This was making Bessie really uncomfortable so she left early.

Shortly after she left the Howard’s, Earl and Eevee got into a heated argument. Cornelius joined the fight and Eevee panicked. He pulled out a pistol he had in the back of his trousers and started to shoot.

Earl was hit with the first bullet. It entered his head, killing him instantly.

Cornelius turned to leave the room and was shot in the back. The bullet went right through him and into Eevee’s wife.

Both Cornelius and Mrs. Butler survived.

Eevee Butler was convicted of murder and sentenced to fifty years. His wife filed for divorce during his trial.

Freaky Flint History with Joe Schipani - Deadly Affair May 23rd, 1923

Deadly Affair May 23rd, 1923

Shortly after Midnight Mr. Pascell came home from work to find his wife Myrtle bleeding to death in their back yard on Michigan Avenue. The police entered the scene a few minutes after Mr. Pascell and found that Myrtle was killed in her bedroom and dragged to the back yard. Myrtle’s jugular vein was completely severed with a knife.

After interviewing a neighbor and close friend of Myrtle, the police found out that she was having an affair with David Brown. The neighbor claimed she heard yelling and that Brown wanted her to take her one year old child and run away with him.

Myrtle, still in love with her husband and wanting to do the right thing, decided it was time to end the relationship. The neighbor claimed the yelling lasted for almost an hour. Several times she thought about calling the police, but didn’t. She claimed Mr. Brown, who also went under the name of Smith, left about ten minutes before Mr. Pascell came home.

The neighbor saw Mr. Brown dragging Myrtle out of the house and finally called the police.

The search for David Brown went on for days. They followed rumors that he was in Detroit and Pontiac but nothing ever came of them.

Mr. Brown was never seen again.

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