Frontier beer: A heady subject
This article is sponsored and inspired by my friend, the connoisseur of the brew, Bob Fitzpatrick.
In the Wild West, beer was better for you than water!
Alcoholic drinks have been a pursuit of man since the Stone Age. The fermentation of grains, fruits and honey across the ages has caused pain/pleasure throughout history.
Jesus’s first miracle at a wedding was turning 120 gallons of water into fine wine at the request of his mother.
Personally, I think he didn’t read the invitation thoroughly, it was B.Y.O.B. A little embarrassed, he thought, OK watch this ...
As the Germans migrated in droves to the U.S. during the mid-1800's, they brought their traditions and talents with them. Beer was a mainstay in Central Europe, where it kept the masses in check and children quiet.
In 1848 a pro-democracy political movement was lost, bringing many German intellectuals and entrepreneurs into cities like Cincinnati, Milwaukee, St. Louis and St. Joseph. With them came their knowledge and thirst for home, meaning Lager beer.
St. Joseph in 1860 was a wide open town, 8,900 residents, 129 saloons and thousands coming through heading West in search of a better life.
The Civil War was on the horizon, but the Border War -- fought over the expansion of slavery between Kansas and Missouri -- festered for years. Passions ran high as a mixture of characters never seen before in history gathered: abolitionists, soldiers, merchants, settlers, drunks, bushwhackers, native Americans, farmers, con-men, and painted ladies came together making up a menagerie of struggling souls.
As for the newly arriving Germans, they always drank a lot. According to the Daily Gazette, “the Germans are the only people who know how to drink, they drink for nourishment only and it is as necessary for them as sunshine is to plants.”
Brewers not only became successful business men, but gained local celebrity status too.
One of St. Joseph’s first Breuhaus was the Avenue Brewery at 1224 Frederick, familiar address? Competition was steep as the owners wanted to bring in a well known and respected Master Brewer.
Enter William Fritzlin from Leavenworth, Kansas. Fritzlin came up River and immediately had an impact, become the "out of town expert.”
With personality and charisma, he knew how to market, bringing new runs of product or “Bock” beers to the newspaper, sharing with reporters and having a “Bock” celebration at the Brewery.
Beer, convictions, violence and egos caught up with the amiable Fritzlin. While calling on the Liberty Saloon in Elwood -- owned by Adam Leven -- Fritzlin was warned of a man, drunk no doubt, claiming to be recruiting for Jim Lane’s quasi-Union Regiment, forcing people to sign on.
John Young was a known thug, a typical bada-- of the times, collecting $2 ahead, bullying people to swear an oath and join Lane’s no doubt, equally deplorable regiment in Atchison.
When Young ordered saloon owner Leven to take the oath, Fritzlin interrupted by offering a beer. Leven then questioned Young’s authority, at which time a pistol was pulled and held to Leven’s head, implying, “here’s my authority.”
Fritzlin interjected and without hesitation, Young turned and shot Fritzlin in the head at point blank range. Fritzlin died on the floor of the saloon 15 minutes later.
People were infuriated, immediately, Young was overwhelmed and held by friends who were out of their mind with revenge. What to do, justice, here in Kansas?
Distraught and outraged, they tied up Young and put him in a wagon with Fritzlin’s body, planning to head back to Missouri.
Word spread. Out of the ferry the wagon rolled up Frederick with the body of Leven and Young, who had been pummeled along the way. His face was a bloody mess and now had a rope around his neck.
People gathered and followed the wagon past the brewery to 19th and Frederick, across the street where D&G is today, to a stand of cottonwood trees. Yep, frontier justice was about to play out.
Tying the delirious, begging-for-mercy Young to a tree, the mob wanted to set him on fire. Then along came cooler heads. Authorities talked the crowd into letting a jury and the “course of the law,” take care of this murderer. Soldiers soon arrived, arresting Young and taking him to the hospital then jail.
There was a problem, it was a matter of jurisdiction, since the crime occurred in Kansas, according to the law, that state is where the trial should be heard. People were outraged, especially his friends. They should have taken care of him that night!
The trial wasn’t set until spring, two seasons away … so much for due process.
The Morning Herald reported on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 1862, “the murder had outraged decency, law and everything else. He deserved instant death, on the spot where his innocent victim fell. He never should have touched the soil of Missouri; why he was brought here we cannot comprehend.”
Unbelievably, months later Young was out on bail, probably thanks to a pro-Kansas magistrate.
In the end, Frontier Justice was served according to the Morning Herald on May 19.
"Around 11 p.m. Saturday, a group of men called on Mr. Young’s house, forcing him to go with them.”
Why was this man out? Did the Kansas judge think Fritzlin’s friends would forget? It was the first weekend of autumn when he was shot and now it's spring! A day later, they fished Young's body out of the Missouri River. The coroner reported he had 70 bullet holes in his back and side.
An inquiry was held and the final statement is telltale about 1862 justice in St. Joseph, Missouri.
“The finding of the inquiry was that Mr. Young came to his death by gunshot wounds inflicted by a party or parties who are unknown. Thus has retributive justice at last overtaken this murder.”
All the elements of the conflicting times came into play, innocent people falling to unreasonable violence. We raise our glass to one such victim, William Fritzlin.
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Bob Ford’s History will appear in each edition of the Weekender, Midweek and Corner Post. You can find additional work on his website at Bobfordshistory.com and videos on YouTube, TikTok and Clapper. Bob can be reached at robertmford@aol.com
