March 27, 2026
HE SHOT A MESSENGER BOY.
Charles Greenburg Fatally Wounded
by Restaurant Keeper.
Fearing that he was about to be mobbed, as he claims, J. A. Quinlan shot and fatally wounded Charles Greenburg, a messenger boy, in the restaurant conducted by him at 105 East Thirteenth street, at 12 o'clock last night. There are several different versions of the shooting, each one who witnessed the affair having a different story to tell. The one which seems the most probably, however, is that Greenburg entered the restaurant with the intention of securing change for a quarter which he had borrowed from a fellow messenger boy, Joe Kelly.
Quinlan says that Greenburg became boisterous and drew a dangerous looking knife, threatening to cut up everything and everybody in the place. What caused Greenburg to show signs of violence is not known.
At any rate, Quinlan says he threw the boy out of the back door, and that Greenburg immediately returned, brandishing his knife and starting towards Quinlan. Quinlan then drew a revolver and fired three shots, one of which struck the boy in the stomach The police ambulance was called and the boy taken to the general hospital, where he was operated upon. The doctors express small hope for his recovery.
Just before he was placed upon the operating table one of the surgeons told him how serious was his condition and asked if he wished to make a statement. Greenburg told him that he did not know the man who had shot him nor why it was done. He gave a description of the man and it tallied with that of Quinlan.
Quinlan was arrested and taken to the Walnut street police station, where he admitted that he shot the boy.
Greenburg lives at 1827 Oak street, and was out on parole from the workhouse where he was sentenced a year ago to work out a $500 fine imposed for carrying concealed weapons. He is 19 years of age.
Labels: general hospital, Oak strestaurants, restaurants, Thirteenth street, violence, Walnut street police station
