On this page we will look back at life in the city during the war years. Here we will provide the visitor with the stories making the news, what was happening in sports and entertainment, city politics, the social scene and the prominent people at the time. We will also recount the events occurring in the war on that day. So, check back each day for new editions.
To share your family or neighborhood stories, please email PhillyWWIyears@gmail.com
TODAY IN PHILADELPHIA – WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1916
Today began with rain and then hail. The snow arrived around Noon. But when the large pretty flakes touched ground they melted and it all quickly turned to slush. The snow will continue throughout the day and into tonight. The high today will reach 38° with the low near 25°.
Miss Louise Moreno (shown below) lives by a code and that code states that when a man promises to marry a woman he must follow through, on pain of death. Miss Moreno is 23 and lives at 1033 Morris Street in South Philadelphia. She explained her philosophy to policeman Graham as he escorted her to jail last night after she shot Mr. Samuel Moreno of 830 Dickinson Street for failing to live up to his promise to marry her. Despite sharing the same last name they are not related, either by blood and certainly not by marriage. Apparently the couple had been “going together” for 2 years but he had recently cast her aside. She met him last night at 9th & Dickinson and asked him again to keep his promise to her. He refused and she felt justified in shooting him in the stomach. Mr. Moreno is in St. Agnes Hospital and is expected to recover. Miss Moreno is being held on $1,000.00 bail charged with attempted murder.
Miss Louise Moreno
The new recruiting station for the Citizens’ Army opened today at 1917 Mount Vernon Street. The army is being organized by Mr. A.J. Drexel Biddle and other prominent Philadelphians. The organizers hope to raise a force of 300,000 men nationwide. The organizers here intend to open a recruitment station in every ward of the city. The first drill for the new recruits will be held at Cooper Battalion Hall, 23rd & Christian Streets on Saturday evening.
On the sports scene, in baseball the magnates of the National League are meeting in New York City this week and today released the schedule for the 1916 season. The National League Champion Phillies will open the season on Wednesday April 12th here against the Giants with a 4 game series. In high school basketball yesterday Northeast High beat Southern 23 to 17 putting Northeast and Southern in a tie for 2nd place behind league leading Central. In today’s games Central High meets West Philadelphia. St. Joseph’s plays Catholic High at the Quaker City A.C., 26th & Dauphin, Brown Preparatory takes on Pennsylvania Military College at Chester and Temple Preparatory meets Chester High also down in Chester.
WAR NEWS
On the western front, German troops have taken 800 yards of French trenches just west of Vimy. In the Artois region a great artillery exchange is occurring along the Neuville-St. Vaast road. On the eastern front, the Russians are once again on the attack in Galicia. The Russians are attacking Austrian positions northeast of Tarnopol and vicious battles are continuing.
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