William Stuettgen Stabbed
On the evening of September 10, 1905, a local farmhand made his way into Stuettgen's Saloon (currently Sloppy Joe's) which was located across the street from the 
present-day Johnny Manhattan's. The farmhand started trouble with the saloon owner, William Stuettgen, and his brother Joseph.
Stuettgen asked the unruly gentleman to step outside to rectify the problem. At this point a mid-street brawl ensued between the two. Father P.W. Gersbach witnessed the entire event while seated on the porch of the rectory located between Stuettgen’s Saloon and St. Hubert's church.
A break in the action momentarily occurred when William Stuettgen turned to walk toward Stuettgen’s Saloon with the farmhand following. Just outside the northwest corner of the Saloon, the two men exchanged a few words and then the farmhand suddenly pulled out a knife and lunged several times at Mr. Stuettgen.
Mr. Stuettgen then staggered his way through the Saloon’s dining room door where his last words were, "God help me, I am going to die." He died shortly after from a stab wound to the neck where the killer had pierced his carotid artery.
The killer was later found passed out on a bench in front of our bar with an open, bloody knife still in his pocket. The killer’s name? Joe. Another surprising fact is the killer's last name, Jonas. The Jonas homestead is located on Elmwood Rd and was established in 1867. The current owner and namesake of Sloppy Joe’s was born in 1967, exactly 100 years later.
Is Sloppy Joe’s named after this historical event? Actually, no. These facts were discovered long after the name, Sloppy Joe’s, was decided. We share this Hubertus history as a tribute to William Stuettgen. Our hope is that it preserves his memory. (Story courtesy of Sloppy Joe's)
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