New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-02
aWO NOTORIOUS SQFFYANS
nEMrsrscEscEs OF MULLrGAs AND POOLE.

| American civilization appears to beget
peculiar type Of scoundrel which from dme to
time forces itself into conspicuous attention. jim
| Haggerty was q singulary perfect specimen OF IDS
type so in his day BIZ Poole, whose ob-eqles Ike
those OF dead Cesar saun the hour Of victory, we're
pageant grand that which wound mp the sacred
way TO tho gates Of Jupiter So was Billy Mullisan, who
WAS shot year or two ago In California while raging
with derum tremens. Ho had barricaded himself IN
his room in hotel and fred upon all who approached
him. upon the bypassers in the Streets not because
ho had any purpose % iDurng them, but because his
mind in derum and ruin impeed him 10 the same deeds
OF violence which he had all his life borne part lie
was peculiar ruan in his hatened
in fray deeply pitted with the smallpox. and with
eyos tawny yellow Ulster, and singular CLEAN, Ike
those Of an African leopard He was always richly dressed
and unlike most Of his class with perfect elegance and
taste He was reputed to be . man Of ehivalry and
generosity He only fought Gghers and never robbed
anybody His friends aver that he never did "A mean,
though he ght not have stopped At murderous 40
ton He was professional pugist, and his methods
Of conflict were Of the impromptu rongh and tumble
sort was quick with the pistol too, but such was tho
inspired by his presence even among tho moat
dangerous OF class that he rarely called upon to
use it, His story Of violence and midnight braws would
be- if il were written veTabe tale OF Two Cities for he
was scourgo and terror ,of both san Francisco ana
Eew-York From the former he He'd In wholesome
dread Vigilance Committee and thorc after years
companion, who harbored no III feeling toward him. but
shot him as he would a mad dog, because he was con
si5ered dangerous.
Bill Poole was OF another ype-an inferior one in so'ne
respects He was 5inglaTy handsome, with dark flash
ing eyes, Roman nose eyebrows heavy but perfectly
arched, and q complexion like that accredited TO Dick
Turpn with whom the ladies' OF his time much
in love that they stormed his prison door besceching
locks Of his hair Lecpsakc5. lie tall, slender,
rapid and graceful in his movements and was difficult
10 identity him the sc0urge and terror Of the suins
tho before whom all adyersariss qualed and whose
name was uttered with fave by the most boodthir-ty
dcsperadoos Of tho city. Poole seemed to fight from the
mere love OF fighting. Whenever he head be hit
it, No sooner did he hear any violent exploit Of ri.ng
rutan or nascent desperate than ho pat on s seven
league boots sought out the asprant for hsc honorS
ana without waiting for prctcXt chastsed him then
and there. InnUmeTlble are the stories told OF ms
proves. Hc1nmed in day by an overwhelming
force he spang bodily through immense plate glass
window escaped without scar, and having beaten up
hi, recruits fell upon his former beoaguer7 and smote
them hip and thigh. Many old NEWCOMERS remember
his historic contest with Morri-,ey upon one Of the
North River piers. Morissey had recently come to Now
York having been brought hithcr by his employer.
groghop keeper of Troy who felt good deal Of con-
dcucc in the pugistc capacities OF his barkeeper Al
that time MOrrssey might have sat model for the
Farnese Hercules. lie young; Thick mass OF curl
ing black hair clustered his temples his brow was
broad after tho Roman type, and his chest and
limb, were those OF Colossus lie made his debut IN
METROPOLITAN society by thra-hng With series Of
desperate and wclLkuOwn Tlfans, and Poole saw that
his supremacy threatened by this d'ring young lion
of the North who had issued nom provincial oh'curly
and within few weeks risen to high pusstio dietlnc-
ton. After various attempts 20 bring about satirtac-
tory collision Poole challenged the young Trojan to meet
him on a given day upon OF the Hudson River piers,
and thler, accompanied by friend or two. drove
Morrs7ey at the appointed tinc. 10 find Poole sur
rounded by NO least thousand Of his henchhon ana
followers yelling like hcnd and thirsty for The BLOOD OF
the daring iutetloper who had the temery % beard
their champion upon his own threshold. The contest
was not a long II could not De with such odds
MOIr.soy tranpled into iensbity by the heels 81
Us many Of Poolcs followers as could got NJ mm-ior
among these creatures there is thought of fair
play-4nd 10 wears tho won Oh that midsummer
afternoon 10 this day. II was not long after this that
Poole was shot, at sanWiK Hall then a drinking shop
opposite the Metropolitan Hotel His assassin was we
believe one Lew Baker, who He'd, but was subsequently
rccaptured sea- brought back, and held to trial Poole
did not do Immediately. He lay we rccolect Alright.
nine days. and after his dcceae it was found that the
bplle was embedded IN the sub lance Of his heart.
Some rubbish uttered by him, his death drew near TO
the effect that hc Died TIuo American as II he had
ever been anything but felOn VINO only needed oppor-
tunty become assassin awakened an uhhS'al en-
thu.ssn among Of the rudcr elements Of the com
munity II was in the Old KnowNothing days and the
foIds between the Native Americans and the Irish
at their hight As q consequence his funeral wa
pageant. No greater tbrOng had ever been seen along
the sidewalks balconies and windows Of Broadway than
that which witnessed the passage Of tho hearsed remains
OF "a mere rufian wrotced desperate ever
lived Ncw-York has not yet forgotten the shame Of
that day Ii was a. Tho town turned ont On Wasse 70
witness tie obscques Of jim gs.rtr, hurting immor-
tces on hi, coffin. and marshang him 10 hs rest with
aCclamatiOns
Tho recent collision in whichto the great satisfaction
of the communicable latter named ruiiah met MS
death recalls the remembrance of this dynasty OF dos
pcradOes breed Of which 1t seems has not died OUT
nor does it bid fair The most surprising circumstance
associated with Of these men ia the almost
complete immunity whchiihcy possess from interference
y the strong hand Of tho law They seem to nave some
magic tasman which protects them from the legal pen
aties Of their mslcods. They have influence with
Judges and politicians; skilled In tho Ariihce' or
straw bail and to them the machinery Of justice seems
10 DO entirely stripped Of its terrors. We hope It will
not be 80 always, hut little prescnt prospect OF
change for the better These banditu viii probably so
on cutting each tIoas usual. one pershng by
Tie hand Of another until The law il administered in tho
Interests Of honest peicchlc people instead Of being AS
If now too often h the ally Of Tie criminal aud tho aDeor
OF lis crimes, "