The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-01-27
THE OLD SIXTH.
ABOLITION OF THE SIXTH POLICE PRECINCT
THE CRIMINAL RECORD OF IT'S PALMY

ABOLITION OF THE SIXTH POLICE PRECINCT
THE CRIMINAL RECORD OF IT'S PALMY
DAYS.
The "Od SIXTH" the "Bloody SIXTH" as II came
to be famarly called by 'thc boys" Is more. Tho
Board of Police yesterday passed resolution dsbnnd
ing the force of the old station house In Franklin
street, and with Tvs Establishments, SO to speak, the
prestige OF the ward departs Its history has boon
eventul one Every In the building represented
a drama OF real life enacted within It's walls !;
every official entry It's many books regis
tiers some romance OF suffering, sorrow
crime If the ward the training ground
OF bravo policemen and acute detectives,
IT was also the nursery and school Of our criminal
former years. and In It's confines were places
and people who have often furnished inspiration for
poets aud subjects for descriptive writer's Pete Will
llams sthe gentleman darky," who kept the famous
dance house Crowns corner Is criticised favorably
In Dickens "Amcrican Notes" and Cassius NJ. Clay
and stephen Ii. Douglas when they visited this city
could leave without seeing the Colorcd Almacks "
Ktty Waters hali-door house IN Baxter
street, Manchester Georges sporting CRIB IN
Mott street, ,hc Ivy Green u Elm street
Pearl street where Police Inspector spcight bcsted
Yankee sullivan in glove 6eht as familiar to old
sporting men as household words rhe crime OF the
ward, daring and brutal met by the authorities
with equally bold repression. When roughs fought The
police dubbed first and investigated aitcrward In
peaccabe The old Sixth precinct station used
TO be IN the Tolnbs tho Offices and sleeping apartments
of tho officers occupying the rooms now devoted 10
Warren QUINN The captains of the force were Police
Justice Mngrath, John Magnus, Bill Garrett George
Jefferson Smith, cx-Shcrin Matthew I. Brennan and
the late Justice Joseph Downing
BUILDING
In 1882 the city purchased tho lot OF ground In
Franklin street. where the present station house
stands, but did not build the station house until the
all OF 1856, when bowling assumed charge OF II as
Captain In 1851 the dltnculy between the munic pal
| nj g.
banded his force, turning the station over TO the
Metropolitan. The Dead Rabbit riots, between tho
Mulberry street gang and the Bowery boys, followed
month after. and bowling offered his services which
we're declined by the Motropoltans The lato Super.
intendent Jourdan succeeded bowling as captain In
1870 he was appointed superintendent, and was sue
ceeded by Captain Thomas j. Kennedy. The fOllow Ing
captains OF the present force graduated from the SIXTH
Walsh, Byrncs, Ciinchy, Aliaire, Mcdonnell ana Ken
nedy. Among the celebrated criminals confined IN
the station house Charley King, the bank robber
Spencer Fontaine Pettus tho forgcr Jack Cantcr the
counereicr who has spent forty years Of his life In
prison. and who drew the map oil the TOmbs Prison,
and Charley Adams, one OF the most expert sale burg
lars IN tho world supcrin tendent Jourdan brought
George Ellis down from Sing Sing and had him con-
fined In station house for three months before any
one was aware OF his presence there. Ellis was
charged with being ono OF the gang who murdered
Benjamin Nathan. David Crimmins, Michael Nixon
and John Doan were locked up IN the sta
ton house and subsequently executed in the Tombs
for murder. Jack and Jim Sears shot two men In Elm
street. but escaped the gaows by chance Nearly all
the clever detectives had less training IN tho
old Sixth During winter evenings the old citizens,
sheriff Brennan, Morgan Jones, John Pyne, Chris.
O'Uonnor, Dan and Neil Bryant, John Adams, Judge
Bowling and Denis Burns, met In she station and
talked over old times Captain Lowery, now in COM
ing Department retired The end Of the ward below
Worth street Will be attached TO tho Fourth precinct
and Tho upper portion added TO the Fourteenth ore
| cinct, under command Of Captain Ailairs