New-York tribune., 1885-01-21
DEATH OF "OWNEYn GEOGHEGAN
A NOTORIOUS NEw.YoRK CHARACTER.

HOW HE ACHIEVED EMINENCE IN THE euoisi'
| HAIRED FRATERNITY-HIs DOWNFALL
A dispatch was received in this city yesterday
announcing the DEATH at Hot Springs Ark OF" Owney
| Geoghegan well-known In NewYork for twenty years
| az a slugger and hard citizen generally Seoghe
gau q native OF Ireland but came 10 TINS coui,'
when about eight years Of age In 1S40 He dd no' u'
tinguish himself until April Is, 1861, when ne 1ouen'
prize fight with Ed" Tuohey. who then prorni-
nen. figure in tho pugstic world The fight took place
In kit" Burnss rat-pit in water-st. 1t was won W
and he became favorite among TIC
short haired fraternity and continued so until ms ueat
Geogbegan lived the life OF prize fighter Tor uP"'ru
| OF year, when he matched to fight Con oro"'
for the Middleweght Championship OF America Cheese-
quakes Creek j. the OF the fight whieh was
awarded to Goeghegan foul after eighteen haru :
fought rounds. This his last fight In the rlng anu NC
shortly afterward opened sporting -houSo a.
Twenty Third-ave, which was the reso'
OF OF the worst characters In tho neghDorhoou ~
was in constant trouble with the police. his place Dens
the of many desperate and bloody rousn-an'
tumble fights, In which Geoghegan was always pro"-
nent When he went into the liquor business however
he also took up politics, entering Tammany lai anu M o
always MANAGED to keep from paying the pehAiS VI ~
subsequently he opened O similar resort IN Third
the gas works, which was much iregueh.u @ bsri
laborers tnere and he gained reputation us a na n
hitter by putting on the gloves win , the s se s6oes
poyes aud nsns gloves Loaded ar,s "f the city finally
opening at No l03 Bowery known as ane @ bis
osse al He imported number Of prize
lighters from England The place was tne reso' W1. Hg
Prize fights rougb tumble contests we're OF CON
slant occurrence. Complaints became so numerous ia
that Captain Foley who had command OF tne denIp
cinct sas forced to prefer charges against ueogmess
and have the Place Temporarily closed; Geognes ny
vicious element Of the population was suon
however. and lie had much political influence. Sohe
or~s s an@ was .n sa that at the
of his dismissal AT all events the dismissal was inao
the occasion of great rejoicing In GeOghegans house.
collin and laid wake. Mock services were heId
% Sporting men. thieves Of hisf and low degree and
dssoute women all parts OF the city who INDUCED
In the widest debaucheres. This eScapade, WIN iho
license He the Excise Board at defiance, however,
continued to his house ~ the same manner as
before, Eving the police great TonDe 'apo p, o.
only conviction secured tsat OF one OF his Dar-
keepers. who was sentenced for thirty days ,
the ehura OF the cicty tho Prevention OF Cruelty TO
Children. He had given the privilege Of keepns irlt-
stand his place old woman. who lived over tuo
bar aud was In the haoit OF leaving tAe s'I ia
charge Of her tenyear-od dnushter Inc Officers o mo
and sentenced TO bacKweils island for three months
able by means To escape hard work When be
aie out he was broken health and spirits. lie hal
contracted Rheumatism early his anl life on
the Island greatly aggravated IT, After spehaiIg some
time in the city he disposed ~ his place In the Bowery
AMI vent TO san Francisco lie Afterwards went TO HOT
springs. ~,
Grughcgln used o. boast that never In his life had he
tasted drop OF liquor used tobacco In any form Hc
never eambrd Ia any NAY except backing priko nshts
He accumulated about $4,000, most OF which lac IN
vested I'm real estate IN THIS city.
Owney had the reputation OF being bad man, said
John J. Flynn. his In tho BJwery ytsteriay
and perhap, oit vas 4rrycl; but sqaIrcr man
TO his friends never tod shoe leather Inc e he was
piucAed his good heartencss that got hlh INTO
The troIho lie gave the Old woman tue privilege OF
tg apples Tor nothing snd et her live over me par
The tle girl hardly cam" utU the place. aud then
she wasn't let into tLr dancing bali Owucy WoHl H. IT.
though. and n came into the house looking Tor
nght he'd always gct IL. lie had knives snI psOIz
drawn aim time and time again, but ei.AcF hs nerve
or hi- qucknc.s saved him every time"
Geo. -hegun married. HIS father lived with
him until he left the city. His sister, gho married
and living IN the cty aud hs brother Rody" or Rod
erck was an active ward politician, ami was Tor some
Tune employed AT the Custom House. lie was discharged
iew days ago.