The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-24
FITTING END OF AN INFAMOUS LIFE.
Dan Driscoll. a New York Desperate. Closes
His Career of Crime on the Gallows.

The Tombs was surrounded by $50 police under
command Of Captain williams. and they had
plenty to do in keeping order among the groups
OF young men whose faces told that they were
remnants Of the once famous Whyo gang.
Among them were some OF the orazen-1aceo
voung woman of the class to which Beezie Gar
ri,v. the woman for whose life Drscoll was to
nav the forfeit. belonged Driscoll went to sleep
about midnight. bat awoke about $50. aud from
that time until he was taken to tho gallows he
was engaged with priest. He walked to the
scaffold with firm step. and just before the
trap was sprung. he cried out in loud voice;
sJesus have mercy on me-" His neck was
broken, and the end came without a struggle.
The crime for which Dan Driscoll was exc
eutsd was the killing of Elizabeth Clarity. or
Beezie Clarity, as she was generally called, al
4 o'clock the morning or June 70, 1856 lt
was the closing exploit of series of crimes that
had won Driscoll evil notoriety among his
associates and won him the position of chief of
the Whyos, one OF the worst or many gangs OF
law-breakers that infest the city. DriscoH was
born in 1853 in the old ''bloody Sixth" ward, and
grew MP TO manhood there. When only seven
teen years old he was arrested for picking pock-
cts and sentenced TO the penitentiary. few
months after serving his time he was convicted
under the name of George Wallace of the theft
of watch, and was again sent TO the peniten-
tiAry. Another theft earned him a third
term and made the time he spent in the peni-
tentiary seven years in all. About this time,
the Whyos came into unenviabls prominence
through their many crimes. The gang was com
posed of young men already hardened In crime,
who lived by stealing, and were ever ready for
any deed OF violence. AS q desperate, Driscoll,
exceled his companions and was recognized as
their leader. He was always armed, and was
concerned in numerous shooting affarays. Short
ly after he served his third term in the peuiten-
tiary he and Pat Flaherty, burglar qusrreled
In saloon at the Five Points Driscoll was
shot in the body by Flaherty, after he had shot
Flaherty in the arm. Driscoll and Flanerty
both escaped punishment as they refused to
make complaints against each other. Not long
after Detective Wood attempted to arrest Dris-
coll on Chatham street. The Whyo shot at
the officer. but missed him. He was ar
a. iss9 ' he ss'"p shot John Oliver in
the Leg After being locked up for two
months he was discharged. On. Nov. 20, 1883.
ne had shooting ARRAY with Pat Green. in the
latters saloon. on Pell street. Each shot the
pther, but neither would make a complaint. An
Dther of his exploits was the shooting OF a ped
aler and his wife, in Christie street. for some
fancied affropt. For this crime he also escaped
punishment During the latter part of 1883
DriscoN went TO Texas and opened bar-room
in San Antonio. He had not been there long
when he got into free fight in his saloon and
was badly slashed with q sword He left Texas
and came back to new York. He had young
wife, who is said to be a respectable young
woman, and one child. In the same house lived
his mistress. Beetle Garrity drunken woman.
They were both frequenters of disreputsble
den at 1913 Hester street, kept oy John Mccarthy,
whose reputation was no better than Driscolrs.
Early in June, 1886, Mccarthy elected Driscoll
from his den and the latter swore to have Nc
Carthys life in revenge. Early on the morning
q carouse, driving in a coupe from den to den in
the Sixth ward. Fired by liquor and remem
bering bis grudge against Mccarthy, he resolved
then and there to have his revenge. He made
his purpose known to the girl, who approved it
IL was o'clock in the morning when they
reached McCarthys. Beetle entered a
room on the first floor, where Mccarthy
WAS seated. She entered first. Mo.
Carthy, seeing Driscoll, sprang up and threw
his weight against the door to bar him out. Dris-
coll succeeded in pushing open the door. Nc
Carthy drew revolver, and the woman. grasp
ing him by the arms. begged him not to shoot.
Driscol drew a heavy 44-calibre revolver and
bred at his enemy. but missed him. Mccarthy
again pushed the door tol and fastened it,
shutting Driscoll out, while Beetle
was within. The girl escaped to the
ball by another door, and as she emerged,
the bullet entered her abdomen. Infatuated by
the mistake, the Whyo threw himself against
the door and forced IL from the hinges; when he
entered Mccarthy had escaped, having jumped
through window. The sound OF the pistol
ehots attracted the police who arrested McCar-
thy as he gained the street. Driscoll dashed
20 the tenement-house, No. 128 Baxter street,
where his mother lived. He was found in va
cant room in she adjoining house, with his hat
and coat off, He pretended that he had been
house during tho night His mother corroborat-
ed his story. The revolver was missing, and has
never been found. An ambulance, meanwhile,
had been summoned to take the unfortunate
Beezie Clarity to St Vincents Hospital Dris-
coll was brought before her, but she said it was
not he, but Mccarthy, who shot her. McCarthys
revolver was examined but it had not been
discharged, It has been contended by Driscoll
that Mccarthy had another revolver with which
the shooting was done. After Beezie Clarity
had been taken to the hospital and her wound
pronounced mortal. Driscoll taken there,
bus che still said that Mccarthy and not Dris-
coll had shot her. His mother visited her, and
90 her, as the mother testified on Drscolls trial,
she admitted that Drscon did shoot her Dris-
COLL was tried in the Court OF General Sessions
before Recorder Smyth. and was convicted of
murder in the first degree On Oct. 6, 1886.
he sentenced to be hanged on Dec. 3. 1856
His counsel carried the case to the general term
of the Supreme Court, and atterward to the
Court OF Appeals. the conviction being affirmed
In both instances. The appeal operated as a
STAY, and the day fixed for the execution
bad gone by. On November 49, 1887, Recorder
Smyth again sentenced Dr;scoll to death, fixing
Jan. 20 as the day or execution. His counsel
claimed to have new evidence, TO the effect that
Carrie Wilson, a girl who witnessed the shoot
ing. had admitted that she swore falsely in tes-
Flying that DriScoil shot Beetle. Recorder
Smyth denied the motion made for a new trial,
and the Court OF Appeals, to which application
was made last week. also denied the motion.
Executive clemency was sought but all that
was obtained was a respite of three days. Dris-
soil chung to hope up TO three days ago. Dur
Ing his imprisonment in the Tombs he turned
deaf ear to the priests and sisters who be-
sought him to repent and it was only
during the last few days, since he became
convinced that no hope remained to him, that
Ne showed any disposition to seek consolation
N religion. He has been a very troublesome
prisoner year ago IL was found that he had
obtained key that would open his cell door.
and that he had planned escape. A couple
Of months ago it was learned that he aud Dan
lyons had secured steel bars with which they
iad been at work prying passage from their
adjoining ce lis. through which they expected to
Escape. About two weeks ago, according to
Warden Walsh, Driscoll obtained a knife with
The avowed purpose Of numbering the warden.
II is said be was induced by sister of charity
10 surrender the knife. IL is asserted
by Driscoll's wife that in 1856 Walsh the pres
int warden of the Tombs. entered into a plot
With Driscoil To aid him to escape. bis object
being to dscredit Warden Firms management
Of the Tombs and render ii easier for him to Sc
sure the position of warden, which he was seek
Ing. OF course, Walsh denies this. While Dris-
IL 49, air IL