St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-24
Dan Driscoll, Chief of the No
torious Whyo Gang, Hung
For Murder.
Members of the Once Famous
Band Witness the Death
OF Their Leader.
History of a Long and Bloody
Career Which Ended on
the Scaffold.
At the Last He Processes Re-
ligion and Prays for Mercy
Crime Notes.

NEW YORK. Jan. 2S.-Daniel Driscol
was hanged this morning. He left his
cell at T:96, reached the gallows at I :2S,
and, after saying 4 prayer, the black cap
was put over his head and the weight
fell at 7:29. He died instantly. DriS-
coils last words were: "JeSuS have
mercy on me- His neck was broken.
The TombS was surrounded by $50 pO-
lice under command of Capt. Williams,
and they had plenty to do in keeping Or
der among the groups of young men
whose faces told that they were rem
nantS of the once famous Whyo gang.
Among them were some of the brazen-
faced young women of the class to
which Beetle Clarity, the woman for
whose life DriScoll was to pay the for
felt, belor eyed. DriScoll went to sleep
about midnight, but awOke at half past
g. and from that time until he was taken
to the gallOWS he was engaged with the
priests. Commodore Elbridge T. Gerry.
one of the committee appointed to in
Yestigate the most humane manner of
executing criminals, was a member of
the Sheriif'S jury at the hanging Of Dan
DriScou this morning. He expressed
himself as much pleased with the quick
ness of death, but said that in view of
the numerous bungling hangings, the
recommendation of the use of electricity
would be persisted in.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
The crime for which Dan Driscoll was
executed was the killing of Elizabeth
Clarity, or Beetle Clarity, as she was
generally called. at o'clock on the
morning of June &c, 1856. 1t was the
closing exploit of series of crimes that
had won DriScOll an evil notOriety
among his associates, and won him the
position of chief of the Whyos, one of
the worst of the many gangs of law
breakers that infest the city. DriScOll
was born in 1858 in the old Bloody
Sixth ward, and grew up to manhood
there. When only seventeen years old
he was arrested for picking pockets and
sentenced to the penitentiary. A few
months after serving his time he was
convicted under the name of George
Wallace of the theft of watch, and was
again sent 20 the penitentiary. Another
theft earned him a third term, and made
the time he spent in the penitentiary
seven years in all. About this time the
WhyoS came into upenyiable promi-
hence through their many crimes. The
gang was composed of young men al
ready hardened to crime, who lived by
stealing. and were ever ready for any
deed of violence. They obtained the
name ''WhyO'' from the peculiar yell
they used as sort of battle cry and
signal of warning. AS desperate
DriScOll eXcelled his companions. and
was recognized as their leader. He was
always armed, and was concerned in
NUMEROUS SHOOTING AFFRAYs.
Shortly after he served his third term
in the penitentiary, he and Pat Flaherty,
burglar, quarreled in saloon at the
Five Points. Driscoll was shot in the
body by Flaherty after he had shot
Flaherty iii the arm. DriscOll and
Flaherty both escaped punishment, as
they refused to make complaints against
each other. Not long after Detective
Wood attempted to arrest DriScoll on
Chatham street. The WhyO shot at the
officer but missed him. He was arrested
butescaped punishment. On Sept. 81,
After being locked up two months he
was discharged. On Nov. 20, 1888, he
had shooting affray with Pat Green in
the latter'S saloon iii Pell street. Each
shot the other. but neither would make
a complaint. Another of his exploits
was the shooting of peddler and his
wife in Christie street for some fancied
affrOnt. For this crime he also escaped
punishment. During the latter part of
1885 DriScoll 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 a sword. He left Texas and came
back to New York. He had young
wife who is said to be respectable
young woman, and has one child. In the
same house lived his mistress, Beetle
Clarity. drunken wanton. They were
both frequenterS of disreputable den
at 1853 Hester street, kept by John Nc
earthly. whose reputation was no better
than Driscoll'S. Early in June, 1886,
Mccarthy elected DriscOll from his den,
and the latter SwOre to have McCarthy'S
life in revenge. Early on the morning
of June % DriscOll and Beetle Clarity
were Oh carOuSe, driving in coupe
from den to den in the Sixth ward.
Fired 10y liquor, and remembering his
grudge against Mccarthy, he resolved
then and there
TO HAVE HIS REVENGE.
BE made his purpose known to the
girl, who approved of it. 1t was 4
o'clock in the morning when they
reached McCarthy's. Beetle entered a
room on the first floor where Mccarthy
was seated. She entered first. Nc
Carthy, on seeing DriScOll, Sprang up
and threw his weight against the door
pushing the door in. Mccarthy drew a
revolver. and two men grasped him by
the arms and begged him not to shoot.
''Dan" DriScOll drew heavy 44-caliber
revolver and fired at his enemy but
missed him. Mccarthy again pushed
the door to and fastened it, shutting
DriScoll out, while Beetle was within.
The girl escaped to the hall by another
door, and as She emerged Driscoll, mis-
taking her for Mccarthy, fired, and the
bullet entered her abdomen. Infuri-
ated by the mistake, the WhyO threw
himself against the door and forced ii
Carthy had escaped, having jumped
through window. The sound of the
pistol shots attracted the police, who
arrested Mccarthy as he gained the
street. DriScOll dashed from the house,
and was pursued by the police to the
tenement house, 12S Baxter street,
where his mother lived. He was found
in vacant room in the adjoining house
with his hat and coat off. lie pretended
that he had been asleep, and that he
had not been out of the house during
the night. His mother corroborated his
story. The revolver was missing and
has never been found. An ambulance,
meanwhile, had been summoned to take
the unfortunate woman to st. Vincents
hospital. Driscoll was brought Def ore
her, but she said it was not he, but
Mccarthy, who had shot her. McCar.
thy'S revolver was examined, but it had
not been discharged. 1t has been con.
tended by Driscoll that Mccarthy had
another revolver with which the shoot
ing was done. After Beetle Clarity had
been taken to the hospital and her
wound pronounced mortal Driscoll was
taken there, but she still said that Nc
earthly and not Driscoll had shot her.
Her mother visited her, and to her, as
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