The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-24
DAN DRISCOLL'S DOOM.
PERHAPS THE HARDEST OF NEW
YoRK's CRIMINALS HANGED.
A History Of the Villains Desperate
Deeds. and How One Crime Followed
Another Untii He Reached the Gal
lows.

NEW YoRR, Jan. 23.--Dar Driscoll, the
Whyo chief, was hanged at 7:29 O'Clock
this morning. The Tombs was surrounded
by 100 police, under command Of Capt.
Williams, and they had plenty to do in
keeping order 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
BccEe Clarity, the woman for whose life
Discoll was to pay the forfeit, belonged.
Driscoll went TO sleep at about midnight,
but awoke at $3.50 o'clock, and from that
time until he was taken 10 the gallows he
was engaged with the priests. lie walked
TO the scailold with firm step, and just
before the trap was sprung he cried out in
a loud voice, Jesus have mercy on me"
His neck was broken and the end came
without struggle.
Commodore Elbridgc T. Gerry, chair
man oil the legislative committee appointed
10 recommend the most humane method
ofexecuting criminals, was q member of
the sheritf's jury at the hanging of Dan
Dnscoll this morning Hcexprcssed him
self rs much pleased with the quckness OF
death, but said that In view Of the numcr-
Gus bungling hangines the recommends.
ton of the use Of electricity would be per.
sisted in.
STORY oF THE CRIME.
The crime for which Daniel Driscoll was
executed was the killing of Elizabeth Gar.
rtiy, or Beezie Garritty, as she was gener-
ally called, at 4 o'clock on the morning Of
June 20, 1885. II was the closing exploit
oil series OF crimes that had won Driscoll
q notoriety among his associates and had
won him tho position Of chief OF the
Whyos, ono OF the worst OF the many
gangs OF lawbnakcn that iniest the city.
Driscoll was born i'm 1853 In the old
bloody Sixth" ward, and grew up IN
manhood there. When only seventeen
years old he was arrested for picking peck.
cts and sentenced Ia the pcnitcntary. A
iow months after serving his time hc was
convicted under the name Of George Wal.
lace Of the theft Of watch and was again
sent 70 the penitcntiary. Another theft
earned him third term, and made the
Tine he spent in the pcni,eD,iary seven
years In all. About this time the Whyos
came into unenviablc prominence through
their many crimes. Tho gang was com
posed OF young men already hardened in
crime who lived by stealing, and who were
ever ready Tor any deed Of violence. Asa
desperate Dnscon eNcelled his compan.
ions and was recognized IA their leader.
lie WIS always armed and was concerned
In numerous shooting ARRAYS shortly
Alter he served his third term In the pcni-
Tertiary lac and Pat Flaherty, n burglar,
yuarreled in asaloon at the Five Points.
Driscoll was shot in the body by
flahcrty after he had shot Flaherty
in the arm. Driscoll and Flahcrty. both
oscnpcd punishment AZ they refused 10
make complaints against each other. Not
long after Detective Wood ATTEMPTED Ia |
auost Driscoll on Chatham street. The |
Whyo shot at the officer, but missed him. |
lie was arrested hut escaped punishment.
tn September "a, 1884, he shot John Oli. |
cr IN the ley After being locked up for
two months he Was discharged On No.
vember ~, 1888, bo hal shooting aiTmy
with Pat Green IN the lattcr's saloon la
Pell street. Each shot the other but
neither would make n complaint Another
81 his exploits was the shooting Of a ped.
dlcr and his wife In Christie street inr
some iancicd aiffont For this crime he
also cscarci puniaas ant During the
latter part oi lSSb Ina oil went 10 Texas
and opened har-rv1bi in San Antonio. |
lie had not been there long when ho got
into ire fight in his saloon and was
badly slashed with sword. lie left Tex.
~ aud came back a. New York. He had
young wife; who X said Ia be r~pcc-
table young woman, and one child. In
the same house liyc,i his mistress, Ilcczie
, Clarity, drunken woman. They were
both freQucntorr Of a diuppuLablo den at |
No l05 Hester street, kept by John Nc. |
tarthy, whose reputation was no better |
than Driscolrs. Early In June, 1886, |
Mccarthy elected Driscoll FROM his den |
and the latter sworc 90 have McCmthy'n |
lie In rcycnrc. Early on the morning Of |
June 20, Driscoll and BceKie Clarity |
were ON carouse. Driving In a |
coupe from den 20 den in the sixth ward. |
Fired by liquor and remembering hi.
pudgc against Mccarthy, he resolved
then aud there to have his revenge. lie
made his purpose known TO the girl. who
approved 81 u. IL was 1 o'clock In the
morning when they reached McCauhy's. |
BvEie cnten'd n room on the lint floor
where Mccarthy was seated. She entered
int. Mccarthy, ON sceing Driscoll.
sIrang up and threw his weight against
the door. Mccarthy drew a revolver. and |
the woman, crasping him by the arms, /
begged him not 20 shoot Dan. Driacoll |
dVw heavy f0rty-four calbcr rcyolver |
sud iircd nj bis enemy, but missed him.
Mccarthy again pushed the door 20 and |
fastened ", shutting Driacoll out, while |
liecyic was within. Tho girl escaped b. |
the hall by another door. and rs she |
oincrcd Driscoll, misiaking her Tor Me.
Cmthy. fired, aud the bullet entered her |
abdomen. lniunatcd by his mistake. the |
Whyo threw himself against the door AMI /
i0rccd u from the hinges. When he ON.
tcrod Mccarthy had escaped, having
jumped through window. The sound al |
the pistol shots attracted the polcc. who /
arrested Mccarthy NJ he gained the s,r.ct. |
Driscoll dashed irum the hOusc, and Was |
pursued by the police 90 the tenement \
house, No. l2s Baxter street, where his |
mother lived. lie was found in q vacant /
room In the adjoining house with his hni /
and coat III. lie pretended that be- hal
been asleep, and that he had not been ont
OF the house during the night. Ills mother
coroboraicd his story. The revolver WIS
missing and has never been found. An
ambulance, meanwhile. had been sum.
moned Ia take the unfortunate Beczic
Garrity 20 ~ Nincnt's hospital. Drs.
coll wis brought before her. but shc sid
y was not he, but Mccarthy who had shot
her. McCarthy's revolver was examined.
but II had not been discharged. ID has
been commended by Drsooll that Mccarthy
had another revolver with which the
shooting wa done. After Ieezir Garrity