The Progress., 1893-06-17

. Inc biography of Mr.. Scannell has beer
. recorded briefly as follows:
He is TamInany's leader in the Elev
, enth district. was saloon keeper ant
professional gambler. For many year,
he kept the Compton House. the i'll re
pute of which extended over the whole
city. His reputation as a professional
gambler is that of one of the best known
men in the profession. He began his DO
litical life by committing a murder in a
gambling house at Twenty-eighth street
and Broadway, where pools We're being
sold on an election. While DonOhue,
his victim, was passing through Twen-
ty-third street. at the corner Of Third
: avenue. one night he was approached by
a man believed to be John Scannell. H
was Il tall. thin man. precisely like Scan
nell in appearance, and was disguised in
wig and slouch hat. As Donohue and
his friends approached she man he drew
a revolver and fired The bullet struck
DonOhue in the body, passing through q
rib and lodging in the back without do
ing him any serious injury.
John Scannell disappeared the same
night. and nothing was seen of him for
nearly year. About two years later
Scannell met Tom Donohue in pool
room in the basement at the northwest
corner of Twenty-eighth street and
Broadway and killed him by firing five
bullets into him. At the first shot Don
ohue fell to the ground, but Scannell
fired the remaining four shots from his
pistol into the PROSTATE mans body.
Donohue died instantly. SCannell was
arrested and tried about two years after
ward. He was acquitted of the murder
on the ground of emotional insanity and
sent TO the lunatic asylum. from which
he was discharged at the end of five or
six months. Scannell has been very
prosperous gambler, being a partner OF
John DAILY, and is reputed to have accu-
mulated a fortune. He was a candidate
for the Office of fire commissioner. tho
basis of his candidacy being, according
to current gossip. the fact that he had
raised $4,000 among the gamblers for
Grants campaign. Scannelrs personal
contribution to the campaign fund was
a check for $1,000
His prominence in Tammany Hall
politics is due to the friendship of Dick
Croker and Ed Stokes, which he secured .
under peculiar circumstances. The
three men were all confined in tho
Tombs at the same time-1S14-eac
awaiting trial for murder. Croker WIS
innocent of the crime imputed to him,
but Scannell and Stokes were both
guilty. The last named was the SLAYER
of Jim Fisk and was at one time under
of death for his crime. The
friendship contracted under these ex-
circumstances has welded
more or less powerful influence in Tam
many Hall ever since
THE VALUE OF A PULL"
SevOnd-We see the fact in the cle-
of our courts of justice in our
cities. About all certain grade of our
courts in this city and in other great
titles are good for is m working various
pulls Some time ago III this city IA man,
was arrested charged with felonious-
assault. the penalty OF which was seven
rears in the penitentrary. He was put
n jail, and evidence was manufactured
sufficient to convict hmm. But for the
of frier5d who had money
'no,rgh TO hire "A lawyer and prevent the
nfamy from being consummated the
nan would have been sent TO the peniten-
iary for a crime committed by another
nan while he was at home with his
amily. And this job was put up through
he influence of coart officers.
A young man came to see me a short
ine ago who told me that he was ar
ested on Saturday night on a false
barge. and on Monday night he was in
he penitentiary on Blackwell's island
Wearing striped clothes He had wife
n this city, but she was prevented from
lolding any communication with him,
hough he sent kilograms to her from the
'rison. Every statement made by this
-oung man have found to be true. ;
When from this pulpit last June
denounced the infamy of the reappoint-
nent of Joseph Koch to the board of ex-
Use, it was the easiest thing in the
world for Mr.. Koch to consult pal Oh {
he judges bench, secure a warrant for
ny ar-est-though he knew every word
said was true-and to compel my at
endance from day to day at the Jeffer- :
on Market police court, extending over
period of two weeks, during which
line 1t was necessary to have bondsmen
md witnesses waiting at the court. The
ourt was absolutely, from the Judge to
he sculliOn who swept the room, at the (
command of Mr.. Koch. Its whole ma
hinery was used for the purpose of per- (
onal annoyance toward me. Mr.. Grady :
rom the bench acted both as judge and |
ttorney in behalf of his friend Koch.
When the farce was closed at the JEFF
erson Market, the return was sent to ;
he court of sessions. Here it was placed !
n the hands of another minion of Tam
many Hall, who drew the bill of indict- (
nent in the shortest space of time, and (
II "a hours had pushed aside over 1000
ther cases nendinp and bv parsonaI ,