The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-24

nard Costello. Here he first came under
the notice of James O'Brien, and in after
years OF John Kelly. And here he first
ulscovered-and the fact has been of ire
mendous import to the city of New York
that the ringleadership of a gang had
political value.
Richard Cookers first situation was
that of choreboy to a railway shop force
at 81 week. The first week he got moth
ing: being on trial. 1t is easy to get a de-
Scrlptlon OF him at that time He was
heavy and stupid. The "fellers" called
him Dick" 1t is still recalled that dur
ing his first weeks he almost broke an
other boys jaw with a blow of his fist.
mat was always Cookers way. He never
said much. He was big any weightv.
ragged and unkempt They laughed at
his awkwardress. Croker knocked them
down. He never argued point with his
mates. He simply knocked them down
by the time he was 20, Croker had listed
MS way 10 sub-leadership in the Fourth
avenue tunnel gang
Inc Fourth avenue tunnel gang was, as
Its name implies, union of choice spirits,
with the then partially developed Fourth
avenue tunnel as a headquarters. OF
course, Croker was not Immediately adj
mltted to full membership in this league.
he had to win his spurs. Even up to 1860
Croker was not permitted to rule the
gang Indeed, it may be said that the
gang, unlike the city of New York, never
gave itself up to Cookers absolute SWAY
Its members were idle mechanics, uuem-
ployed hackmen and street roughs. They
terrorlZed the Twenty-frst ward
The most famous member of the Fourth
avenue tunnel gang was a chap named
Ed" Quigly. He was giant in strength,
tyrant in disposition and a mechanic by
trade. He hated Croker. Many a fist
fight the two had They were rival
DULLES, with Quigly in the lead. The
present boss of New York used to be
by this man. Visit the old haunts of the
gang and its one time members will say:
IF Quigley had lived there never would
a. been no Dick Croker"
Quigly had both his legs cut off by a
train in the tunnel. He laughed when
they took him to the hospital He died
in early manhood, a circumstance to
which New York is indebted for it's OPP
portunity to contribute such wealth Of
unique material in the person Of Richard
Croker towards history Of municipal
government in America.
Then there were the Riley boys, sons Of
section foreman Riley. Many time
those lads have wiped the pavements of
Third avenue with Richard Croker.
Ask any Of the boss's old pals why they
never go near Dick nowadays and your
simplicity will cause a smile. They
never could get to him. The man can
now afford to despise the ladder bywhich
he has climbed up. Croker is rarely be-
held on the scene of his early triumphs
He has turned his back on the friends of
his obscure days
OF all the fist fights in which Richard
Croker has participated, three at least
must be mentioned in an impartial biogra-
ply: First, his fight with Reddy Hoskins
in McAnearny's cellar; second, his fight
with Pat Kelly in the latters saloon.
Th1rty-fifth street and Third avenue; and
third, his fight with Dickie Lynch in
Jones' Woods on a Sunday morning In
one of these contests Croker chewed off
his opponents ear. His friends say it
was Pat Kelly's ear, and others claim it
was Dickie Lynch's ear. One of Crock
er's fighting methods lay in this use of his
mouth. Amid the fury of fist fight, as
many members of the Fourth avenue tun-
mel gang learned to their cost, he would
rush upon his antagonist, bear him to the
ground by sheer weight and then bite.