The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-27
KING OF THE BOWERY
REDDY THE BLACKSMITH AND HIS
RULE WITH ROBBERS.
Two Samples of the Way He Managed the
Pickpockets of Forty Years Ago-Thc
Friends of the Old Bowery Theater
Were Always Protected.

were Always Protected.
'It used 10 be said" remarked the ex-
empt Truman, "that man was safe from
robbery in Harry Hills place. even If ev-
cry thief in town was there at the same
time. But what isn't remembered so well
Is the fact that 40 years ago Reddy the
Blacksmith would not allow anybody's
pocket to be picked in the old Bowery
theater, although pocket picking was COM
mon In every other theater In town.
"That seems almost incredible today,
but l remember an instance which shows
clearly what Reddy could do. A party of
us started up town one night to see the
great Kavanagh Carme billiard match, and
we went In Fourth avenue car from
French's hotel Jim Clute, Tom Leigh,
Tony Ryan and Jim Lingard were In the
party. When we had got pretty well up
toward Fourteenth street, somebody asked
Lingard what time 1t was, having noticed
that his watch chain was dangling loose
from his vest.
Jim felt for his watch, and 1t was gone.
In those days IL was looked upon as rath-
er good joke on man to have his pocket
picked, and Lingard was enough Of q
sport to have made no squeal, only for the
fact that the watch was a presentation
affair, very valuable and deliberately in
scribed as token of esteem and affection,
and all that. So he was dead sore, and
we were all rather sorry for him.
ION the way down town we stopped of
for drink at the Bowery theater saloon,
and In there we were talking about Lin
CARDS loss, and he was telling us for about
the fifth time how much he thought of the
watch. Fred Hagadorn was tending bar
at the time, and hearing the talk he in
Quired about 1t, asking particularly when
the thing had happened.
when he heard that 1t was on Fourth
avenue car, he told Lingard that he would
bet him a case of wine that he would get
the watch back for him before morning
Naturally Lingard wasn't slow about tax
ing up the bet, and naturally, too, he
hadn't the slightest desire to win 1t. We
began drinking the wine right away, and
Hagadorn sent messenger over to Reddy
the Blacksmith's place.
Freddy kept a saloon then under the
branch postoffice In Chatham square, so he
had pretty good fellow tenant In Uncle
Sam. 1t was the first branch Office that
was established In the city. The messen-
ger was back in few minutes to say that
Reddy wasn't in, but his wife would be
over in a few minutes If Mr.. Lingard
would wait Mr.. Lingard waited, and 1t
was in fact only few minutes when she
came in with mans hat half full of
watches.
"'I can't read, Mr.. Lingard, she said.
so brought these all over to let you pick
yours out If it is here. OF course you can
tell 1t by the inscription And it was
there, and she gave 1t to him with the ut
most good will, expressing deep regret
that he should have been robbed.
"More than that, as we learned after
ward Reddy, when he heard about it, waA
bowling mad, and, calling up the man
who had nipped the watch, gave him a
tongue lashing, besides knocking him
down, for having robbed man who was
connected with the Bowery tbeater. II
was actually true that he protected the old
theater even to the extent of exempting its
patrons from pocket picking.
'He didn't protect the whole Bowery by
any means, though. There was memoir
able night in the Cry stall that showed that
The Crystal was great gambling house
on Grand street that was run by Joe Debro
Ed Murphy and policeman-I don't care
to mention his name, but it was perfectly
we'll known at the time that he was {
partner. After a time il was moved AROUND
into the Bowery, and was one of the noted
resorts of the street.
"Tom Hen Ferris dropped in one night
with q wad and half n jag and started IL
to make play at faro. George Kerrigai
was dealing, and the luck ran against Fer
ris pretty heavily He had more thar
| $1,000 with him, as some of the gani
| knew, but he didn't propose TO lose mucl
| of it, and, becoming enraged at his ii
| luck, he began to accuse kerrigan of deal
| ing a brace game. OF course that sort o
| talk doesn't go anywhere unless the maj
| that does the talking is ready to do SOM
| fighting also But that, as it happened
| was Just what Ferris was looking for AM
| Just what he got. George talked back, ant
| after some hot words Ferris dared him Z
come outside
81 Just want to lick the whole KERR
| gan family, he said.
| We'll, I'm the youngest, said George
and can just about lick you myself
| You can tackle the rest of us after &c
through with you If you want to, but
don't believe you will.
| Come outside and III show you,
yelled Ferris, and George started, bu
Debro, seeing that there was sure TO be
fight said;
What's the use of going outside?
you want to fight, why don't you have
out right hereY
$50 they stood up in the middle of tn
room, and every body else stood around
see the fun. Reddy the Blacksmith wa
there with several of his gang, and the
stood behind Ferris. They knew that h
had his roll with him. Kerrigan was I'll
smaller man by considerable, but he cam
of good fighting stock His brother, Coli
mel jim Kerrigan, happened to be some
where in the neighborhood and heard in
few minutes that Tom Hen Ferris wa
trying to do up his brother George. COLI
mel Jim thought heap of George, and b
wasn't fond of staying out of n fight hin
self, so he came tearing into the place
almost no time at all. But as quick as
was IL was all over before he arrived
George got In one good punch soon att
the fight began that sent Ferris spinning
He would have fallen flat, but Reddy Il
Blacksmith caught him in his arms us
was falling. He only held him for in'
ment, but when Ferris stood upright agai
and recovered little from his confusio
bis 81 500 xyns pone and so was Reddy. -