Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-23
KING OFTHE BOWERY
REDDY THE BLACKSMITH AND HIS
RULE WITH ROBBERS.
Two Samples of the Way He Managed the
Pickpocl1ets of Forty Years AgO-The
Friends of the Old uowery Theater
Were Always Protected.

frlehus VI the Old boWery 1heiheei
Were Always Protected.
at used to be said, remarked the ex-
empt fireman, THAT a man was safe from
robbery in Harry Hills place, even if cy-
cry thief i'll town was there at the same
time. But what isn't remembered so wei
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, ana
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 it was, having noticed
that his watch chain was dangling loose
from his vest.
"Jim felt for his watch and it was gone.
In those days it was looked upon as rath-
er good joke on q man to have his pockeu
picked and Lingard was enough OF y
sport to have made no squeal, only for tho
fact that the watch was presentation
affair." very valuable and deliberately in
scribed as token of esteem and affections
and all that. So he was dead sore, and
we were all rather sorry for him. .
"On the way down town we stopped Oh
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 it, asking particularly when
the thing had happened.
"Whcn he heard that it was on a Fourth
avenue car, ne told Lingard that he would
bet him Il case of wine that he would get
the watch back for him before morning.
Naturally Lingard WASH slow about tax
ing up the bet, and naturally too, b
hadn't the slightest desire to win it, VT
began drinking the wine right away, and
Hagadorn sent messenger over TO Reddy
the Blacksmith's place.
Freddy kept saloon then under tie
branch postoifice in Chatham square, SO he
had u pretty good fellow tenant in Uncle
Sam. IT was the first branch office that
was established in the city. The messen-
ger was back in n few minutes to say that
Reddy wasn't in, but his wife would be
over in n few minutes if Mr. Iingard
would wait. Mr.. LinCard waited, and il
was in fac4 only few minutes when she
came in with q mans hat half full ct
watches.
II 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 it by the inscription And it wa,
there, and she gave it 10 him with the ut
most good Will, expressing deep regret
that he should have been rohbed
More than that, as we learned after
ward, Reddy, when he heard about it, wa;
bowling mad, and, calling up the mar
who had nii'red the watch, gave him &
tongue lashing. besides knocking him
down, for having ,sabbod a man who wa:
connected with the Bowery thcuter. Il
was actually true that he protected the ole
| theatCr even to the extent Of eXempting it!
patrons from pocket picking.
He didn' t protect the whole Bowery by
any means, though. There was II memor
able night in he Crystal that showed that
| The Crystal was Il great gambling hous,
| on Grand street that was run by Joe Debro
Ed Murphy and ii policeman-I don't care
to mention his name, but it was perfect,
we'll known at the time that he was {
partner. After a time it was moved arount
| into the Bowery, and was one Of the notet
resorts of the street.
Tom Hen Ferris dropped i'll one night
with a wsd and half a jag and started il
to make ii play at faro. George kerriga1
was dealing, and the luck ran against Fer
ris pretty heavily He had more thai
$1,000 with him, as some of the gang
knew, but he didn't propose to lose mucl
of II, and, becoming enraged at his il
luck, he began to accuse kerrgan of deal
ing "a brace game. OF course that sort O
talk doesn't 30 anywhere unless tho MAJ
that does the talking is ready to do SOM
fighting also. But that, AS it happened
was just what Ferris was locking for an,
just what be got. George talked back, an,
after some hot words Ferris dared him t,
come outside.
90 just want to lick the whole kerri
gan family he said.
Well, I'm the youngest, said George
'and l can just about lick you myself
You can tackle the rest Of us after | ge
through with you if you want to, but
don believe you will
Come outside and Ill 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 here?'
$50 they stood up in the middle of tn
room, and everybody else stood around t.
see the fun. Eeddy 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 tn
smaller man by considerable, but he cam
of good fighting stock. His brother, Colo
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 Colo
mel jim thought a heap of George, and h
WASH t fond Of staying out Of a fight him
self, so he came tearing into the place il
almost no time at all. But as quick as h
was it was all over before he arrived
George got in one good punch soon afte
the fight began that sent Ferris spinning
He would have fallen fiat, but Reddv til
Blacksmith caught him in his arms as h
was falling. He only held him for a nc
ment, but when Ferris stood upright apai
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