New-York tribune., 1910-01-24
SIR JOHNNY" DEAD
DUNN, OF WALL ST..
is NO MORE
Was Best Kno7cn Thief Taker
on Force and Friend of
Many Financiers.

oAohSh VI the DeIeCtlVS Bureau, dled
early yesterday morning from Brights
disease, at his home, No 249 East list
street
So often were his exploits successful
that his name had long been familiar
to the general public as one of the most
palnstaking and enterprising members
OF the New York police force. They
called him the Grand Old Man" down
in the financial district He was sew
enty-seven years old and was member
OF the Police Department in various ca
pacltles for ffty-three years.
His retirement was forced. when. in
the spring of 1907, Police Commissioner
Bingham ordered him from the Detec-
tive Bureau TO desk duty at the Canarsie
police station. The brave show he made
to pretend not to feel his humiliation
was said yesterday TO stand forth clearly
among the long list of "Sir Johnny's''
victories. The transfer was made when
Dunn was in his seventy-fifth year.
The morning he was to begin his new
duties he arose before ; o'clock, took his
cold bath, and. spotlessly attired in
Wall Street fashion, even to the silk hat
Yer headed cane, he started for the new
precinct, which is described as having
a fishy smell. He reached his post at
Z a. m. an hour before he was due.
For more than a quarter of a century
he had worn no uniform, but his new
occupation called for one He told them
his troubles al Canarsie and the men
found an old cap that would do and an
old blouse that did do, although it was
longer than nature required. His six
children. thirteen grandchildren and
even the more mature among his great
grandchildren were concerned that day
how the famous detective would endure
his new position.
It's orders" was his reply to all sug-
gestions by his family and friends that
he retire instead of assuming the new
duties at Canarsie. Day and night work
so far from his home proved too much
for him, however, and he asked for re
tirement.
KNEW SECRETS OF WALL STREET.
Great secrets of Wall Street lodged in
the brain of Dunn. He knew Jay Cooke,
William H. Vanderbilt. Jay Gould and
Jim" Fisk intimately, and among the
financiers of day who were his friends
were J. Pierpont Morgan, Thomas F.
Ryan and John W. Gates
The Wall Street Detective Bureau was
originally in small room on the second
floor of the old marble building that
stood on the southwest corner of Wall
and Broad streets. It is now in the
~
was an active agent. expelling crooks
from the Wall Street district and acting
aggressively and having plenty to do.
The immense amount of money concen-
trated in the neighborhood was a tre-
mendous temptation to thieves, from the
most sneaking to the most desperate.
Dunn esta blished in 1880 the dead line"
for crooks, extending from John street
to the Produce Exchange, and from
Broadway to Pearl street.
Although Dunn had scores of big ca pit
ures TO his credit, it was the work he
did in the Wall Street bureau that made
him a detective of international promi-
nence.
SOME OF HIS CAPTURES.
II
inator of the panel game" He took
into custody John P. Avery, at No 143
Thompson street, for the murder of E
F Clark, merchant of No. $50 Broad
way, who was killed in his home at Girls
kill, n. ]. Avery was executed With
Detective Won Gerichten he arrested a
thief named Gus" Miller for stealing
trunk belonging to Don Visconte Dar-
deem. Minister Of Guatemala TO the
United States, containing $1,5OOOOO
worth of bonds, taken from one of
Dodd's Express wagons. Mary McDer-
mott, queen of the confidence women"
was found out and captured by Dunn
She swindled ministers, priests and nuns
out of thousands of dollars, after coming
here from England.
Dunn was terribly beaten in 1881,
when he arrested Danny" Driscou. ex-
convict and leader of the Whyo gang.
DriscolI had escaped from Sing Sing. but
the detective subdued him and the pris-
oner was executed the following year
for the murder of 'Beezy' Gerrity. The
only cases where Dunn failed to bring
the criminals to justice, it was said, were
the robbery of A. T. Stewards grave and
the kidnapping of Charley Ross. In 1860
he distinguished himself in the Draft
Riots"
He was a short, stocky man, scru-
pulously neat, who wore his silk hat at
just enough of an angle to hint at the
genial nature that was his. He was
born in Ireland. His carriage and gem
eraI nobility OF character prompted
financiers years ago to call him Sir
Johnny"
In 1904 Lieutenant Dunn and his wife
celebrated their golden wedding ami
versary. Mrs Dunn two years later
was accidentally burned to death in her
home. His three sons and three daughters
are Thomas j. Dunn. former deputy col
lector of customs; John ]. Dunn. ir., an
actor; Charles Clark Dunn, of the
United States General Land Office. in
Denver; Mrs. Eleanor D. Dunn, who
kept house for him: Mrs. D. A. Nc
Laughlin, wife of the assistant clerk of
the Appellate Division OF the Supreme
Court, and Mrs James J. Larkin. all of
whom were present when he died
A requiem mass will be celebrated to-
morrow morning at 10 o'clock in the
Church of ST. Vincent Ferrer, Lexing-
ton avenue and Goth street, by Father
Mahr From the church the body will be
T,,I,.ar,r