The Springfield herald., 1912-08-02
DANNY M'sR,DE's STORY.

tors tell the story.
r. DANNY M'sRloE's STORY.
In the days when masked burglaries
were in vogue, and all the villages
within one hundred miles OF New
York were considered by these spe-
cial students Of the dark lantern and
Jimmy as the proper places for them
to visit, there was no more desperate
gang in the world than that led by
Danny Mcbride, who was a sort of
= hero among the lower class Of citi-
zens in the old Second Ward. Danny
started out when quite young fellow
as . river pirate. and was Just get
ting q knowledge Of the business
when Jerry McAuley. who was after
ward converted and founded a mis-
sion, was in his former glory and had
pretty nearly all the ship captains on
the river front terrorized. There was
not the police protection vt that time
that there is today. and no mans
property. or even life. was safe after
dark in certain sections OF West,
South and Front streets.
Danny followed thieving on the bay
and river front for several years. but
the business was not very remunera-
tive, as most Of the stun which was
stolen was disposed Of as old junk.
1t was about as safe q line of THE
very as there was going. because
Danny and his gang. which consisted
of Ben Harper, "Simmy" Kelly, "Old
Man" Dobbs. Pete Beller and Jack
Opp, were such cold-blooded cut
throats and careless handlers of the
knife and revolver that no one, not
even the police, cared about running
up against them. Every one of them
would kill before he would submit to
capture. and as they invariably went
together and had the sympathy Of q
large number of persons in their
bailiwick. 1t was practically sure
death for any one who cared to test
their strength.
They were known as the greatest
collection of Yough-and-tumble fight
ers, and many bitter battle did they
have single-handed or together with
the champions of the Ninth, or
American Ward, as 1t was known at
that time. 1t was the toss of cent
who was the better man, Abe Hicks.
the American. or Danny Mcbride.
And, although they had a dozen fights
they were lying in the street, they
always came out about even. The
last fight they had. John Morrissey
was the referee. and he was in sym
pathy with Mcbride. Hicks seemed
to be getting a trife the best of the
argument, and Morrissey interfered.
Then on the Morton street pier oc-
CURED one OF the bloodiest fights that
ever took place in the Ninth Ward.
Mcbride went to the hospital covered
with wounds and glory, and 1t was
three months before he was able to
get out.
THAT Morrissey fight" said Nc
Bride. was the worst thing that ever
happened to me. for while l was in
the hospital the police got in on the
gang and landed Dobbs, Kelly and
Opp for killing sailor In West street.
They got twenty years each, all be-
cause wasn't out to help them. This
broke up the old gang, and l could
not get good men together for new
one. when I left the hospital. who
could be trusted. 1 was very fond of
the river trade, as there was more ex-
citement in 1t than in any other that
I ever struck, and there were bullets
always flying in the air. did not
like to give 1t up. but when l heard
that sQuealers were getting into the
fences on the east side who were
giving tips to tho police, saw that
1t was no use going on with the trade,
and put out my line for some other
business.
ut was along about this time that
JEFF Reynolds, whose life 1 saved
when Billy Porter was trying to fill
him full of lead, came down from
Sing Sing after doing a stretch OF ten
years, and the first thing he did was
to hunt me up. l was then under
cover for highway trick on Staten
Island, but JEFF knew where to find
your uncle. When found out that
the cops had no pipes on me for the
Staten Island job l went in with JEFF
Ben Harper, Long Sam Wiley and
Spanish Forbes. Forbes was a niger
and as clever a crook as l ever knew.
He had a nerve that would carry him
through a stone wall.
jeff got up scheme to do the
towns on the East and Hudson River
fronts, and travel in sloop. al
ways liked the water, and this Just
suited me. We worked of the tricks
In the houses on each side Of the riv-
ers one after the other. 80 as to
throw down the police. All our sail
ing was done in the night, and Forbes,
who Travelled on shore as a beggar.
planted the places :or us. It was
dead easy work. and more like pic
mic than anything else. calling up peo-
pie in the night with masks on and
relieving them OF their wealth. We
had plenty of luck on the Hudson
River front and raided over forty
.ean Tho pane got SO hot that