The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-11-23
SQUIRE CROKER OF
 GLENCAIRNE, EX-TANINIANY BOSS, 6s TOMORROW

Squire Croker of Glencairne, Ireland retired leader of Tammany Hall and once the most powerful political boss in America, will tomorrow receive the congratulations of his numerous ad- nirers on both sides of the Atlantic. the occasion being his sixty ninth birthday. Richard welstead Croker was born at Black Rock, County Cork Nov. A. 1S43. His father. Eyre Coote Creker, was a. farmer, and emigrated to America when the future boss ot New York was two years old
 The formal educa ton of the schools played a small part in the rearing of dom of Tanlrnany. In his youth he was a gangster, afhliating with the old tunnel gang. and soon fought his way to leadership. A fighter born, he depended on his fists, and never tot ed a cannon" His early ambition was to shine as a pugilist, and he engag- ed in many thrilling bouts, but he soon turned to politics as offering greater profits. Sentiment was an un- known quality to Croker. His eye was always for the main chance. Yet he was honest, as bosses go. and as loyal to his friends as any man that ever breathedI
 Croler was twenty-three when Boss Tweed gave him a job as court att came an alderman. In the latter ca pacity he did nothing wonderful, but under the tuition of Tweed and his as sistant. Dick Connolly. Croker gained
  tical politics as it was played in New York. In 1874 occurred incident that for a time threatened to perma- nent1y eclipse the career of the young man named John McKenna. was shot and killed. One witness of the crime alleged he heard the dying man say Dick Croker croaked me- Croker was arrested and put on trial for his life. The jury disagreed. and a year later Crokef was released and imme- a<,z
 That tragedy has been made much of by Croker's enemies, who have ac- cused him of being a murderer and assassin, and only recently has that stigma been removed The real s1ay- CT of McKenna made a deathbed con fession. but, according to his story, he shot the man to save Croker's life. McKenna, he declared, was aiming at Croker, who w9s unarmed, when the real slayer drew a revolver and fired. It is alleged that Croker knew all the time who had killed McKenna, but in a spirit of loyalty prevented him from revealing the name of the friend who had saved his life. Rather than be false to his standard of gang ethics tombs and faced the possibility of ex- ecution or a life in prison
 When John Kelly died in 1886. Cro- ker succeeded him as leader of Tam many Hall and for fifteen years the squat stolid, silent man was the real sovereign, the power behind the When he retired he neturned to his native Emerald Isle, although for 9 time he had a country estate at Wan tage, England, which he later dispos- ed of. He usually spends the Winter months in Florida His Irish estate is a magnificent establishment not far from Dublin and is called G1encairne. Croker had millions at his disposal and, besides building villa that is veritable palace, he went in for racing and has competed for and on occasions won the Derby and other English turf classics. Squire Croker, as his neigh bors call him, is a great favorite ir Ireland, and if Erin should become republic, Squire Dick could undoubt- edIy be elected president.