New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-04
Heroes of Fist and Club
Were Politicians Aids
in Ruling City.
EVEN DEFIED MILITIA
IN PITCHED BATTLES
One Leader, Progressing by
Gambling Route, Arose
TO Seat in Congress.


still the basic element. Under changed
conditions they work out in different
ways. A call to arms would undoubt-
edlv bring from New York RECKLESS
regiment whose deeds, once 70 had 0een
whipped into shape, would compare
favorably with those OF the Ola ire
Zouaves. The gangs OF the Nest lu lt
still have the main features OF 'helr
forebears OF forty and fifty years ago:
The modernization consists largeN OF
the introduction OF firearms ana olaeN-
jacks ..,i.a
In the EOS Manhattan was pareelled
out among the gangs no less dehnlteIL
than IL is to-day. The amnesty win
which members of different gangs re-
oarded each other was even more
marked than II Is now. il was more
dangerous for q champion o. the
Bloody 9Th TO take lonely outing on
the outskirts Of Joness Woods man IL
Is now for a Hudson buster OF some
repute 20 abandon "PaddyS Market
for Stanton ST.
But there was no interGang shooting
then. Il was a case Of beating up
which left injuries sometimes more
serious than those inflicted by the more
modern weapons. Such shooungs as
occurred we're iutragang affairs and
we're likely to be inspired by jealousy
as was the case with Denny DrlscoH.
Who was hung in the courtyard OF the
old Tombs for the murder Of ms sweet
heart. "Beezy' Geraghty Denny
didn't intend 10 Kill the girl out he
was shooting through a closed door
and the bullet he meant for ms rival
found its billet elsewhere.
Clans Hiding Place Raced.
Denny" was one Of the Five Points
gang. that stubborn coteue Wh!ch
didn't disntegrate until the rookerles
which sheltered them were RACED about
their ears.
More internecine strife came 10 the
Five Points gang when Big Nose POI
Sullivan was shot by Kid Hunt. The
kid" was dutifully "salted" away by
the surviving relatives Of Big Nose
Pol" Some Of the other ancient heroes
Of Five Points fame were "Cracky ana
"Jacky" Mccarthy and "Jackeen' Shea.
Just TO the north and east of the
precincts Of the Five Points gang were
those of the Cherry Hill gang. There
we're the Ware brothers. "BNnkY' Con
roy and "Micky" Mccarthy and dozen
others of no less prowess. The Wares
and "Blnky" and "Micky' OF DARK
night would run out a slatternly sloop
and take toll from the mansions and
attendant Yachts which then adorned
the Astoria region.
For some Of these piraNcal raids
they were finally laid by the heels oy
Captain Murray. later superintendent
Of Police with his henchmen, "Gllile'
Carr and Meekin.
Not far from the haunts OF the
Cherry Hill gang was the Border
gang, and conveniently placed for pur-
., I'D oh
Short Tails. The Short Tails won their
name from their habit OF wearing
Jumpers. or untucked blouses, which
hung half way TO their knees. Their
fame they won in many bloody fights
and their proves In robbing Chinese
laundries and the digger" hOrsecars,
"a tyne of car which had 10 conductor,
but instead cash box by the door.
Bad Men on West Side.
On the West Side was the Rotten
l. Row gang, active in the 9th and Sth
wards; bad men all-dock thieves.
wharf rats and river pirates Among
u them "Big" Shanahan. Jack Frost and
bad Dickie" Blake won renown. II
was in their territory that Johnny
Dolan. Of the East Side Whyos, came
cropper Lured by the richness Of
Rotten Row. johnny crept through
y
Greene ST., one black midnight.
II happened that Mr.. Noe had spent
the evening over mis- books and Johnny
met him in the hall. Dandy Johnny
Dolan had his swagger stick with him
even on burglarious expeditions. Being
taken by surprise, he used the stick IN
stead of his fist, and the brush manu-
facturer crumplCd 10 the floor.
Johnny" took what was in sight and
went his way. But the very demon of
thoughtlessncss must have been in him
that night, for, lying beside the body
Of the manufacturer, he left his stick.
II was a curious stick, with weighted
grin concealed by the carved head of a
monkey. Wellnigh all the SiXt knew
that stick for Johnny" Dolan's, and IL
WAS not long till Johnny" paid for his
oarelessness on the gallows.
To the north Of Rotten Row stretched
tho district where the Mazeppa coterie
held sway. save for that turbulent
plague spot. known even IN those days
AS Hell's Kitchen. The Hells Kitchen
gang yielde ground 20 no man. be he
4 Mazopp' or Nhyo.
Returning 10 the East Side. the Jolly
'Es's were to be found extracting pleas
ure from the neighborhood Of Ludlow
81. and Canal ST.; and on the north,
where old Man COrcOran's shanty
looked down from the crags that
crowned the river edge i'm the '30's, was
the Corcoran's Roost gang. Beyond
that lay Jones's Woods, and on the
outskirts of that picnic ground lowered
A gang which was none the less danger
Gus because il never won for itself
lasting name. yellow" Davis and
Homer O'Brien we're its leaders.
Many Gangs in Old Days.
Other gangs Of less note there were,
inst as to-day the city is honeycombed
with minor gangs Of street corner
rowdies that may suddenly achieve
fame and name. Among them were the
Frog Hollow gang, just across the
Harlem in the lonely Businesses Of The
Bronx. and the 9TH Ward Hay-ups.
Even before the days OF the Five
Pointers and their enemies there were
gangs that at times terr0rized the
whole city and brought out the militia.
There we're the Bowery Boys and the
Dead Rabbits or Black Rabbits. Many
Of them were formed during the days
Of the Volunteer Fire Department. I'm
those days every fire meant a fight.
Sometimes the fight was over position
al the fire, and in that case fight and
fire went merrily on, neither hindered
hy the other II the fire still survived
when the fight was over the yictOrs
piled their pumps with a Will. II the
ire had burned itself out so much the
better.
One Of the most picturesque OF the
oldtime gangsters was John Morrissey
Realizing to the full the political value
of his organization, he rose 10 power
through his friends. Graduating from
l.