The sun., 1919-07-27
Gangsters and Their Battles

eide Hall in 295 Bowery, where many
women killed themselves. This place
was the particular hangout Of the
street walkers that haunted the Bow
cry in those days. and curiously
enough they usually selected Nc
Gurk's as the place to. die by poison.
1t always has been rumored that for
a consideration McGurk and his bar
tenders would take the trouble off
their hands, and would put carbolic
acid or extra strong knockout drups
into drinks ordered by women who
wanted to kill themselves. Certain it
is that more women committed sui
eide in McGuirk's Suicide Hall than
in any other one place in New York.
The Bowery's Past shame.
y McGurk came to New. York from
Boston, where he had landed when he
emigrated from ireland. He opened
"a saloon, with accomplishments Of
back rooms and women and criminals.
at Elizabeth and Houston streets In
1883. That was in the days when the
vice of the Bowery and its environs
was open and brazen, and when that
entire section OF the city was ruled
by the gangster and the crooked pol
iticians. Neighboring dives OF the day.
all within a stones throw of McGurk's
, place, included Billy McGlory's Ar
mory Hap; Harry Hills place on
Houston street; Frank Stevenson's
dive; the American Mabille on Blocker
street, and a dive owned by Owney
Geoghegan.
noaiNT he
Mug" at 267 Bowery, a schooner
house." where the walters put knock
out drops into drinks ordered by Gus
toners and then frisked the custom
ers OF the proceeds OF their robberies.
and the Sailors Snug Harbor. which
was made so snug for sailors that
many OF them were killed there and
virtually all of them robbed In this
place McGurk kept many women to
help him rob the sailors and to help
the sailors spend their money over
McGurk's bar. Later he opened the
Merrimac, and in 1892 started the
place that became known as Suicide
Hall" 1t ran for ten years, with an
appalling list of suicides and murders,
and was closed in 1902 by the police
McGurk died in 1918.
McGlory was variously known also
as McGluck. McGlinlS and McGory--
the last is said to have been his real
name-and his dives were on the same
order as those run by McGurk. They
were birds of feather and did prac-
ucally the same business throughout
their careers. McGlorys heelers and
gang fighters included such men as
Carey Welsh, who afterward ran THE
Hole in the Wall" in Twelfth street.
and "Handshaker" Andy Kelley, who
ran a dive in Blocker street after the
police closed McGlory's dive. Nc
Glorys first venture was q saloon at
1903 Bowery. tho haunt OF such gang
sters as Brooklyn Jimmy" Burke.
Pretty George" Perry, Pat English
and Corkey O'BE'ien.
McGlory sold this place eventually
and afterward 1t became one OF the
Owney Geoghegan dives. Then Nc
Glory opened Armory Hall, his most
disreputable dive, and ran that place
until he was closed by the police about
1890. Two years later he opened a
place at Fourteenth street and Irving
place. but got into trouble with the
police by beating n woman. Finally
he drifted up into The Bronx and
opened a saloon, but that was closed
also when he kept open after hours
Then he became a sort Of an evange-
list and delivered sermons on sin at
the Bowery Mission and other places
He could always get a hearing because
there was no doubt that he knew what
ne was talking about.
(Tn he cnntinned In ne If HMndniIS StrN,