The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-08-01
Nv the OUT EASTER

By THE OUT EASTER
In the old days Of Waterbury. the
Police Department had among its
membership, men who could handle
themselves In time Of trouble by the
use Of their fists. as We we're re-
minded OF these fine Irish police Of
a past day. by the recent death Of
william J. Quaine. another Irish cop
OF New York, as published recently
In the New York Times.
Forty years ago or so. yes. and
before that time. the city history
shows that most OF the police Of
Waterbury were Irish born. men OF
families, good men. and fighting
men. when they had to fight to bring
In the culprit OF the day. An arrest
IN those days generally meant a
fight. as the life Of Policeman
Quaine, attached hereto. plainly
proves. II didn't maze any differ
ence whether the arrest was made
IN New York or Waterbury. We had
gangs here, just the same rs they
had IN New York. We had them in
Brooklyn. In Canal street. In the
North End, IN the Abrigador. Out
East. and also In Poverty Hollow. II
you know the section We refer to.
or was called In those days.
But when the late Maurice Moo
nan, Jack Pagan. Jack Byrnes. Bar
ney cahey, Johnny and Billy
Brickel. Maurice Healey and similar
other cops Of their day appeared
they bounded into action so quick
~ that there was scattering on the
part Of the members, In their desire
70 get out Of the way Of the on
coming police. No policeman We
have ever seen could act IL seemed.
just like Maurice NoonaD. Fearless
and neryy he plOughed into gangs,
swinging right and left with his
arms. and II an arrest had TO be
made, he never gave up until his
man was landed safely IN the old
police jug" in Harrison alley. There
was no police patrol. and It vas. N
many instances q case Of fight, from
the beginning 10 the end. Mr. Moo
nan seldom used his club; neither
did the others. unless II was abso~
lutely necessary.
But let's set on with the story Of
Policeman QuaiFe. Il Is so interest
ing and full OF Information that we
publish II Just as II appeared Ia the
New York Times.
William .. Qnaine, city detective
who was the scouTge Of Harlem
gangs from 1907 TO 1894, died at
Kil6nanee KtlmallOch. IN County
Limerick, ireland. on April 20. ae-
cording 10 q letter that reached
police headquarters yesterday. sis
age was 81.
Word Of Mr.. ouainels death re.
viyed the countless Legends Of his
flstie crusade against the notorious
Car Barn, Murder Stable, Duffy
Hill and 0alueei gangs; Of the
reverence and trembling ave spread
BY his deeds 10 Harlems LATHE
Italy.
"IlljteTate criminals, particularly
among Harlsmis foreign element,
looked upon Bill Quaire with some
thing like approximation. They
called him The man who cannot
be killed" he who strikes sou
dead with his hands
~ was 4 rather anomalous TepnS
tatloD for o scholarly man wb0
seemed destined, IN early life, for
the priesthood. but Bill 0naines
gathering career justified II, When
he retired from the force ~ mla-
September, 1887, every one Of bis
kpuekles had been bTokep-iD ltne
VI duty.
Worried Wsv Ff0w BFslsns
"bill Quaine worked bis way
across tbs Atlantic from bis native
Ireland IN June, 1909. Fiye years
later hs attained citizenship and
appointment 10 the force at the
same time, Jan, 1907, and vas de-
tailed 70 Harlem,
Italian criminals preyed heavily
on their OwD kind tD those days,
esacting tribute from small shop
keepers Fad peddleTs They couldn't
understand The Deg cop, He made
few arrests. Their Se0gis didn't stop
him from baiteTlng fbeiT noses,
eTinkline their ears With powerful
nTst blows When they imported q
highly t0utAd killer from CalabFla,
9laIne almost murdered the man
with his fists,
One nigbt in 1919 h0laup men
killed Paddy Burns, former mid
west cop, N bis saloon 81 Park Ave-
nue. end l0etb 6trest, a few weeks
later bill ouaille caught one of the
mob after Q chase up seven sights
o. tenement stairs IN i0ist Street
near Second Avenue.
what be dragged Into the East
loftb Street police station vas
something less than human 10 ap.
pearanee, after ne had done With
u, but he had TIE right man, ~
was one Of Paddy DmFns's muFa.
erers, THIS man and another died
IN the chair for the crime.
Chaiienger ~ Beeeinnls
Commissioner nbineianoer wal.
90 whs Impressed. re put Glsaine
into plain clothes. SIaTleins Car
Barn Gang. terriers around the
upper Mlnefies, vowed theg's hiisl-
bic the new detective.
''aunine organized 4 touring assafs
aet. armed W'sh stout FIbnsE noae