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Michael Gorman's Last Look at Sing Sing Prison. |
Michael Gorman’s crime occurred on July 1, 1855, in
Brooklyn, New York. Three brothers, Charles, Robert, and William Johnson, along
with Patrick McDonough and James Campbell, were walking home around midnight on
Raymond Street. They came across three men lying face down in the gutter,
apparently passed out drunk. They tried to rouse the men, shaking them and
telling them they should go home.
One man, Michael Gorman, jumped up in a rage and said he would
go home for no one. He drew a dirk knife from his pocket and stabbed Charles
Johnson in the abdomen. He then attacked Robert Johnson, wounding him in the
back and abdomen, and stabbed Patrick McDonough in the right thigh.
The cries of the wounded attracted the attention of five
police officers from the Fourth District. They hurried to the scene and found
the three men on the ground bleeding. Officers Skidmore and Casler chased after
Gorman. They managed to secure Gorman after a desperate struggle that left
Casler severely injured.
The wounded men were taken to City Hospital. 17-year-old
Charles Johnson died later that day. Robert Johnson, 25, died twelve days
later. Patrick McDonough, 18, recovered
from his injuries. All of the men on both sides of the melee were Irish
immigrants.
Michael Gorman was indicted for the murders of Charles and
Robert Johnson. He pled not guilty to both counts. Gorman’s trial for the
murder of Charles Johnson began on October 23, 1855, and ended three days
later. The jury deliberated for 20 hours but ultimately could not accept Gorman’s
plea of self-defense. They found him guilty of murder. The judge sentenced him
to hang on December 21.
Governor Hill was initially reluctant, worried the 60-year-old
Gorman would be unable to support himself. Dolan signed a bond to provide for
his friend the rest of his days. The Governor yielded and granted Gorman’s
release.
"I have made up my mind to stop thinking of my prison
days and to enjoy the rest of my life as best I can,” Gorman told reporters. 1,200
inmates cheered as the old man walked down the corridors of Sing Sing for the last
time and through the door to freedom.
Sources:
“The Commutation of Gorman's Sentence,” Brooklyn Eagle, January 18, 1856.
“Death of Robert Johnson,” CITIZEN., July 14, 1855.
“The End Of A Long Imprisonment,” New-York Tribune., October 9, 1888.
“A Friend Indeed,” Daily Inter Ocean, October 18, 1888.
“The Fulton Avenue Tragedy, Brooklyn,” New York Herald., July 4, 1855.
“Horrid Murder,” New-York Daily Tribune., July 2, 1855.
“Kings County Court of Oyer and Terminer,” New York Herald., October 25, 1855.
“King's County Court of Oyer and Terminer,” New York Herald., September 19, 1855.
“A Lifetime in Prison,” Sun., October 9, 1888.
“Must Be Hung,” New-York Atlas., December 16, 1855.
“News Article,” New York Herald., December 27, 1855.
“No More Thought of Prison,” evening world., October 10, 1888.
“Released From Prison,” Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, October 27, 1888.
“Respite,” Albany Journal, December 20, 1855.
“Sentence of Death Commuted,” The Sun, January 19, 1856.
1 comments :
January 20, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Do you know what happened after his release?
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