Murder Among the Whyos, Part 2.

Daniel M. Lyons (burglar),

Dan Driscoll and Dan Lyons were the successful leaders of New York City’s Whyo gang in the early 1880s. After Driscoll’s arrest for murder in 1886, Dan Lyons became the sole leader, but his reign did not last long. Confusion surrounds the cause of Lyons’ downfall in 1887—most modern accounts say he was executed for murdering a popular amateur athlete, but in fact, he was shot to death by an angry saloonkeeper. Either way, murder led to the demise of the Whyos.

Murder Among the Whyos, Part 1.

The Whyos, in 1886, were the strongest and most brutal criminal gang New York City had ever known. Under the joint leadership of Dan Driscoll and Dan Lyons, the Whyos grew to control criminal activity throughout the city. But Driscoll and Lyons were too violent and reckless to rule for long and their mistakes led to the demise of the gang. The Whyos’ downfall began when Dan Driscoll stole Beezy Garrity from her pimp John McCarthy. 

A Christmas Eve Murder.

Little Murders

(From New York Herald March 9, 1888)

A Christmas Eve Murder.
      

John F. Foley Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in the First Degree.

The John F. Foley, alias “Mud,” pleaded guilty yesterday before Judge Gildersleeve in the Court of General Sessions to manslaughter in the first degree, in killing Dennis Carney. He was remanded until to-day for sentence.

The defendant and the murdered man were members of a west side gang who committed robberies from the outside of stores and from parcel wagons. On Christmas Eve, 1886, Carney’s body was found toward midnight in a gutter on Twenty-seventh street, near Eleventh avenue, and on examinations it was seen that he had been stabbed through the heart.

Foley had been seen with Carney a short time previous to the discovery of the murder and was arrested, but after several examinations before Justice Duffy he was discharged. Another of the gang, named Johnny Murphy, residing at No. 445 West Twenty-seventh street, was subsequently arrested, and at Police Headquarters told the story of the murder, which was briefly as follows:— On the evening of December 24, 1886, Foley and carney quarreled about a can of peaches, during which Foley stabbed Carney in the left breast. After a few words had passed between them and Foley had ascertained that the injuries were likely to be fatal, he ran toward the North river, but afterward virtually gave himself up.

The Horrible Murder in Division Street.

 An editorial on ruffianism from the New York Herald, June 11, 1872:

The Horrible Murder in Division Street.

 

 

We are becoming so used to the reign of ruffianism that it requires some outrage of unusual barbarity to thoroughly arouse our indignation. But even the meekest citizen will be of opinion that the murder of Augustus Brown, on Saturday night, ought to be followed by vigorous action looking towards the suppression of rowdyism.It will not do to allow gangs of loafing ruffians to assemble at street corners and insult peaceable passers-by. As we have before pointed out, these assemblages are constantly leading to murder and robbery. The judicial authorities are as much to blame in this matter as are the police, for the cure for this crying evil is very simple. Instead of allowing members of gang to come into court and swear an alibi, every man known to have been present at the time of a murder ought to  be held as an accessory, unless he give such information as will aid the cause of justice. So long as ruffians can find immunity from the law by swearing for each other the respectable classes of the community will always be at the mercy of the scum of our population. Murder succeeds murder with alarming rapidity in our midst and unless the law can afford the citizen better protection than it does at present the citizen will be forced in self-defense to take action independent of the authorities.

We have constantly urged the suppression of the corner loafer gangs, and this last murder, by its cold-blooded atrocity, must bring home to every man the necessity which exists for the course we have strenuously recommended. The best was of striking terror into the gangs of rowdies by whom we are beset is by making every individual responsible for the crimes of his companions. There can be no just objection to such a course; it is followed in all cases of crime against property, and ought to be enforced with double stringency incases of crime against the person. If one of a gang rob a house the whole gang may be punished, and if one of a gang commit murder his companions and encouragers ought also to be exposed to the action of the law. If the judges and juries would act on this principle for six months and  decline to be influence by representations of politicians, the violence and aggressiveness of our rowdy population would soon cease.

 

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"The Horrible Murder in Division Street." New York Herald 11 Jun 1872: 7.

Dan Driscoll.

Little Murders:

From Defenders and Offenders:

Dan Driscoll.

Dan Driscoll was without doubt one of the most notorious criminals of his day. He was the recognized leader of the notorious Whyo Gang of the 6th Ward of New York, and he has probably figured in more shooting scrapes and brawls than any ruffian of his age. He was born in the 6th Ward and was never out of it unless in prison. His aptitude for crime became evident at an early age and as he grew older he became more hardened. He always carried a pistol, which he at last used with fatal result, having killed a woman named Breezy Garrity, although it was his intention to kill a pal by the name of McCarty. For this he was hung in the Tombs in February 1888.

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Defenders and offenders. New York: D. Buchner & Co., 1888.

The Killing of Bill The Butcher

Bill “The Butcher” Poole was a champion New York City pugilist in 1855—before the Marquess of Queensbury rules—when kicking, biting and eye-gouging were acceptable tactics and “fight to the death” was more than a metaphor.  It was also a time when a challenge was likely to be issued out of pure hatred for your opponent.  When John Morrissey, the Irish enforcer for Tammany Hall challenged Bill Poole of the the anti-immigrant “Know-Nothing” Party it promised to be the ultimate grudge match. But when the fighters turned to knives and guns, all pretext of sport was gone.  It would be Bill “The Butcher” Poole’s last fight.