CHAPTER XXII
THE CITY GANGS
For over sixty years the people of New York have been afflicted with mercenary bands of lawless thieves and hoodlums who are known to the authorities as “Gangs.” The only justification for their existence is robbery, murder and revenge. They fight their murderous battles on the streets of the city, and during the melee assault and rob the people, after which they flee with the plunder. Whenever they get into trouble, the alderman, district captain or some other ward “heeler” comes to their rescue, and they in turn do good service for him on election day as repeaters, stuffing ballot boxes, and assaulting voters. Each gang is supposed to belong to some political party, who are able to wield considerable “pull” in time of trouble.
More than once they were responsible for a reign of terror in many parts of the city. They were known to the police as “gangs,” perhaps on account of their clannishness, for whenever they participated in any local fight or riot, they usually stuck together and fought like tigers for what they called their own rights. It is more than likely that some of the gangs were bound together by an oath which placed each member under pains and penalties not to reveal their secrets. Whatever these oaths were, we are unable to say, but we hardly think they were as rigid as the oaths of the Molly Maguires or the Mafia?
The police records of the old New York gangs of fifty years ago, show them to be mercenary, corrupt and dissipated, and often revelling in riot and bloodshed; and when they desired to carry out their evil purposes, they did not scruple at robbery or murder. For years they have had full sway in the city on account of politics, but when their conduct became unbearable, and oppressive, and all irenic measures failed to break them up, the police were appealed to, came upon them unexpectedly, clubbed the leaders, and sent many of them to prison for long and short terms.
The most notorious of these predatory bands was known as the Whyo Gang. They usually “hung out” in the vicinity of the Five Points, Baxter, Leonard and Centre streets. This part of the city was then known in police parlance as “The Bloody Sixth Precinct.” For nearly a hundred years, crimes of every description, including a large number of robberies, burglaries and holdups had been committed here. For nearly three-quarters of a century, the Sixth Precinct was known as the hotbed of crime, and the Whyo Gang found it a profitable field for their labors.
The Whyo Gang was made up of young pickpockets and thieves of the worst character, and many of them, if not all, spent years in jail. Two leaders of the Whyo Gang, Dannie Lyons and Dannie Driscoll, were convicted of the crime of murder, and hanged in the yard of the Tombs Prison. Lyons was executed August 21st, 1886, and Driscoll January 23d, 1888. The gang had robbed and murdered scores of inoffensive people on the streets of the city, whose untimely end will always remain a mystery.
“The Bloody Sixth” no longer carries the same reputation it did forty years ago. No doubt much that was said and written of it was not all true; nevertheless, it furnished more murders than any other five city wards. It ought to be remembered that the “Sixth” contains the Five Points, Mulberry Bend, the Criminal Courts Building, and the Tombs Prison, where so many “tough” characters are harbored? The population at the present time consists largely of Italians, Jews, Polaks and Chinese. It has a great many squalid tenements, low dives, groggeries, gin mills and several opium dens.
The Slaughter House Gang held forth in the Fourth Ward, and had its headquarters over a squalid gin mill at the corner of Water street and James Slip. It was run by a band of desperate characters, who terrorized the neighboring water fronts. Captain Allaire took energetic means to break it up, and succeeded only when he landed the piratical ring leaders in prison.
The Cochran Roost Gang held forth at the corner of East Thirty-sixth street and First avenue. It is said that this gang had pledged themselves to kill policemen on sight. They laid wait for young and inexperienced policemen on dark nights with bricks and stones in their pockets. They usually hid themselves in alleyways and flat roofs, and many sanguinary battles took place between them and the police, in which they were usually worsted. Their headquarters were reached by climbing a broken down staircase or ladder, which they could hoist up with a rope, which led to an old shanty on the corner of First avenue and Thirty-sixth street; hence the name, Cochran’s Roost.
Handsome Harry Carlton, the last man who had the “honor” of being hanged in the yard of the Tombs Prison, December 5th, 1889, prior to the installation of the Electric Chair in Sing Sing Prison, was known as one of the brilliant lights of the Cochran’s Roost Gang.
The gang known as “The Forty Thieves” held forth at Forty-second street and Eleventh avenue. They had a local notoriety.
The Hell’s Kitchen Gang had their headquarters on Thirty-ninth street and Eleventh avenue. They usually fought negroes with guns, while the negroes in turn fought them with razors. The negroes and whites are far from being friendly in this neighborhood, and many battles have taken place in recent years.
The Gas House Gang was on Eighteenth street, near First avenue.
The Poverty Hollow Gang and the Dead Rabbit Gang were both on the East Side, in the neighborhood of Thirty-fourth street and Avenue A.
The two murderous associations of recent times are the Paul Kelly and Monk Eastman Gangs. The former held out on Cherry Hill, while the latter had their clubhouse on Stanton street, near the Bowery. A noted police official of experience, in speaking of the many efforts to break up the Monk Eastman and Paul Kelly Gangs, said that when these murderous ruffians were arrested by the police and taken before certain magistrates, the “pull” they exercised was so great that nothing could be done to them. As long as these gangs existed, it was impossible to have an honest election in New York. In later years they belonged to powerful political organizations, and were used for the purpose of controlling the city and State elections.
A few years ago Monk Eastman and some of his “pals” were sent to Sing Sing for a term of years for assault and robbery. The organization is still in existence, but is quiet.
The other leader, Paul Kelly, died some time ago of wounds received in a street battle. On his death bed he refused to say who shot him, but he left it with the members of the gang, when they come out of prison, to avenge his death.
The most recent criminal band that has sprung into prominence the past few years, is known as the Five Points Gang. During the hot summer spell they start out at night, robbing and assaulting East Side storekeepers, and people who are asleep around their doors. In one night they were able to get away with more than two thousand dollars. Several of the gang are now in prison, while many of the leaders are still at large.
Party politics is the one thing that fosters the Gang System in New York. As soon as the police arrest any of the gang leaders, they are aided in court by District Captains and leaders who have a solid pull with the Magistrate or Judge. After their discharge, they repeat the same lawlessness, until some person gets killed, when they are sent to prison.