Danny Driscoll
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Daniel Driscoll also known by his alias George Wallace (1855 – January 23, 1888) was an American criminal and co-leader of the Whyos Gang with
Danny Lyons Danny Lyons (1862 – August 21, 1888) was, along with Danny Driscoll, the leader of the Whyos street gang during the 1870s and 1880s. Whyos Gang A prominent member of the Whyos, Whyos Gang, a New York City street gang, Lyons led the gan ...
. The two held joint control over the street gang following the execution of
Mike McGloin Michael E. "Mike" McGloin ( – March 9, 1883) was a 19th-century criminal and leader of the Whyos, a New York City street gang. Overview An early member of the Whyos, McGloin would rise to become leader of the gang by the late 1870s, in ...
in 1883; however, both men were executed for separate murders only months apart from each other. They were the last powerful leaders of the organization and, following their downfall, the Whyos were eventually replaced by the Eastman and
Five Points Gang The Five Points Gang was a criminal street gang, initially of primarily Irish-American origins, based in the Five Points of Lower Manhattan, New York City, during the late 19th and early 20th century. The gang had its origin in the various I ...
s. His arrest for the murder of well-known Five Points debutante Bridget "Beezy" Garrity during 1886 was followed by one of the most publicized trials of New York's history. English, T.J. ''Paddy Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster''. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. (pg. 33, 36-38)


Early life

Growing up in a Five Points tenement district, Daniel Driscoll amassed a considerable criminal record by the time he had become a young adult. He was arrested 25 times for transgressions that frequently involved stabbings and shootings, and he served a combined 16 years in both the New York State Penitentiary and New York State Prison. He also acted as a
fagin Fagin () is the secondary antagonist in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist''. In the preface to the novel, he is described as a " receiver of stolen goods". He is the leader of a group of children (the Artful Dodger and Charley Bates ...
training local youths to
pickpocket Pickpocketing is a form of larceny that involves the stealing of money or other valuables from the person or a victim's pocket without them noticing the theft at the time. It may involve considerable dexterity and a knack for Misdirection (magic ...
."A Struggle in the Dark; Firing at an Enemy and Killing a Friend, How Lizzie Garrity was Shot and Killed by Daniel Driscoll During an Early Morning Quarrel" New York Times. 27 Jun 1886. In 1882, Driscoll was arrested for
grand larceny Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of Eng ...
but escaped from
The Tombs The Tombs was the colloquial name for Manhattan Detention Complex (formerly the Bernard B. Kerik Complex during 2001–2006), a former municipal jail at 125 White Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It was also the nickname for three prev ...
when, while being transported in a
Black Maria Black Maria may refer to: Art and literature *Black Mariah (comics), a character in the Luke Cage comics series *List of One Piece characters#Animal Kingdom Pirates, Black Maria, a character in the manga series ''One Piece'' *Black Maria (nove ...
, he switched names with a man arrested for
public drunkenness Public intoxication, also known as "drunk and disorderly" and "drunk in public", is a summary offense in certain countries related to public cases or displays of drunkenness. Public intoxication laws vary widely by jurisdiction, but usually requi ...
. Upon their arrival, Driscoll simply paid a $10 fine and walked out of the prison."Driscoll Plans An Escape.; He Is Detected And Removed To Another Cell". New York Times. 29 Sep 1886


Whyos Gang

He had become a prominent member of the
Whyos The Whyos or Whyos Gang, a collection of the various post–Civil War street gangs of New York City, was the city's dominant street gang during the mid-late 19th century. The gang controlled most of Manhattan from the late 1860s until the earl ...
by the early 1880s, at the time the most dominant street gang in the city, and became leader of the organization with
Danny Lyons Danny Lyons (1862 – August 21, 1888) was, along with Danny Driscoll, the leader of the Whyos street gang during the 1870s and 1880s. Whyos Gang A prominent member of the Whyos, Whyos Gang, a New York City street gang, Lyons led the gan ...
following the execution of longtime leader
Mike McGloin Michael E. "Mike" McGloin ( – March 9, 1883) was a 19th-century criminal and leader of the Whyos, a New York City street gang. Overview An early member of the Whyos, McGloin would rise to become leader of the gang by the late 1870s, in ...
in 1883. In 1885, he was forced to leave the city and spent some time on the West Coast before returning to New York in May 1886.


Murder of Beezy Garrity

On June 26, 1886, Driscoll rode by coach to a three-story brick house on the north side of Hester Street. According to traditional accounts, Driscoll had been approached by Bridget "Beezy" Garrity, who claimed she had been cheated by the owner of a
panel house A large-panel-system building is a building constructed of large, prefabricated concrete slabs. Such buildings are often found in housing developments. Although large-panel-system buildings are often considered to be typical of Eastern Bloc c ...
operating within the Whyos territory. Although he had been barred from the property of the resident "bouncer" John McCarty (or McCarthy), with whom he had been involved in a long-standing feud, he arrived at the house with Garrity at around 4:00 am. He sent Garrity ahead of him so that she could be let in by McCarty and then let Driscoll in afterwards. However, after Garrity was let in to the front parlor, McCarty spotted Driscoll and attempted to close the door. Driscoll was able to block the door open with his arm and, during the struggle, McCarty drew his revolver. What happened after this point is unclear. According to news accounts, Garrity attempted to stop McCarty from using his weapon. Alerted by her cries, Driscoll took his own revolver out and attempted to shoot McCarty by aiming at him from between the edge of the door and the
doorjamb In architecture, a jamb (), is the side-post or lining of a doorway or other aperture. The jambs of a window outside the frame are called . Small shafts to doors and windows with caps and bases are called ; when in the inside arris of the jamb o ...
. His first shot hit the wall opposite McCarty. He then tried, unsuccessfully, to fire between the inner door and the doorjamb. Both McCarty and Garrity ran from the area at this point, with Garrity going to the back room. As Driscoll entered the darkened hallway, Garrity ran out from a door leading from the back room. Driscoll apparently thought that this was McCarty and fired into the dark, hitting Garrity in the abdomen. He then attempted to flee the area. Driscoll was pursued by police officers then arriving at the house. Several warning shots were fired, but he did not stop. Driscoll was chased by police before disappearing into the open door of a Baxter Street tenement where his mother lived. An extensive search of the area was conducted and he was eventually found by police hiding behind the door of an unoccupied apartment in the next building. He denied shooting Garrity and had no weapon on him but was taken into custody and held at the Mulberry Street police station. Garrity was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital, where she died that afternoon. Before she died, she identified McCarty as her attacker. McCarty was initially arrested; however he denied he had fired a shot and showed his revolver which was still loaded and not fired. This claim was later dismissed believing that she was attempting to protect her supposed lover.


Murder trial

Fifty members of the Whyos were in the courtroom at the time of his arraignment, however they were forced to leave by the presiding judge Justice Patterson. On the morning of June 28, Driscoll and McCarty were taken to the Tombs Police Court. They appeared friendly and were talking for some time prior to the proceedings. Once court was in session however, both men blamed each other for Garrity's death. When McCarty testified, he claimed that he had been sitting in his room when Garrity, a woman he claimed had never seen before, entered his home with Driscoll following closely behind her. He closed the door behind her and then Driscoll firing his pistol through an opening just below the upper hinge. Believing that Driscoll might enter the house another way and shoot him from behind, McCarty then jumped from a window in an adjoining room into the yard. He had heard a second shot, but did not return to the house until he had seen Driscoll being arrested by police who had arrived by that time. Entering his room, he discovered Garrity lying on his bed and who accused him of having shot her. Upon hearing this, he immediately handed his pistol to an officer, Peter Monahan, who found that the gun was fully loaded and no shots had been fired. Monahan would corroborate this story during the trial. Driscoll interrupted court proceedings claiming that he himself was unarmed at the time of the incident and that McCarty was the only one who could have shot Garrity. Driscoll then addressed the court. Carrie Wilson, a local
Chrystie Street Chrystie Street is a street on Manhattan's Lower East Side and Chinatown, running as a continuation of Second Avenue from Houston Street, for seven blocks south to Canal Street. It is bounded on the east for its entirety by Sara D. Roosevelt ...
resident, testified that she was in the building at the time of the shooting and that she had seen Driscoll and Garrity arrive in a coach with another man and woman. She further claimed that she had seen Driscoll fire two shots through the door and, after the second shot, a woman fell. John Green and Emmanuel Devoss, both local residents, said they were in the back room when they also heard shots fired. On the last day of the trial, a doctor from St. Vincent's Hospital made a surprise appearance and testified that Garrity told him McCarthy was the man who shot her. Driscoll's lawyer, Bill Howe, was also able to weaken the credibility of the witnesses testimony; however, Driscoll was found guilty of first degree murder on September 30, 1886.


Imprisonment and execution

Days before his conviction, Driscoll was moved to "Murderer's Row" after it was discovered by the warden that Driscoll had been attempting to tunnel out of his cell. He was guarded by Inspector Williams and 75 police officers for the remainder of his time in The Tombs. He was allowed to see his relatives the day before his execution and, in his last words to his wife, Driscoll said "I die happy. Take good care of yourself, Mary. I'll pray for you in heaven." Maintaining his innocence, he continued to make criminal charges against Warden Walsh. These charges were disputed among a number of prison guards who signed a petition in his defense. On the morning of January 23, 1888, Driscoll was brought to the yard of
The Tombs The Tombs was the colloquial name for Manhattan Detention Complex (formerly the Bernard B. Kerik Complex during 2001–2006), a former municipal jail at 125 White Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It was also the nickname for three prev ...
Prison, where he was publicly hanged. His execution was witnessed by Sheriff Grant and his deputy, Fathers Pendergrast and Gilenas, and fourteen reporters. Also present was Commodore Elbridge T. Gerry, who attended the execution to report that the execution had been conducted in a humane and just manner."Daniel Driscoll Hanged". New York Times. 24 Jan 1888.


References


Further reading

*Browning, Frank and John Gerassi. ''The American Way of Crime: From Salem to Watergate, a Stunning New Perspective on Crime in America''. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1980. *Kohn, George C. ''Dictionary of Culprits and Criminals''. Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press, 1986. * Moss, Frank. ''The American Metropolis from Knickerbocker Days to the Present Time''. London: The Authors' Syndicate, 1897. * Riis, Jacob A. ''How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York''. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1890. *Rovere, Richard H. ''The Magnificent Shysters: The True and Scandalous History of Howe & Hummel''. New York: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, 1947. *Russell, Charles Edward. ''Bare Hands and Stone Walls: Some Recollections of a Side-line Reformer''. York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1933. *Still, Charles E. ''Styles in Crimes: With 21 Illustrations in Doubletone''. J.B. Lippincott, 1938. {{DEFAULTSORT:Driscoll, Danny 1855 births 1888 deaths Whyos American people executed for murder American crime bosses Executed American gangsters Executed people from New York (state) 19th-century executions by the United States People convicted of murder by New York (state) People executed by New York (state) by hanging American gangsters of Irish descent 19th-century executions of American people People from Five Points, Manhattan