Danny Lyons (1862 – August 21, 1888) was, along with
Danny Driscoll, the leader 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 ...
street gang during the 1870s and 1880s.
Whyos Gang
A prominent member of the
Whyos Gang, a
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
street gang, Lyons led the gang with co-leader
Danny Driscoll at their height during the late nineteenth century. Lyons, who was hired for crimes ranging from assault to murder, also supported three prostitutes, Lizzie the Dove, Bunty Kate, and Gentle Maggie. When the three women were unable to earn enough money Lyons hired Kitty McGown away from rival pimp
Joseph Quinn.
Murder of Joseph Quinn
Joseph Quinn soon began looking for Lyons and on July 5, 1887, Lyons killed Quinn during a gunfight between them. Lyons was captured several months later and, while it seemed to be self-defense on the part of Lyons, he was executed by
hanging
Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...
on August 21, 1888. However, it has been suspected local authorities used the incident as an excuse to execute the well known criminal. While Kitty McGown and Bunty Kate quickly found another pimp, Lizzie the Dove and Gentle Maggie went into mourning. The two later got into an argument while toasting Lyons at a Bowery tavern and Gentle Maggie stabbed Lizzie the Dove in the throat, killing her. As Lizzie the Dove lay dying she was said to have told Gentle Maggie that she would "meet you in hell and there scratch your eyes out".
Death
Danny Lyons was executed in
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 in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
on August 21, 1888. His last words were ″Goodbye, Joe" said to Joseph Budd Atkinson, the hangman.
The Daily Whig
August 21, 1888
See also
* Capital punishment in New York (state)
* Capital punishment in the United States
In the United States, capital punishment (also known as the death penalty) is a legal penalty in 27 states (of which two, Oregon and Wyoming, do not currently have any inmates sentenced to death), throughout the country at the federal leve ...
* List of people executed in New York
References
Further reading
*Sifakis, Carl. ''Encyclopedia of American Crime, New York''. Facts on File Inc., 1982
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyons, Danny
1860 births
1888 deaths
19th-century executions by New York (state)
American people executed for murder
19th-century executions by the United States
Whyos
American gangsters of Irish descent
Executed American gangsters
People convicted of murder by New York (state)
People executed by New York (state) by hanging
19th-century executions of American people
American crime bosses