Lew Baker

Last updated
Lew Baker
Born
Lewis Baker

c. 1825
Wales, United Kingdom
Nationality Welsh-American
Occupation Police officer
Employer Tammany Hall
Known for Tammany Hall "slugger" and murderer of William "Bill the Butcher" Poole.

Lewis "Lew" Baker was a Welsh-American patrolman in the New York Police Department who was simultaneously employed as a "slugger" for Tammany Hall. He was involved in voter intimidation and election fraud during the 1840s and 1850s. A close friend and associate of Irish mob boss John Morrissey, Baker frequently battled supporters of the nativist Know-Nothing movement for over a decade. He is most remembered however as the assassin of William "Bill the Butcher" Poole. Baker shot and killed Poole in a Broadway saloon during a brawl. Both Baker and Morrissey were placed on trial for murder, but were acquitted. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life and Tammany Hall

Born around 1825, Baker immigrated to the United States from Wales [3] around 1840 where he became an officer with the New York Police Department. It was during this time that he became acquainted with John Morrissey while he was an immigrant runner[ clarification needed ] and later joined him as a "slugger" for Tammany Hall.

He soon became involved in violent fighting against the many nativist organizations of the period, in particular, the Bowery Boys. In January 1855, Baker and Jim Turner entered Platt's Hall and became involved in a verbal altercation with prizefighter Tom Hyer "calling the fighter vile names". The argument escalated until Turner drew his pistol and shot Hyer in the neck. Hyer fired back but missed hitting the wall instead. Putting away his weapon, Hyer attacked his assailants and dragged Baker out into the street but the fight came to an end when a police officer arrived. The fight was broken up, but no charges were brought against the three. [4] [5]

Murder of William Poole

On the night of February 25, 1855, Baker entered the Stanwix Hall saloon with Jim Turner and Paudeen McLaughlin to confront Poole, the latter having threatened Morrissey with a gun during an argument only hours before. Walking up to Poole, Baker spat in his face and then pulled a Colt revolver but accidentally shot himself in the arm as he stepped back to draw the weapon. Dropping to the floor, he did manage to fire a second shot hitting Poole in the leg and similarly incapacitating him. Both men eventually got up from the floor, however Baker managed to get to Poole first and pistol whipped him back to the ground. Baker then shot Poole twice, once in the stomach and the second in his chest, and left the saloon. [6]

A second version according to retired police chief George W. Walling, Turner and McLaughlin had a more active role in the fight. It was McLaughlin, he claimed, who challenged Poole to a fight spitting in his face each time he refused. All three were reportedly drunk, Baker having recently been dismissed from the NYPD, [7] and the still sober Poole was dismissive towards his taunts but offered $100 that he could beat any of the three men. Turner then pulled out a pistol to fire at Poole, using the hollow of his left arm as a rest, but instead shot himself in the arm. He then fired the second shot that hit Poole in the leg. Poole then staggered towards Baker who drew his own revolver and shot him twice before leaving the bar. [8] [9]

Capture and trial

By the time Poole died two weeks later, a massive search for Baker took place. Morrissey and Dan Kerrigan were accused as accessories to the murder, the latter suspected of helping Baker escape the city, but neither men were ever indicted. [10]

Baker hid out in New Jersey for a time before fleeing the country altogether. Authorities managed to catch up to Baker, using the clipper yacht Grapeshot provided by George Law, [11] [12] and took him into custody less than 100 miles west of the Canary Islands; another version claims that he was captured after arriving at Tenerife with the police having arrived two hours ahead of Baker. [8] Brought back to New York, Baker stood trial and twice appeared before the state supreme court before his acquittal by a jury split between six in favor of acquittal and six in favor of a manslaughter conviction. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Poole</span> American boxer and gang leader

William Poole, also known as Bill the Butcher, was the leader of the Washington Street Gang, which later became known as the Bowery Boys gang. He was a local leader of the Know Nothing political movement in mid-19th-century New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Morrissey</span> American politician

John Morrissey, also known as Old Smoke, was an Irish American politician, bare-knuckle boxing champion, and criminal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whyos</span> New York City street gang

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 early 1890s, when the Monk Eastman Gang defeated the last of the Whyos. The name came from the gang's cry, which sounded like a bird or owl calling, "Why-oh!"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yankee Sullivan</span> Irish boxer

Yankee Sullivan, also known as Frank Murray and James Sullivan, was a bare-knuckle fighter and boxer. He claimed the American bare knuckle heavyweight champion from 1851 to 12 October 1853. When Tom Hyer vacated his title, he laid claim to it, though many modern boxing historians dispute his claim. He lost any claim to the title after losing a fight to John Morrissey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Hyer</span> American boxer

Tom Hyer was an American bare-knuckle boxer. He became a heavyweight boxing champion after defeating Country McCloskey in a long brutal fight in New York on September 9, 1841, though there was no sanctioning body to recognize his championship. Until he retired in 1851, he was widely celebrated as the first Heavyweight Boxing Champion of America. His victory increased American participation in boxing, and made him a celebrity; generating fight coverage and publicity in hundreds of American newspapers.

Patrick "Paudeen" McLaughlin was a New York criminal and a "slugger" for Tammany Hall during the middle of the 19th century. McLaughlin, whose nose had previously been chewed off during a brawl in the Five Points with the Alderman of the First Ward, was widely regarded in the underworld for his skill with a bludgeon and slung-shot.

Hezekiah Orville "Awful" Gardner was a notorious prizefighter, gambler and thug who became one of America's first celebrity Christian converts, as well as a distinguished trainer of pugilists.

George "Country McCloskey" McCheester or John McCleester was an American bare-knuckle boxer and sportsman involved in the early history of pugilism and prize fighting in Old New York. A contender for the American heavyweight championship in 1849, he was an enforcer for the Irish Tammany Hall politicians, and a member of Isaiah Rynders non-partisan Empire Club, that opposed the policies of New York Mayor James Harper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Haggerty</span> 19th century American gangster

James "Wild Jimmy" Haggerty was an American criminal and well-known underworld mob figure in Philadelphia and later in New York City during the mid-to late 19th century. Jimmy Haggerty was the leader of the Schuylkill Rangers, a predominantly Irish-American street gang, which terrorized the South Philadelphia waterfront, specifically its local wharves and coal yards, for over 25 years.

James Turner was an American criminal figure, pugilist and "slugger" for Tammany Hall. Turner was one of several men under Captain Isaac Rynders who committed voter intimidation and election fraud for Tammany Hall during the 1850s. He and Paudeen McLaughlin were bodyguards to Lew Baker and were present with him when Baker fatally shot William "Bill the Butcher" Poole in the back in 1855.

Giovanni de Silvio or Jimmy Kelly was an American saloon keeper, political organizer and underworld figure in New York City during the start of the 20th century. He was the owner the Fourteenth Street saloon The Folly as well as the popular Mandarin Cafe in Chinatown, located in the notorious "Bloody Angle" along Doyers Street, and was a hangout for politicians, gang leaders and other noted criminals of the era. His cafe was also the scene of several violent incidents, especially during the Tong War, which included, in 1910, the fourth attempted suicide of Chinatown character John "Dippy" Rice and the 1912 murder of Hen Ken Yum, the latter a high-level member of the On Leong Tong and a lieutenant of Mock Duck.

Captain Isaiah Rynders was an American businessman, sportsman, underworld figure and political organizer for Tammany Hall. Founder of the Empire Club, a powerful political organization in New York during the mid-19th century, his "sluggers" committed voter intimidation and election fraud on behalf of Tammany Hall throughout the 1840s and 1850s before Tammany became an exclusively Irish-dominated institution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max F. Schmittberger</span>

Maximilian Frances Schmittberger was an American law enforcement officer and chief police inspector for the New York City Police Department from 1909 until his death in 1917. He and Captain John Price were both wardmen closely associated with Inspector Alexander "Clubber" Williams while a precinct captain in the Tenderloin district. Schmittberger later became a star witness testifying before the Lexow Committee on police corruption within the NYPD.

Walter Costello was a St. Louis gangster and member of the Egan's Rats.

Charles P. Miller was an American gambler, confidence man and swindler. He was popularly known as "King of the Bunco Men", at times sharing that title with fellow tricksters Tom O'Brien and Joseph "Hungry Joe" Lewis, and ran one of the largest bunco operations in the United States during the late 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanner Smith</span> American criminal and gang leader

Thomas F. "Tanner" Smith was an American criminal and gang leader in New York City during the early 20th century. He was the founder and leader of the Marginals, or "Irish Paddy Gang", which was active in Greenwich Village and along the Hudson River waterfront from around the turn of the 20th century until his murder in 1919. He was closely associated with Owney Madden and the Gophers; he and Madden briefly ran the Winona Club together until the New York City Police Department closed the clubhouse around 1910.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Crowley</span> American criminal

Francis Crowley was an American murderer. His crime spree lasted nearly three months, ending in a two-hour shootout with the New York City Police Department on May 7, 1931, that was witnessed by 15,000 bystanders and received national attention. In 1932 he was executed in New York's electric chair.

Frank Stephenson was an American saloon keeper and underworld figure in New York City during the mid-to late 19th century. He was the owner of The Black and Tan, a popular Bowery basement bar located on Bleecker Street. It was one of the first saloons to cater to African-Americans and was a competitor against neighboring establishments such as Harry Hill's gambling resort and Billy McGlory's Armory Hall among others. He is also credited for opening the city's first and oldest "undisguised" gay bar, The Slide, also on Bleecker Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Porter (criminal)</span> American burglar and underworld figure

William O'Brien, better known as Billy Porter but also known by the alias William or Billy Morton, was an American burglar and underworld figure in New York City during the mid-to late 19th century. He and partner Johnny Irving were longtime members of the Dutch Mob along with Little Freddie and Michael "Sheeny Mike" Kurtz. He was present during the 1883 gunfight at Shang Draper's saloon in which Irving was shot and killed by rival John "Johnny the Mick" Walsh. O'Brien then killed Walsh and was himself gunned down by Shang Draper. Although surviving his wounds, he was tried for, and acquitted of, Walsh's death.

Randy Jurgensen is a former American NYPD detective, best known as the lead investigator into the murder of patrolman Phil Cardillo as well as his contribution as a consultant on various film and TV projects.

References

  1. ↑ Asbury, Herbert. The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the New York Underworld. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928. (pg. 85-90) ISBN   1-56025-275-8
  2. ↑ English, T.J. Paddy Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. (pg. 25) ISBN   0-06-059002-5
  3. ↑ Monkkonen, Eric H. Murder in New York City. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2001. (pg. 217) ISBN   0-520-22188-5
  4. ↑ Sutton, Charles; James B. Mix and Samuel A. Mackeever, ed. The New York Tombs: Its Secrets and Its Mysteries. Being a History of Noted Criminals, with Narratives of Their Crimes. San Francisco: A. Roman & Co., 1874, pp. 138-44.
  5. ↑ Duke, Thomas S. Celebrated Criminal Cases of America. San Francisco: James H. Barry Company, 1910, pp. 593-94.
  6. ↑ Duke, Thomas Samuel (1910). "THE MURDER OF PUGILIST BILL POOLE IN NEW YORK. (From Sutton's History of New York Tombs.)". Celebrated Criminal Cases of America. San Francisco: James H. Barry Company. pp. 593–594. OCLC   3811019. By Thomas Samuel Duke, Captain of Police, San Francisco; Published with Approval of the Honorable Board of Police Commissioners of San Francisco, 1910. (Public Domain Free Download)
  7. ↑ Lardner, James and Thomas Reppetto. NYPD: A City and Its Police. New York: Macmillan, 2001. (pg. 37) ISBN   0-8050-6737-X
  8. 1 2 Walling, George W. Recollections of a New York Chief of Police: An Official Record of Thirty-eight Years as Patrolman, Detective, Captain, Inspector and Chief of the New York Police. New York: Caxton Book Concern, 1887. (pg. 49-51)
  9. ↑ Lynch, Denis Tilden. "Boss" Tweed: The Story of a Grim Generation. Piscataway, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 2002. (pg. 143-144) ISBN   0-7658-0934-6
  10. ↑ Anbinder, Tyler. Five Points: The 19th-century New York City Neighborhood that Invented Tap Dance, Stole Elections, and Became the World's Most Notorious Slum. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2001. (pg. 275) ISBN   0-684-85995-5
  11. ↑ Richardson, Darcy G. Others: Third Party Politics from the Nation's Founding to the Rise and Fall of the Greenback-Labor Party. Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse, 2004. (pg. 236); ISBN   0-595-31723-5
  12. ↑ Bennett, David Harry. The Party of Fear: From Nativist Movements to the New Right in American History. Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 1988. (pg. 125) ISBN   0-8078-1772-4
  13. ↑ "Split jury in trial of Lew Baker for the killing of William Poole". The New York Times. 8 December 1856. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-04-05.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.