George W. Dilks (December 16, 1816 – October 24, 1901) was an American law enforcement officer and police inspector with the

New York City Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

during the mid-to late 19th century. He was a prominent police official during the early years of the Metropolitan Police Department and was one of the senior officers who participated in the

Draft Riot of 1863 The New York City draft riots (July 13–16, 1863), sometimes referred to as the Manhattan draft riots and known at the time as Draft Week, were violent disturbances in Lower Manhattan, widely regarded as the culmination of white working-cl ...

, most notably, by recapturing the Union Steam Works after fierce hand-to-hand fighting. Dilks was also actively involved in cases concerning

counterfeiting To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value tha ...

, prostitution and missing children. He was an investigating officer during the Cunningham-Burdell "bogus baby" case in 1857, later serving as witness for the prosecution, and the Alexander T. Stewart bodysnatching case in 1878.

Biography

Early life and marriage

George W. Dilks was born to English immigrant James Dilks in

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

on December 26, 1816. He was descended from a prominent Revolutionary War family, his grandfather being a British Army colonel who later settled in the United States following the war. He was also a relative of English nobleman Sir Charles Dilks and Admiral Sir Thomas Dilks."Obituary. George Wright Dilks." New York Tribune. 25 Oct. 1901. He was educated in

New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Manhattan, New York and Dilks worked as a

printer Printer may refer to: Technology * Printer (publishing), a person or a company * Printer (computing), a hardware device * Optical printer for motion picture films People * Nariman Printer ( fl. c. 1940), Indian journalist and activist * Jame ...

during his teenage years. His workplace was located on Duane Street, near Broadway, in the same building where the law office of

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805. Burr's legacy is defined by his famous personal conflict with Alexand ...

was, and the two became close friends. He was also personal friends with actor Edwin L. Davenport and later brother-in-law Rev. Dr. Samuel D. Burchard. On July 11, 1843, he married Carolina Williams, the daughter of Robert Williams, at the Thirteenth Street Presbyterian Church by Rev. Dr. Burchard. They would eventually have five children, however only two daughters survived into adulthood.

Police career with the NYPD

In 1848, Dilks joined the police force under the administration of then Mayor

Fernando Wood Fernando Wood (February 14, 1812 – February 13, 1881) was an American Democratic Party politician, merchant, and real estate investor who served as the 73rd and 75th Mayor of New York City. He also represented the city for several terms in ...

and appointed as an assistant captain. The next year, he commanded a squad of officers during the

Astor Place Riot Astor may refer to: People * Astor (surname) * Astor family, a wealthy 18th-century American family who became prominent in 20th-century British politics * Astor Bennett, a character in the Showtime television series ''Dexter'' * Ástor Piazzoll ...

. He was made a full captain "for bravery and vigilance" in 1853 and given command of the Fifteenth Ward. In 1857, he won praise for his actions against rioting longshoremen, armed with hay-sticks, cart-rungs and clubs, whom he and his men fought in a four-day battle. In 1860, he was appointed a police inspector. During the

, Dilks led a force of two hundred officers into Second Avenue and recaptured the Union Steam Works, then being used as a headquarters and rallying point for rioters along East Side Manhattan, after fierce hand-to-hand fighting. His force, which included all the reserves of the Eighteenth Precinct, was outnumbered against the nearly five hundred rioters inside.Willis, Clint. ''NYPD: Stories of Survival from the World's Toughest Beat''. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 2002. (pg. 142-143) Shortly after the riots, he was offered the position of Police Superintendent but declined not wanting to take the position from then superintendent

John Alexander Kennedy John Alexander Kennedy (August 9, 1803 – June 20, 1873) was the superintendent of police for New York City, from 1860 to 1863. He was in charge of the police response to the New York City draft riots in 1863, until he was badly beaten by the mo ...

. Remaining an inspector, he held this rank until his retirement in 1888.

Later years and death

Dilks spent his last years as "one of New York's best known citizens" and his 50th wedding anniversary was one of the largest celebrations in the city's history. Of the 150 guests, there were many well-known people from as far away as

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

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and Washington, D.C. in attendance. Chaon Chang Tseng and L. Wing of the New York Chinese Council, Chinese Foreign Minister Tsui Kwo Yin and members of the Chinese delegation from Washington, D.C. Secretary Pung Kwang Yu, Wang Hung Ting, Ho Shen Chee and Yung Kwai were also invited. He was especially held in high regard by the residents of

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, who supported and protected the burgeoning Chinese American community throughout his career, and whose residents "looked upon him as their friend". He died from natural causes at his

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residence on October 24, 1901. A funeral service was held for him three days later at the Church of the Ascension, at Tenth Street and

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, and conducted by members of the Mutual Lodge, Palestine Encampment and

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. Reverend Percy S. Grant of the Church of the Ascension and Reverend Walter Buchanan of the Fourth Avenue Presbyterian Church, the Dilks family pastor, also assisted in the ceremony. The funeral cortege was given a police escort, headed by Captain Frederick Martens of the Charles Street Station, from his home to the church. Many prominent Odd Fellows were in attendance at the service including the officers of the Grand Lodge of the State of New York, Grand Master John P. Kellas, Deputy Grand Master Leon Lewin, Grand Secretary John G. Deubert, Grand Treasurer John T. Bullenkamp, Grand Marshal Joseph Fenner and Grand Herald George Williams. Family services were held the following morning and Dilks was interred at Greenwood Cemetery in a private burial.

Biography

Early life and marriage

Police career with the NYPD

Later years and death

References

Further reading