James "Wild Jimmy" Haggerty (died January 25, 1871) was an American criminal and well-known underworld mob figure in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

and later in

New York City 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 ...

during the mid-to late 19th century. Jimmy Haggerty was the leader of the

Schuylkill Rangers Schuylkill may refer to: Places * Schuylkill, Philadelphia, neighborhood in South Philadelphia * Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania * Schuylkill Expressway, portion of I-76 in Philadelphia * Schuylkill Gap, water gap through Blue Mountain in Pennsylva ...

, a predominantly Irish-American street gang, which terrorized the

South Philadelphia South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south and the Schuylkill River to the west.waterfront, specifically its local wharves and coal yards, for over 25 years. The notorious Philadelphia gangs existed from 1836-1878 being sixty-five in all including the Schuylkill Rangers were the American Guards *(also in New York City); Bleeders;

Blood Tubs The Bloody Tubs or Blood Tubs were a 19th-century gang of opportunistic street thugs in Baltimore, Maryland, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who worked primarily for Nativist Know Nothing politicians to commit election fraud. Formed in the mid- ...

*(also in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

); Blossoms; Bouncers; Buffers; Bugs; Bulldogs; Centre Street Boys; Chesapeakes; Crockets; Darts; Deathfetchers; Dogs; Dog-Towners; Flayers; Fly-By-Nights; Garroters; Gumballs; Hyenas; Jack of Clubs; Jumpers; Juniatta Club; Kensington Blackhawks;

Kerryonians The Kerryonians were the second oldest criminal street gang in New York City but may have been the first gang in the city. The members were made up of recent Irish immigrants from County Kerry, Ireland. There was also a 19th-century Philadel ...

*(also in New York City); Keystone No. 2; Killers; Lancers; Molly Maguires; Neckers; Nighthawks; Orangemen; Pickwick Club; Pluckers; Pots No. 2; Privateer Club No. 1; Rangers; Rats; Reading Hose Club; Rebels; Red Roses; Reed Birds; Shifflers; Skinners; Smashers; Snakers; Snappers; Spiggots; Spitfires; Sporters; Springers; Stingers; Stockholders;

The Forty Thieves ''The Forty Thieves'' is a "Pantomime Burlesque" written by Robert Reece, W. S. Gilbert, F. C. Burnand and Henry J. Byron, created in 1878 as a charity benefit, produced by the Beefsteak Club of London. The Beefsteak Club still meets in Irving ...

(also in New York City); The Vesper Social; Tormentors; Turks; Vampyres; Waynetowners; Weecys; Whelps; Wild Cats; Wreckers. Many of these criminal gangs were originally organized as volunteer

Philadelphia Fire Department The Philadelphia Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services (EMS) to the city of Philadelphia. The PFD's official mission is to protect public safety by quick and professional response to emergencies and through the pro ...

companies similar to the gang the Bowery Boys of the

New York City Fire Department The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), is an American department of the government of New York City that provides fire protection services, technical rescue/special operations services, ...

. Jimmy Haggerty ruled over the Schuylkill Rangers throughout the 1850s and was the gang's last leader until their break up following the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

by an undercover

Philadelphia Police The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD or Philly PD) is the police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The PPD is one of the oldest municipal police agencies, fourth largest ...

lieutenant. He remained one of the city's most notorious bank robbers during the post-Civil War era and later resided in New York where he spent his last years before being murdered by

Reddy the Blacksmith Reddy (also transliterated as ''Raddi'', ''Reddi'', ''Reddiar'', ''Reddappa'', ''Reddy'') is a caste that originated in India, predominantly settled in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They are classified as a forward caste. The origin of the ...

during a bar brawl in January 1871.

Early life

James Haggerty was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

to a large working-class family near the banks of the

Schuylkill River The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It fl ...

; his boyhood home was located on Arch Street in the area between Eighteenth and Nineteenth Street known as "McAran's Garden". His father, John Haggerty, was a "boss"

drayman A drayman was historically the driver of a dray, a low, flat-bed wagon without sides, pulled generally by horses or mules that were used to transport all kinds of goods. Modern use The word "drayman" is used in U.S. ports as the over the road ...

widely respected by the local business community ''"as an honest, upright and faithful servant"''. Haggerty remained free of criminal activity during his childhood, however he did not attend school and received little education. Jimmy Haggerty age 21 became employed a mule driver for the

Reading Railroad The Reading Company ( ) was a Philadelphia-headquartered railroad that provided passenger and commercial rail transport in eastern Pennsylvania and neighboring states that operated from 1924 until its 1976 acquisition by Conrail. Commonly calle ...

. He continued in this profession, as well as ran a local saloon, until the start of the

in which he voluntarily enlisted in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

.The Haggerty Homicide.; Formal Investigation by Coroner Herrman Evidence by the Eye-Witnesses to the Affray No Verdict Rendered Reddy Admitted to Bail Departure of the Remains for Philadelphia
. New York Times. 28 Jan 1871

Criminal career in Philadelphia

Although it is unknown under the exact circumstances he left the service, whether he received an

honorable discharge A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and th ...

or took "

French leave A French leave, sometimes Irish goodbye or Irish exit, is a departure from a location or event without informing others or without seeking approval. Examples include relatively innocuous acts such as leaving a party without bidding farewell in ...

", he soon became a "

bounty jumper Bounty jumpers were men who enlisted in the Union or Confederate army during the American Civil War only to collect a bounty and then leave. The Enrollment Act of 1863 instituted conscription but allowed individuals to pay a bounty to someone else t ...

". He became acquainted with a number of known criminals during this time and, returning to Philadelphia following the war, became involved in illegal

bare-knuckle boxing Bare-knuckle boxing (or simply bare-knuckle) is a combat sport which involves two individuals throwing punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time without any boxing gloves or other form of padding on their hands. It is a regulated ...

and eventually

petty theft Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...

armed robbery Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...

and

burglary Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murder ...

. Although he was considered extremely violent when drunk, police officers testified to his reluctance to murder a victim in cold blood and described the frequent use of his pistol as a

blackjack Blackjack (formerly Black Jack and Vingt-Un) is a casino banking game. The most widely played casino banking game in the world, it uses decks of 52 cards and descends from a global family of casino banking games known as Twenty-One. This fami ...

in confrontations, he was connected to a number of major robberies during his career. Among them were the robberies of the Eleventh Street and Chestnut Street Banks, the Philadelphia Savings Bank and the safe burglary of the Dancannon Iron Works. He was also involved in the robbery of White's Dental Depot where an African-American watchman was murdered. After numerous arrests for theft and similar offenses, he and

Hugh Murphy Hugh may refer to: *Hugh (given name) Noblemen and clergy French * Hugh the Great (died 956), Duke of the Franks * Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France under his father, Robert II * Hugh, Duke of Alsace (died 895), modern-day ...

were convicted of the robbery of a Ninth Street store and sentenced to ten years imprisonment on December 12, 1865. He was pardoned by Governor

Andrew G. Curtin Andrew Gregg Curtin (April 22, 1815/1817October 7, 1894) was a U.S. lawyer and politician. He served as the Governor of Pennsylvania during the Civil War, helped defend his state during the Gettysburg Campaign, and led organization of the cr ...

eight months later, in part to Haggerty's political connections and his promise to leave the country upon his release, and lived in Canada for a brief time before returning to the city to resume his criminal career. Haggerty remained a major underworld figure in Philadelphia until January 1869 when he was arrested on several counts of assault with intent to kill; during his arrest, he shot the arresting police officer. He was caught trying to escape from prison but was later released on bail and fled the city. Staying in New York for a brief time, he returned to Philadelphia in April to surrender himself to authorities after the wounded police officer had received "

hush money Hush money is a term for an arrangement in which one person or party offers another an attractive sum of money or other enticement, in exchange for remaining silent about some illegal, stigmatized, or shameful behavior, action, or other fact abou ...

". He won both court cases against him, but was ordered at the second trial to return to the

Eastern State Penitentiary The Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP) is a former American prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located at 2027 Fairmount Avenue between Corinthian Avenue and North 22nd Street in the Fairmount section of the city, and was operational from ...

by the District Attorney for violating the terms of his release. While his lawyers argued the ruling, Haggerty escaped from the courthouse during a recess in what was suspected to have been planned.

Criminal years in New York City and death

He eventually returned to New York where he resided during the last two years of his life. He was involved in disputes with a number of criminal figures, for example, when he and Billy Tracy were thrown out of a Bowery gambling resort by its owner

Harry Hill Matthew Keith Hall (born 1 October 1964), known professionally as Harry Hill, is an English comedian, presenter and writer. He pursued a career in stand-up following years working as a medical doctor, developing an off-beat, energetic performan ...

and British lightweight boxer

Billy Edwards Billy Edwards may refer to: * Billy Edwards (boxer), English boxer * Billy Edwards (footballer, born 1895), Welsh footballer * Billy Edwards (footballer, born 1952), English footballer See also * Bill Edwards (disambiguation) Bill Edwards may refer ...

in November 1870. On the afternoon of January 24, 1871, Haggerty and three others arrived at

Jem Mace James "Jem" Mace (8 April 1831 – 30 November 1910) was an English boxing champion, primarily during the bare-knuckle era. He was born at Beeston, Norfolk, Beeston, Norfolk. Although nicknamed "The Gypsy", he denied Romani people, Romani ethn ...

's ''Capitol Saloon'' on Twenty-Third Street. They had become intoxicated while traveling by

sleigh A sled, skid, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle that slides across a surface, usually of ice or snow. It is built with either a smooth underside or a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners s ...

along Harlem Lane and, shortly after their arrival, they became involved in a violent altercation with another group of patrons. It was thought that Haggerty and his party were about to use their pistols when a local patrolman and a City Hall officer arrived from nearby Booth's Theater. At the appearance of the patrolman walking through the saloon door, Haggerty drew his revolver and

pistol whip Pistol-whipping or buffaloing is the act of using a handgun as a blunt weapon, wielding it as an improvised club. Such a practice dates to the time of muzzle loaders, which were brandished in such fashion in close-quarters combat once the weapon ...

ped him sending the officer outside. As the two officers went to get reinforcements, Haggerty and his men made their escape on the sleigh. His whereabouts remained unknown until early the next morning when he entered Patrick Egan's saloon. While there, his friend Billy Tracy became involved in a dispute with

Shang Draper Thomas "Shang" Draper (1839–1883) was a criminal shanghaier, saloon keeper, and criminal gang leader in New York City along the city waterfront. Criminal career Shang Draper ran a waterfront saloon in his native New York City, where he perfo ...

stemming from the earlier dispute at Jem Mace's saloon.

, a longtime member of the Bowery Boys, attempted to separate the two but Haggerty confronted Reddy and demanded that he stay out of it. As the two argued, Haggerty reportedly attempted to grab a

decanter A decanter is a vessel that is used to hold the decantation of a liquid (such as wine) which may contain sediment. Decanters, which have a varied shape and design, have been traditionally made from glass or crystal. Their volume is usually equ ...

from the bar to strike the Bowery Boy with causing Reddy to draw his pistol and shot Haggerty in the abdomen. Haggerty was taken to a room in West Houston Street where claimed he did not know either Tracy or Draper and that he was so intoxicated that he was unable to recognize who fired the shot. Although mortally wounded, an examination finding the bullet had penetrated his

intestines The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans ...

, Haggerty refused to name his attacker and died from his wounds later that evening. Jem mace

His funeral was perhaps one of the biggest held in Philadelphia's history and took place at his mother's residence at the northeast corner of Twenty-Third and Filbert Streets, the longtime headquarters of Schuylkill Rangers, and was attended by what was thought to be one of the largest criminal gatherings of the era. Among the hundred or so mourners included Squire McMullin, John Ahern and Robert Lister Smith. An official inquest was held in the days following his death, attracting a number of prominent criminals such as

Dan Noble Dan Noble, also known as Daniel Dyson, (1846-?) was an England, English gentleman thief, gentleman burglar, confidence trick, confidence man, thief, sneak thief and pickpocket active in the United States during the mid-to late 19th century. One ...

, Joe King, Johnny Moore,

Richard Barron Richard Barron (Lama Chökyi Nyima) is a Canadian translator who specializes in the writings of Longchenpa. He has served as an interpreter for many lamas from all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, including his first teacher, Kalu Rinpoche. He c ...

and Broker Dick among others, before it was finally concluded on February 1 with Reddy being released on a $10,000 bail."The Haggerty Homicide.; Conclusion of the Inquest A Verdict Against Reddy the Blacksmith The Prisoner Held to Bail in $10,000". New York Times. 02 Feb 1871

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haggerty, Jimmy Year of birth missing 1871 deaths American crime bosses American gangsters Gangsters from New York City Gangsters from Philadelphia Recipients of American gubernatorial pardons Murdered American gangsters of Irish descent People murdered in New York City Male murder victims Deaths by firearm in Manhattan