John Kelly (April 20, 1822 – June 1, 1886) of
New York City, known as "Honest John", was a boss of
Tammany Hall and a
U.S. Representative from
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
from 1855 to 1858. The title "Honest" was given to him during his years as New York City Sheriff, and was more ironic than truthful.
Kelly was able to amass a vast fortune estimated at $800,000 ($ in current dollar terms) by 1867 by both ethical and questionable means. In addition, after having his methods questioned and his title insulted by
New York City Mayor
The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...
William Havemeyer
William Frederick Havemeyer (February 12, 1804 – November 30, 1874) was a German American businessman and politician who served three times as Mayor of New York City during the 19th century.
Early years
Havemeyer was born in Staten Island, ...
, Kelly responded with a lawsuit for
libel
Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...
. On the day of the trial, Havemeyer mysteriously dropped dead of
apoplexy.
[Connable, Alfred, and Edward Silberfarb. Tigers of Tammany: Nine Men Who Ran New York. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1967. Print.] He had a questionable reputation and was the subject of a gubernatorial investigation at the time of his death.
Family life
Kelly was born in New York City to Hugh Kelly and Sarah Donnelly Kelly. He received a parochial education but was forced to quit when his father died. He married Ann McIlhargy, to whom a son and two daughters were born. By 1872, his wife and children had died. He then fled the city overseas, a defeated man from the loss of his family.
He returned to New York in response to the
Boss Tweed
William Magear Tweed (April 3, 1823 – April 12, 1878), often erroneously referred to as William "Marcy" Tweed (see below), and widely known as "Boss" Tweed, was an American politician most notable for being the political boss of Tammany ...
scandal and eventually was remarried to Ann Theresa Mullen, the niece of New York's
Cardinal McCloskey
John McCloskey (March 10, 1810 – October 10, 1885) was a senior-ranking American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the first American born Archbishop of New York from 1864 until his death in 1885, having previously served as Bishop of ...
. A son and a daughter were born of that marriage.
Career
Kelly was apprenticed to the mason's trade, and engaged in business for himself at the age of 21. Kelly, in response to anti-Catholic sentiment, was driven to politics and became a champion of Catholic and immigrant causes in the 1840s.
[Jerome Mushkat. "Kelly, John; American National Biography Online Feb. 2000.] Kelly joined the influential Tammany Society and the next year he was elected alderman; until his death, he was active as a Democratic politician. From 1855 to 1858, he served in Congress,
[Web page title]
"Post Civil War Cartoons: 1880s"
, at the "Authentic History Center" website, accessed June 22, 2008 the only Catholic in the House of Representatives in that period of
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing party was a nativist political party and movement in the United States in the mid-1850s. The party was officially known as the "Native American Party" prior to 1855 and thereafter, it was simply known as the "American Party". ...
ascendency. Kelly was later elected Sheriff of the County of New York and served from 1859 to 1861 and again from 1865 to 1867.
[
During Kelly's time as sheriff, his wife and children died and he left New York for an extended overseas trip. After nearly three years,]Charles O'Conor Charles O'Conor may refer to:
* Charles O'Conor (historian) (1710–1791), Irish writer, historian, and antiquarian
* Charles O'Conor (priest) (1764–1828), Irish priest and historian, grandson of the above
* Charles O'Conor (American politician) ( ...
, Samuel J. Tilden
Samuel Jones Tilden (February 9, 1814 – August 4, 1886) was an American politician who served as the 25th Governor of New York and was the Democratic candidate for president in the disputed 1876 United States presidential election. Tilden was ...
, and their associates in the struggle against the Tweed ring, and Kelly cooperated with Tilden in reorganizing the political machine. The Tweed ring scandal destroyed the old Tammany leadership and shattered the democracy. It was a time of corruption and deceitful politics. Kelly was away and was seemingly untouched by the corruption and so was able to assume the leadership of Tammany Hall.[ In 1876, Kelly succeeded ]Andrew H. Green
Andrew Haswell Green (October 6, 1820 – November 13, 1903) was a lawyer, New York City planner, and civic leader. He is considered "the Father of Greater New York," and is responsible for Central Park, the New York Public Library, the Bronx ...
, appointed by Mayor William Wickham,Comptroller of New York City
The Office of Comptroller of New York City, a position established in 1801, is the chief financial officer and chief auditor of the city agencies and their performance and spending. The comptroller also reviews all city contracts, handles the ...
. Kelly was very successful as comptroller. Over five years, the municipal debt was reduced by twelve million dollars.[ Kelly refused to support Tilden's candidate for governor, incumbent Lucius Robinson, and ran for governor himself as an independent. The result was the election in 1879 of Republican Alonzo Cornell, who won by a plurality. Kelly himself was city comptroller from 1876 to 1879.][
]
In popular culture
* Animated children's film '' An American Tail'' makes reference to Kelly with the character of "Honest John", voiced by Neil Ross.Boys on the Docks
''Boys on the Docks'' is a 1997 EP by American Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys.
''Boys on the Docks'' was the band's first EP; it was released nearly a year before their first full-length studio album, '' Do or Die''. One song from the EP, "Ne ...
", by the Celtic punk
Celtic punk is punk rock mixed with traditional Celtic music.
Celtic punk bands often play traditional Irish, Welsh or Scottish folk and political songs, as well as original compositions.P. Buckley, ''The Rough Guide to Rock'' (London: Rough Gu ...
band Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. Singer and bassist Ken Casey has been the band's only constant member. Other current members include drummer Matt Kelly (1997– ), singer Al Barr (199 ...
, was written in memory of Kelly and his popularity within the Irish-American and Catholic immigrant
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
community.
References
Sources
*Jerome Mushkat. "Kelly, John; American National Biography Online Feb. 2000.
*Connable, Alfred, and Edward Silberfarb. Tigers of Tammany: Nine Men Who Ran New York. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1967. Print.
External links
Tammany Hall Links
description of Kelly's career
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, John
1822 births
1886 deaths
Leaders of Tammany Hall
American political bosses from New York (state)
American Roman Catholics
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
19th-century American politicians
New York City Comptrollers
19th-century American businesspeople