Ken Zimmerman Jr. - Morrissey vs. Poole: Politics, Prizefighting and the Murder of Bill the Butcher

Chapter1 The Troy Giants Beginnings

JohnMorrissey was born in Templemore, Tipperary County, Ireland on February 12,1831. In 1836, Morrisseys parents moved to Quebec, Canada. Morrisseysfather was a common laborer, who struggled to find work in Canada. TheMorrissey family moved again and settled in Troy, New York. Morrissey attaineda minor education, probably not finishing grade school, before apprenticing ata paper mill.

Morrisseyworked in a number of labor fields while engaging in fights with several of thelocal youth. At the age of 16, Morrissey was bigger than most men. He decidedto employ his fistic talents in a bar owned by Alexander Hamilton. In themiddle to late 1800s, bartenders served a dual role as both server and bouncer. The May 2nd, 1878 edition of The New York Sun describedHamilton as a well-known sporting man of Troy.

Morrisseyalso developed into a talented baseball player. It was Morrisseys baseballability that actually led to his prizefighting career. After a particularlyhot baseball game, a player from the opposing team, Malachi Brennan, challengedMorrissey to a fight.

Brennan hada strong local reputation as The Bully of Albany. Most observers thoughtBrennan would win but Morrissey wore down his opponent. After the hour-longfight, Morrissey came out on top. Morrissey would win many of his fightssimply by outlasting his foes.

Hamiltonsaw the fight and praised Morrisseys performance. Hamilton told Morrissey hecould be a champion prizefighter. Morrissey continued to play sports and trainfor fighting under the watchful eye of Hamilton.

In 1848,Hamilton traveled to New York for the Presidential campaign. Dutch Charley,a fried of Tom Hyer and William Bill the Butcher Poole, had some rough wordswith Hamilton. Hamilton backed the Democrats, while Dutch Charley and hisfriends were aligned with the Whigs at the time. These political affiliationswould eventually create the personal feud between Morrissey and Poole. Poolesanti-Irish rhetoric particularly enflamed Morrissey.

Hamiltontold Dutch Charley that Hamiltons 17-year-old bartender in Troy, New Yorkcould beat him anytime. Hamilton offered to stake $200 on Morrissey to beatDutch Charley. Dutch Charley just laughed. When Hamilton returned toTroy, he told Morrissey all the particulars of his encounter with the Dutchman.

A yearlater, Morrissey himself took a trip to New York. Riding on the steamboat Troy,skippered by his future father-in-law, Capt. Levi Smith, Morrissey arrived andpromptly entered Captain Isaiah Rydners Empire Club at 28 Park Row.

Morrisseywent to confront Dutch Charley but Dutch had recently left town. Morrisseytold the men that Aleck Hamilton of Troy, New York, would put up $500 a sidefor him to fight Dutch Charley. When this pronouncement caused men tomutter, Morrissey asked if any other pugilists were present that wished to takehim on.

Ahot-headed 18-year-old, Morrissey probably did not realize how reckless wordscould provoke dangerous men. The Empire Club was full of dangerous men.

Eight men,led by Thomas Burns and Mike Murray, set on Morrissey with bottles and clubs. Morrissey fought to keep his feet and did rough damage to any of the men whocame within his reach. While they were in no danger of losing, Morrisseysdetermination caused significant injury to some of the men.

Finally,one of the eight picked up a brass spittoon. While Morrissey was busyrepelling one of his comrades, the man slammed the spittoon into the back ofMorrisseys skull. Morrissey crashed to the floor.

The eightmen brutally kicked Morrissey and may have kicked him to death but CaptainIsaiah Rydners was so impressed with Morrisseys fighting spirit that he toldthe men to stop. Rydners called for a doctor and had Morrissey carried to anupstairs room. Rydners took care of all of Morrisseys medical expenses.

WhileMorrissey was recuperating, Dutch Charley returned from Lake Saratoga. Rydners told him what happened and Dutch Charley walked up stairs to look inon Morrissey.

Thefrightful condition that Burns and the other roughs left Morrissey in must haveemboldened Dutch Charley. When Dutch Charley told Rydners that he couldeasily beat Morrissey, Rydners laughed. The whole gang tried to beat him andused pitchers and clubs until they were exhausted but he never squealed.

Rydnerstold him that unless he went back upstairs and beat Morrissey then he could notpossibly beat him when he was healthy. Dutch Charley decided against thematch.

AfterMorrissey returned to Troy, New York, he went back to work for Aleck Hamilton. Some sources claim that Morrissey picked up extra money doing enforcer work forthe local Irish mob bosses. Whether true or not, Morrissey would become anenforcer for the Tammany Hall political machine when he returned to New York in1850.