Dutch Heinrichs
Encyclopedia
Henry D. Neuman or Neumann (fl.
1860–1874) was a German-born American burglar, bank robber and gang leader known as Dutch Heinrichs. A member of Chauncey Johnson's burglary gang during the late 1860s, he was also the founder of the Hell's Kitchen Gang which terrorized West Manhattan
for over two decades.
, he immigrated to New York with his family as a child. Having a respectable middle class upbringing, it is unknown motivations led him to pursue a criminal career. He was involved in petty theft as a teenager, referred to as "The Flying Dutchman", and was associated with the Greenthals and the Mandlebaums. In 1860, he was arrested after stealing a watch from a man at the corner of Broadway
and Canal Street
, presumably his first criminal act, for which he was convicted and spent two years in New York State Prison. During his time in prison, he became friends with noted bond robber Chauncey Johnson and joined his gang upon his release. He eventually became his chief lieutenant and was involved in numerous robberies with the gang including $16,000 from the Adam Express Company, $21,000 from the Vesey Street robbery and, most notably, the theft of $1,000,000 in bonds from industrialist Rufus L. Lord. Other participants in the robbery included Jack Tierney and Hod Ennis.
In 1865, he was charged with stealing two bags of gold worth $10,000 from the Bank of Commerce
as well as a later robbery in Philadelphia but was acquitted in both cases. On March 6, 1866, he attempted to steal a package from the Broadway Bank containing a $2,283 deposit, but was caught by passersby as he exited the bank. In June 1867, he appeared in court three months later and pled guilty to grand larceny.
Although Heinrichs earned a substantial sum from his criminal activities, he usually gambled it away as soon as he earned it. On one occasion, he was said to have lost $23,000 after a major bank robbery. Once night in 1867 however, he walked into a Chatham Street faro parlor
with $3 and ended up walking out with $5,000 and broke the bank
. He later married the sister of sportsman, gambler and sometime confidence man Tom Davis.
. He later joined with Ike Marsh and the Tenth Avenue Gang
launching a campaign against the Hudson River Railroad which included extortion
, breaking and entering
, destruction of railroad property and armed robbery. Both Heinrichs and Marsh co-led the gang until Henrich began facing legal problems during the early 1870s.
On February 14, 1872, two unidentified men stole $33,000 in bonds belonging to the New London and Ashland Railroads from the banking firm of J.S. Kennedy & Sons at their Cedar Street office. Information provided by a private detective led to Heinrichs' arrest and the investigation was taken over by Wall Street
detectives. Central Office detectives came to his defense claiming Heinrichs had been held in custody at the time the robbery occurred. He had been suspected of stealing a watch from C. Godfrey Gunther, former Mayor of New York, however the gang leader's evidence was refused at trial. Convicted of grand larceny
, he was sentenced to ten years imprisonment.
Initially sent to New York State Prison, he was sent to The Tombs
eight months later. Heinrichs soon began exhibiting signs of extreme violence and paranoia while in prison. On September 24, 1872, he attacked his cellmate Jacob Rosenzweig believing he was spying on him. He reportedly did not recognize his lawyers when they came to visit him. His council successfully appealed to the Supreme Court for a retrial. As a result of the court's review of his case, a precedent was set in state criminal law that "when a party on trial avails himself of the recent statute allowing an accused to be a witness on his own behalf, he is not disqualified to testify by reason of a former conviction or felony". On May 7, 1873, officials announced that Heinrichs would be committed to the insane asylum at Wards Island.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1860–1874) was a German-born American burglar, bank robber and gang leader known as Dutch Heinrichs. A member of Chauncey Johnson's burglary gang during the late 1860s, he was also the founder of the Hell's Kitchen Gang which terrorized West Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
for over two decades.
Early life and criminal career
Born Henry D. Neuman in northern GermanyNorthern Germany
- Geography :The key terrain features of North Germany are the marshes along the coastline of the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and the geest and heaths inland. Also prominent are the low hills of the Baltic Uplands, the ground moraines, end moraines, sandur, glacial valleys, bogs, and Luch...
, he immigrated to New York with his family as a child. Having a respectable middle class upbringing, it is unknown motivations led him to pursue a criminal career. He was involved in petty theft as a teenager, referred to as "The Flying Dutchman", and was associated with the Greenthals and the Mandlebaums. In 1860, he was arrested after stealing a watch from a man at the corner of Broadway
Broadway (New York City)
Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...
and Canal Street
Canal Street
Canal Street may refer to:* Canal Street , England, UK* Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA* Canal Street , New York City, New York, USA...
, presumably his first criminal act, for which he was convicted and spent two years in New York State Prison. During his time in prison, he became friends with noted bond robber Chauncey Johnson and joined his gang upon his release. He eventually became his chief lieutenant and was involved in numerous robberies with the gang including $16,000 from the Adam Express Company, $21,000 from the Vesey Street robbery and, most notably, the theft of $1,000,000 in bonds from industrialist Rufus L. Lord. Other participants in the robbery included Jack Tierney and Hod Ennis.
In 1865, he was charged with stealing two bags of gold worth $10,000 from the Bank of Commerce
Bank of Commerce
Bank of Commerce, also known as BankCom, Bancommerce and BoC, is a commercial bank and the 15th largest lender by asset in the Philippines. Its headquarters is at the San Miguel Properties Center, No. 7 Saint Francis Avenue, Mandaluyong...
as well as a later robbery in Philadelphia but was acquitted in both cases. On March 6, 1866, he attempted to steal a package from the Broadway Bank containing a $2,283 deposit, but was caught by passersby as he exited the bank. In June 1867, he appeared in court three months later and pled guilty to grand larceny.
Although Heinrichs earned a substantial sum from his criminal activities, he usually gambled it away as soon as he earned it. On one occasion, he was said to have lost $23,000 after a major bank robbery. Once night in 1867 however, he walked into a Chatham Street faro parlor
Faro (card game)
Faro, Pharaoh, or Farobank, is a late 17th century French gambling card game descendant of basset, and belongs to the lansquenet and Monte Bank family of games, in that it is played between a banker and several players winning or losing according to the cards turned up matching those already...
with $3 and ended up walking out with $5,000 and broke the bank
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. He later married the sister of sportsman, gambler and sometime confidence man Tom Davis.
Hell's Kitchen Gang
In 1868, Heinrichs organized the Hell's Kitchen Gang whose members committed street muggings and petty theft in the areas between Eighth Avenue and Thirty-Fourth Street34th Street (Manhattan)
34th Street is a major cross-town street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, connecting the Lincoln Tunnel and Queens-Midtown Tunnel. Like many of New York City's major crosstown streets, it has its own bus routes and four subway stops serving the trains at Eighth Avenue, the trains at...
. He later joined with Ike Marsh and the Tenth Avenue Gang
Tenth Avenue Gang
The Tenth Avenue Gang was a New York street gang and later became the city's first train robbers.Formed by Ike Marsh in 1860, the gang consisted of a small number of various burglars and other criminals...
launching a campaign against the Hudson River Railroad which included extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
, breaking and entering
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
, destruction of railroad property and armed robbery. Both Heinrichs and Marsh co-led the gang until Henrich began facing legal problems during the early 1870s.
Imprisonment and later years
On January 15, 1870, shortly after his release from Blackwell's Island, Heinrichs and three "well-dressed, gentleman looking" men appeared at several Uptown Manhattan banks including the Bleecker Street Savings Bank, Manhattan Bank and the East River Bank among others but quickly left as soon as they were spotted by bank officials. They eventually gave up took a downtown trolley car where they disappeared.On February 14, 1872, two unidentified men stole $33,000 in bonds belonging to the New London and Ashland Railroads from the banking firm of J.S. Kennedy & Sons at their Cedar Street office. Information provided by a private detective led to Heinrichs' arrest and the investigation was taken over by Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
detectives. Central Office detectives came to his defense claiming Heinrichs had been held in custody at the time the robbery occurred. He had been suspected of stealing a watch from C. Godfrey Gunther, former Mayor of New York, however the gang leader's evidence was refused at trial. Convicted of grand larceny
Grand Larceny
Grand Larceny is a 1987 thriller film directed by Jeannot Szwarc and starring Marilu Henner, Ian McShane, Omar Sharif and Louis Jourdan.-Plot summary:...
, he was sentenced to ten years imprisonment.
Initially sent to New York State Prison, he was sent to The Tombs
The Tombs
"The Tombs" is the colloquial name for the Manhattan Detention Complex, a jail in Lower Manhattan at 125 White Street, as well as the popular name of a series of preceding downtown jails, the first of which was built in 1838 in the Egyptian Revival style of architecture.The nickname has been used...
eight months later. Heinrichs soon began exhibiting signs of extreme violence and paranoia while in prison. On September 24, 1872, he attacked his cellmate Jacob Rosenzweig believing he was spying on him. He reportedly did not recognize his lawyers when they came to visit him. His council successfully appealed to the Supreme Court for a retrial. As a result of the court's review of his case, a precedent was set in state criminal law that "when a party on trial avails himself of the recent statute allowing an accused to be a witness on his own behalf, he is not disqualified to testify by reason of a former conviction or felony". On May 7, 1873, officials announced that Heinrichs would be committed to the insane asylum at Wards Island.