John H. McCullagh
Encyclopedia
John H. McCullagh was an American law enforcement officer and police captain
in the New York City Police Department
. Popularly known as "Farmer John", he was a protege of Captains Jeremiah Petty and George W. Walling and battled such notorious gangs and river pirates such as the Tub of Blood Bunch
, the Battle Row and Hell's Kitchen Gangs. He especially confronting the latter gang when their leaders Ike Marsh and Dutch Heinrichs
began raiding the Hudson River Railroad yards and express trains. McCullagh is also credited for the breakup of Shang Draper's criminal organization in the early 1880s.
and joined the New York City Police Department
in 1864, less than a year following the New York Draft Riots
. He was assigned to Captain Jeremiah Petty and then Captain George W. Walling during his early years on the police force, both men becoming mentors to the young rookie patrolman. While at Walling's Twentieth Precinct, he gained a reputation as a brave officer while posted in such notorious districts such as the Fourth Ward, Battle Row and Hell's Kitchen
having notable successes against the gangs dominating those areas.
McCullagh was attacked Dutch Heinrichs
and two of his henchmen in Hell's Kitchen while investigating the theft of two hogsheads of ham from a Hudson River Railroad freight car. He battled the three men for over a half an hour before knocking all three unconscious with his nightstick and bringing in the gangsters single-handed to a nearby precinct on West Twenty-Fifth Street. Heinrichs was eventually convicted of assault and sent to prison where he was later committed to an insane asylum.
He also made enemies while on the force. In particular was his assault by ex-police officer James G. Taylor who had previously been dismissed from the police force due to an official complaint made by McCullagh. Taylor attempted to murder McCullagh, ambushing him one night on Ninth Avenue with a pistol, but the roundsman escaped with a minor head wound and a marked ear. Taylor was eventually tried and convicted by then District Attorney A. Oakey Hall and imprisoned in Sing Sing
. Oakey later served as McCullagh's council when he was accused of "improperly influencing keepers of resorts", however these charges were tried and dismissed at NYPD Headquarters.
McCullagh was promoted to sergeant in 1866 and, present during the New York Orange Riot of 1871, he was shot in the leg and became one of the many beneficiaries of the Riot Relief Fund. He also made many close and influential friends while doing service at the Grand Central Station. A member of the New York Republican Party and the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, he was a personal friend of Reverend Dr. John Hall.
McCullagh was made a police captain in 1872 and was assigned command of the Seventeenth Precinct, later renamed the Fourteenth Precinct, and was responsible for breaking up Shang Draper's criminal operations during the 1880s. He was eventually transferred to the Twenty-First Precinct following the "shake up" of 1892.
In early 1893, McCullagh began complaining of rheumatism
and, on February 27, he suddenly fell extremely ill while at the station house. He declined to go home as his wife was away at Irvington-on-the-Hudson and was confined to bed in his room at the precinct. The doctor found that McCullagh was suffering from sore throat
and rheumatism. By the time his wife arrived, McCullagh could not be moved and was made as comfortable as possible in his official office quarters. He remained bedridden for over a week until March 6 when he his condition unexpectedly worsened and a tracheotomy
was performed by police surgeon William F. Fluhrer. This brought only a momentary respite as McCullagh suffered a relapse and died shortly after the operation. His nephew John, also a police captain, was with him at the time of his death, however his wife had gone back to Irvington in the meantime. He was survived by his widow, two sons and an adopted daughter.
Upon news of his death, senior police officials gathered at the precinct to pay their respects and console the family. Inspector Alexander S. Williams
and Captains George Washburn
, Anthony J. Allaire, William Berghold and Thomas Killiloa were appointed a committee so as to organize the funeral on behalf of the family. McCullagh's personal finances, which had always been a source of speculation and controversy throughout his career, amounted to about $115,000. McCullagh had maintained a much lower estimate between $65,000 and $70,000 which was supplanted with income from property in Irvington and tenement buildings in New York. One of his sons was a student at Yale University
.
Police captain
- France :France uses the rank of capitaine for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. The rank comes senior to lieutenant and junior to commandant....
in the New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
. Popularly known as "Farmer John", he was a protege of Captains Jeremiah Petty and George W. Walling and battled such notorious gangs and river pirates such as the Tub of Blood Bunch
Tub of Blood Bunch
The Tub of Blood Bunch was an early New York waterfront street gang of the late 1860s.A collection of criminals made up of gang members from the various New York street gangs following the "cleanup" of the Fourth Ward by police shortly after the American Civil War, the Tub of Blood Bunch included...
, the Battle Row and Hell's Kitchen Gangs. He especially confronting the latter gang when their leaders Ike Marsh and Dutch Heinrichs
Dutch Heinrichs
Henry D. Neuman or Neumann 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.-Early...
began raiding the Hudson River Railroad yards and express trains. McCullagh is also credited for the breakup of Shang Draper's criminal organization in the early 1880s.
Biography
Born in County Tyrone, Ireland in 1842, John McCullagh emigrated to he United States as a child. He attended school at Irvington, New YorkIrvington, New York
Irvington, sometimes known as Irvington-on-Hudson, is an affluent suburban village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a station stop on the...
and joined the New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
in 1864, less than a year following the New York Draft Riots
New York Draft Riots
The New York City draft riots were violent disturbances in New York City that were the culmination of discontent with new laws passed by Congress to draft men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. The riots were the largest civil insurrection in American history apart from the Civil War itself...
. He was assigned to Captain Jeremiah Petty and then Captain George W. Walling during his early years on the police force, both men becoming mentors to the young rookie patrolman. While at Walling's Twentieth Precinct, he gained a reputation as a brave officer while posted in such notorious districts such as the Fourth Ward, Battle Row and Hell's Kitchen
Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton and Midtown West, is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City between 34th Street and 59th Street, from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River....
having notable successes against the gangs dominating those areas.
McCullagh was attacked Dutch Heinrichs
Dutch Heinrichs
Henry D. Neuman or Neumann 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.-Early...
and two of his henchmen in Hell's Kitchen while investigating the theft of two hogsheads of ham from a Hudson River Railroad freight car. He battled the three men for over a half an hour before knocking all three unconscious with his nightstick and bringing in the gangsters single-handed to a nearby precinct on West Twenty-Fifth Street. Heinrichs was eventually convicted of assault and sent to prison where he was later committed to an insane asylum.
He also made enemies while on the force. In particular was his assault by ex-police officer James G. Taylor who had previously been dismissed from the police force due to an official complaint made by McCullagh. Taylor attempted to murder McCullagh, ambushing him one night on Ninth Avenue with a pistol, but the roundsman escaped with a minor head wound and a marked ear. Taylor was eventually tried and convicted by then District Attorney A. Oakey Hall and imprisoned in Sing Sing
Sing Sing
Sing Sing Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison operated by the New York State Department of Correctional Services in the town of Ossining, New York...
. Oakey later served as McCullagh's council when he was accused of "improperly influencing keepers of resorts", however these charges were tried and dismissed at NYPD Headquarters.
McCullagh was promoted to sergeant in 1866 and, present during the New York Orange Riot of 1871, he was shot in the leg and became one of the many beneficiaries of the Riot Relief Fund. He also made many close and influential friends while doing service at the Grand Central Station. A member of the New York Republican Party and the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, he was a personal friend of Reverend Dr. John Hall.
McCullagh was made a police captain in 1872 and was assigned command of the Seventeenth Precinct, later renamed the Fourteenth Precinct, and was responsible for breaking up Shang Draper's criminal operations during the 1880s. He was eventually transferred to the Twenty-First Precinct following the "shake up" of 1892.
In early 1893, McCullagh began complaining of rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
and, on February 27, he suddenly fell extremely ill while at the station house. He declined to go home as his wife was away at Irvington-on-the-Hudson and was confined to bed in his room at the precinct. The doctor found that McCullagh was suffering from sore throat
Sore throat
A sore throat or throat pain is a common physical symptom usually caused by acute pharyngitis, or throat inflammation, though it also occurs in a number of other situations, such as post trauma and in diphtheria. It can cause mild to extreme pain....
and rheumatism. By the time his wife arrived, McCullagh could not be moved and was made as comfortable as possible in his official office quarters. He remained bedridden for over a week until March 6 when he his condition unexpectedly worsened and a tracheotomy
Tracheotomy
Among the oldest described surgical procedures, tracheotomy consists of making an incision on the anterior aspect of the neck and opening a direct airway through an incision in the trachea...
was performed by police surgeon William F. Fluhrer. This brought only a momentary respite as McCullagh suffered a relapse and died shortly after the operation. His nephew John, also a police captain, was with him at the time of his death, however his wife had gone back to Irvington in the meantime. He was survived by his widow, two sons and an adopted daughter.
Upon news of his death, senior police officials gathered at the precinct to pay their respects and console the family. Inspector Alexander S. Williams
Alexander S. Williams
Alexander S. Williams was an American law enforcement officer and police inspector for the New York City Police Department...
and Captains George Washburn
George Washburn
George Edward Washburn , was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played in with the New York Yankees. He batted left and threw right-handed. Washburn had a 0-1 record, with a 13.50 ERA, in one game, in his one year career....
, Anthony J. Allaire, William Berghold and Thomas Killiloa were appointed a committee so as to organize the funeral on behalf of the family. McCullagh's personal finances, which had always been a source of speculation and controversy throughout his career, amounted to about $115,000. McCullagh had maintained a much lower estimate between $65,000 and $70,000 which was supplanted with income from property in Irvington and tenement buildings in New York. One of his sons was a student at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
Further reading
- Costello, Augustine E. Our Police Protectors: History of the New York Police from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. New York: A.E. Costello, 1885.
- Fanebust, Wayne. The Missing Corpse: Grave Robbing a Gilded Age Tycoon. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005. ISBN 0-275-98762-0
- Gilfoyle, Timothy J. City of Eros: New York City, Prostitution, and the Commercialization of Sex, 1790-1920. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1994. ISBN 0-393-31108-2
- Lardner, James and Thomas Reppetto. NYPD: A City and Its Police. New York: Macmillan, 2001. ISBN 0-8050-6737-X