Slobbery Jim
Encyclopedia
Slobbery Jim was a leader of the 1850s New York City
gang
, the Daybreak Boys
. The gang was formed in the late 1840s in the slum of Five Points
with membership drawn from teenaged Irish
immigrants. The gang committed robberies, ship sabotage and frequent murders along the East River
. The Daybreak Boys are believed to have caused the loss of at least $100,000 in property and committed at least 20 murders between 1850 and 1852. (1)
Slobbery Jim assumed leadership of the gang with Bill Lowrie in 1853 after three of the gang's leaders were arrested after a failed attempt to raid the brig of the William Watson. However, he had to flee New York City to avoid prosecution for the murder of fellow Daybreak Boy Patsy the Barber. The two had robbed and murdered a German immigrant who had just arrived in the US. However, the pair got into a fight at a criminal dive called the Hole-in-the-Wall over the distribution of the twelve cents taken from the victim. Slobbery Jim wanted the lion's share as he had thrown the man into the river while Patsy the Barber wanted an equal share as he had bludgeoned the victim in the first place. Slobbery Jim tried to bite Patsy the Barber's nose off while Patsy the Barber tried to stab Slobbery Jim's throat. After a lengthy fight, Slobbery Jim ended up cutting Patsy the Barber's throat before stomping him to death with his hobnail boots
.
Slobbery Jim is believed to have ended up in the Southern United States
where he rose to the rank of captain in the Confederate States Army
.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
, the Daybreak Boys
Daybreak Boys
The Daybreak Boys was a New York street gang during the mid nineteenth century.Formed in the late 1840s, by 1852 the teenage Daybreak Boys were suspected by police to have been responsible for 20 to 40 murders between 1850 and 1852 as well as stealing goods estimated at $200,000. The gang was said...
. The gang was formed in the late 1840s in the slum of Five Points
Five Points, Manhattan
Five Points was a neighborhood in central lower Manhattan in New York City. The neighborhood was generally defined as being bound by Centre Street in the west, The Bowery in the east, Canal Street in the north and Park Row in the south...
with membership drawn from teenaged Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
immigrants. The gang committed robberies, ship sabotage and frequent murders along the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
. The Daybreak Boys are believed to have caused the loss of at least $100,000 in property and committed at least 20 murders between 1850 and 1852. (1)
Slobbery Jim assumed leadership of the gang with Bill Lowrie in 1853 after three of the gang's leaders were arrested after a failed attempt to raid the brig of the William Watson. However, he had to flee New York City to avoid prosecution for the murder of fellow Daybreak Boy Patsy the Barber. The two had robbed and murdered a German immigrant who had just arrived in the US. However, the pair got into a fight at a criminal dive called the Hole-in-the-Wall over the distribution of the twelve cents taken from the victim. Slobbery Jim wanted the lion's share as he had thrown the man into the river while Patsy the Barber wanted an equal share as he had bludgeoned the victim in the first place. Slobbery Jim tried to bite Patsy the Barber's nose off while Patsy the Barber tried to stab Slobbery Jim's throat. After a lengthy fight, Slobbery Jim ended up cutting Patsy the Barber's throat before stomping him to death with his hobnail boots
Hobnail (footwear)
In footwear, a hobnail is a short nail with a thick head used to increase the durability of boot soles.Hobnailed boots are boots with hobnails , usually installed in a regular pattern, over the sole...
.
Slobbery Jim is believed to have ended up in the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
where he rose to the rank of captain in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
.