William H. Hodgins
Encyclopedia
William H. "Big Bill" Hodgins (1856-October 17, 1912) was an American law enforcement officer and police captain
in the New York City Police Department
. He is credited for the breaking up numerous street gangs, most notably the Eastman
and Humpty Jackson gangs
during the turn of the century
. He was also involved in the initial negotiations, along with a number of prominent Chinese-American merchants, which eventually ended the Tong wars between the Four Brothers
, Hip Sing and On Leong Tong
s.
. On the death of his father in 1880 he returned to Ireland and was evicted from his fathers farm near Cloughjordan
, Co. Tipperary in 1881. Hodgins was an active member of the Land League in Cloughjordan
. After the eviction he emigrated to America again, this time settling in New York. Joining the NYPD in 1888, he was eventually appointed commander of the Tenderloin district
. He was also the precinct captain of the district whenHarry K. Thaw
shot and killed architect Stanford White
at Madison Square Garden
in 1906.
In 1907, Hodgins was ordered into retirement by Police Commissioner Theodore A. Bingham
on the grounds that he was "too fat". As part of his examination, he was made to run around a table forty times. Hodgins would spend the next two years trying to get reinstated and finally succeeded in doing so when Supreme Court Justice Josiah Taylor Marean overruled the police commissioner's order. Hodgins later sued Bingham for $100,000 because his application for police inspector was indorsed, Bingham having commented "His record poor. He has not the qualifications to command. Too stupid".
Upon his return to the force, Hodgins was assigned to the Elizabeth Street Station in Chinatown
in the midst of the ongoing Tong wars between the Four Brothers
, Hip Sing and On Leong Tong
s.. Hodgins and leaders of the Chinese-American community were able to begin negotiations toward a truce which would eventually lead to an agreement end the war.
Hodgins left Chinatown and was given command of the Bronx Park police station
. He remained precinct captain until his death at his Tremont Avenue home on the evening of October 17, 1912. His wife, two daughters and three sons were all present at the time of his death.
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...
. He is credited for the breaking up numerous street gangs, most notably the Eastman
Eastman Gang
The Eastman Gang was the last of New York's street gangs which dominated the city's underworld during the late 1890s until early 1910s. Along with the Five Points Gang under Paul Kelly, the Eastmans succeeded the long dominant Whyos as the first non-Irish street gang to gain prominence in the...
and Humpty Jackson gangs
Humpty Jackson
Thomas "Humpty" Jackson was a New York criminal and last of the independent gang leaders in New York's underworld during the early 20th century. Reportedly well read, Jackson was said to be an admirer of such writers such as Voltaire, Charles Darwin, Leonard Huxley and Herbert Spencer as well as...
during the turn of the century
Turn of the century
Turn of the century, in its broadest sense, refers to the transition from one century to another. The term is most often used to indicate a non-specific time period either before or after the beginning of a century....
. He was also involved in the initial negotiations, along with a number of prominent Chinese-American merchants, which eventually ended the Tong wars between the Four Brothers
Four Brothers (tong)
The Four Brothers was a New York-based tong which rivaled the On Leong and Hip Sing Tongs for control of Chinatown during the early 1900s. Their murder of 21-year-old Bow Kum, recently "bought" by a member of the rival On Leongs to take as his wife, began a violent gang war between the three Tongs...
, Hip Sing and On Leong Tong
On Leong Tong
The On Leong Chinese Merchants Association or simply Chinese Merchants Association, formerly known as the On Leong Tong , was a tong society operating out of its territory in Mott Street in New York's Chinatown. Established in November, 1893, the tong fought a violent war for control of...
s.
Biography
Born in Ireland in 1856, William H. Hodgins emigrated to America with his father and 9 siblings in 1877 and settled in KansasKansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. On the death of his father in 1880 he returned to Ireland and was evicted from his fathers farm near Cloughjordan
Cloughjordan
Cloughjordan, officially Cloghjordan , is a town in North Tipperary in Ireland. It is in the barony of Ormond Lower, and it is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe....
, Co. Tipperary in 1881. Hodgins was an active member of the Land League in Cloughjordan
Cloughjordan
Cloughjordan, officially Cloghjordan , is a town in North Tipperary in Ireland. It is in the barony of Ormond Lower, and it is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe....
. After the eviction he emigrated to America again, this time settling in New York. Joining the NYPD in 1888, he was eventually appointed commander of the Tenderloin district
Tenderloin district
Tenderloin District may refer to:*Tenderloin, Manhattan*Tenderloin, San Francisco, California...
. He was also the precinct captain of the district whenHarry K. Thaw
Harry K. Thaw
Harry Kendall Thaw was the son of coal and railroad baron William Thaw. He is best known for murdering the architect Stanford White at Madison Square Garden in 1906 in a jealous rage.- Early life:...
shot and killed architect Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in 1906.
In 1907, Hodgins was ordered into retirement by Police Commissioner Theodore A. Bingham
Theodore A. Bingham
General Theodore A. Bingham was the New York City Police Commissioner from 1906 to 1909.-References:...
on the grounds that he was "too fat". As part of his examination, he was made to run around a table forty times. Hodgins would spend the next two years trying to get reinstated and finally succeeded in doing so when Supreme Court Justice Josiah Taylor Marean overruled the police commissioner's order. Hodgins later sued Bingham for $100,000 because his application for police inspector was indorsed, Bingham having commented "His record poor. He has not the qualifications to command. Too stupid".
Upon his return to the force, Hodgins was assigned to the Elizabeth Street Station in Chinatown
Chinatown, Manhattan
Manhattan's Chinatown , home to one of the highest concentrations of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere, is located in the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
in the midst of the ongoing Tong wars between the Four Brothers
Four Brothers (tong)
The Four Brothers was a New York-based tong which rivaled the On Leong and Hip Sing Tongs for control of Chinatown during the early 1900s. Their murder of 21-year-old Bow Kum, recently "bought" by a member of the rival On Leongs to take as his wife, began a violent gang war between the three Tongs...
, Hip Sing and On Leong Tong
On Leong Tong
The On Leong Chinese Merchants Association or simply Chinese Merchants Association, formerly known as the On Leong Tong , was a tong society operating out of its territory in Mott Street in New York's Chinatown. Established in November, 1893, the tong fought a violent war for control of...
s.. Hodgins and leaders of the Chinese-American community were able to begin negotiations toward a truce which would eventually lead to an agreement end the war.
Hodgins left Chinatown and was given command of the Bronx Park police station
Bronx Park
Bronx Park, laid out along the Bronx River in the Bronx, New York, is the home of the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo. Bicycle paths go northwest, north and east, along Mosholu Parkway, Bronx River Parkway and Pelham Parkway respectively...
. He remained precinct captain until his death at his Tremont Avenue home on the evening of October 17, 1912. His wife, two daughters and three sons were all present at the time of his death.
Further reading
- Bonner, Arthur. Alas! What Brought Thee Hither?: The Chinese in New York, 1800-1950. Madison, New Jersey: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-8386-3704-3