William Poole (July 24, 1821 – March 8, 1855), also known as Bill the Butcher, was a member of the New York City gang, the Bowery Boys, a bare-knuckle boxer, and a leader of the Know Nothing political movement. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year The City of New York The Bowery Boys were a nativist, Anti-Catholic, and anti-Irish Gang based North of the Five Points district of New York City See also Bare-knuckle for other uses Bare-knuckle boxing (also known as bare-knuckle, prizefighting, or fisticuffs The Know Nothing movement was a Nativist American political movement of the 1850s
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Early life
Poole was born in Sussex County, New Jersey to parents of English descent. Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden. Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year The County of Sussex (also known as Sussex County) is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. English Americans (occasionally known as Anglo -Americans although this may have a wider cultural meaning are Citizens of the United States whose ancestry [1] In 1832, his family moved to New York City to open a butcher shop in Washington Market, Manhattan. A butcher is someone who prepares various Meats and other related goods for sale Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York
Attack at Florence's Hotel
The New York Daily Times reported the following on October 23, 1851:
A Brutal Outrage in Broadway. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - 1851 ( MDCCCLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year We learn that at an early hour yesterday morning, two noted pugilists entered Florence's Hotel, corner of Broadway and Howard street, and without any provocation seized the bar-keeper and beat his face to a jelly. It appears that Thomas Hyer, William Poole, and several others entered the above hotel, and while one of the party held Charles Owens (the bar-keeper) by the hair of his head, another of the gang beat him in the face to such an extent that his left eye was completely ruined and the flesh of his cheek mangled in the most shocking manner. Tom Hyer ( January 1 1819 &ndash June 26 1864) was an American bare-knuckle boxer. After thus accomplishing the heartless act, all of them made an effort to find Mr. John Florence, the proprietor of the hotel, with a view of serving him in the same manner, but not succeeding in their latter design, they found the hat of Mr. Florence and wantonly cut it into strips, and trampled it under their feet. The desperadoes then left the house, and in the meantime Mr. Owens was placed under medical attendance, and in the course of a short time he proceeded to the Jefferson Market Police, in company with Mr. Florence, where they made their affidavits respecting the inhuman outrage, upon which Justice Blakeley issued his warrants for Hyer, Poole, and such of the others who were concerned in the affair, and the same were placed in the hands of officer Baldwin for service. Since the above was written we have been reliably informed that the affray originated from the fact of the barkeeper having refused them drinks, after they had been furnished with them twice in succession.
Dispute with John Morrissey
Poole's archenemy, John Morrissey, was an Irish immigrant and enforcer for Tammany Hall. John Morrissey ( February 12, 1831 &ndash May 1, 1878) also known as Old Smoke, was a bare-knuckle boxer and a Tammany Hall was the Democratic Party Political machine that played a major role in controlling New York City politics and helping immigrants (most notably Morrissey was also a popular boxer and challenged Poole to a match. Though the two men were of differing ethnic backgrounds and political parties, the initial grounds for their dispute may have arisen from an earlier bet by Poole on a boxing match. Poole placed his bet on Morrissey's opponent, "Yankee Sullivan". Yankee Sullivan (James Ambrose ( March 10, 1811 &ndash May 31, 1856) also known as Frank Murray and James Sullivan The fight took place at Boston Corners on October 12, 1853. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1853 ( MDCCCLIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common
Results of the boxing match were disputed, and Poole was against Morrissey being paid. In the boxing match Morrissey was knocked out but instead of using a standard ten count the Morrisey backers requested judgement by a call to the ring. Morissey was up again by then. Morrissey's opponent having knocked out Morrissey had left the vicinty of the ring thinking he had won. Poole and Morrisey squared off in the ring to settle their dispute on July 26, 1854, at Amos Dock, New York. Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Year 1854 ( MDCCCLIV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year The New York Daily Times reported the story on July 28, 1854:
Subjoined we give an account of the brutal affair, furnished by a person who witnessed it. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 1854 ( MDCCCLIV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year He says: "Yesterday morning, about 7 o'clock, an encounter took place between John Morrissey and William Poole on the pier at the foot of Amos Street, North River. For some time past Morrissey has entertained the idea of attaining the unenviable notoriety attached to a fighting man. He has frequently challenged Hyer to meet him in the ring and settle their animosities by a fisticuff battle. . . View Full Article at Wikisource
According to historian Mark Caldwell, during the fight Poole "bit and gouged but won only when his friends joined the fight and kicked Morrissey unconscious. "
The shooting
Morrissey plotted revenge and on February 25, 1855, Lew Baker, a friend of Morrissey, shot Poole at a bar on Broadway. Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Broadway, as the name implies is a wide avenue in New York City. The New York Daily Times reported on Monday, February 26, 1855 the following:
"Terrible Shooting Affray in Broadway - Bill Poole Fatally Wounded - The Morrissey and Poole Feud - Renewal of Hostilities - Several Persons Severely Wounded. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Broadway, in the vicinity of Prince and Houston Streets, was the scene of an exciting shooting affair about 1 o'clock yesterday morning, which is but a repetition of a similar occurrence that transpired a few weeks ago under Wallack's Theatre between Tom Hyer, Lewis Baker, Jim Turner and several other noted pugilists. . . View Full Article at Wikisource
Poole died on March 8, 1855 from the gunshot wound. Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year He died in his home on Christopher Street. Christopher Street is a street in the West Village neighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan, and was at the center of New York's His last words were just as they were dictated in the film Gangs of New York: "I die a true American. Gangs of New York is a 2002 Bildungsroman film set in the mid-19th century in the Five Points district of New York City. " He was buried on March 11, 1855 in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn with no tombstone. Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year A tombstone was added in 2004. The grave is number: 48 and 49, F/G 6(v)
William Poole in fiction
- Poole was the inspiration for the character of William "Bill the Butcher" Cutting, in Martin Scorsese's 2002 film Gangs of New York. Gangs of New York is a 2002 Bildungsroman film set in the mid-19th century in the Five Points district of New York City. Gangs of New York is a 2002 Bildungsroman film set in the mid-19th century in the Five Points district of New York City.
William Poole in fact
Despite maiming a number of opponents in various brawls there is no evidence of William Poole having killed any of his opponents.
References
- Charlton T. Lewis, Harper's Book of Facts, New York, 1906
- Herbert Asbury, The Gangs of New York, New York, 1928
- Mark Caldwell, New York Night: The Mystique and Its History, New York, 2005
Selected coverage in the New York Daily Times
- New York Daily Times, Volume 1, Number 0031, Thursday, October 23, 1851, page 1 "Boxing"
- New York Daily Times, Volume 3, Number 0646, Thursday, October 13, 1853, page 1 "hotel"
- New York Daily Times, Volume 3, Number 0892, July 28, 1854, page 4 "Boxing teaser"
- New York Daily Times, Volume 3, Number 0892, July 28, 1854, page 8 "Boxing"
- New York Daily Times, Volume 4, Number 1074, Monday, February 26, 1855, page 1, "Shooting"
- New York Daily Times, Volume 4, Number 1084, Friday, March 9, 1855, page 1, "Coroner's Inquest"
Selected coverage in the Brooklyn Eagle
Selected coverage in the New York Times
The New York Times covered the events of Stanwix Hall almost every day for a month
- New York Times, March 9, 1855, page 1, "The Pugilist's Encounter"
- New York Times, March 10, 1855, page 1, "The Death of William Poole"
- New York Times, March 12, 1855, page 1, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, March 12, 1855, page 4, "The Funeral of Poole"
- New York Times, March 13, 1855, page 1, "The Poole Murder"
- New York Times, March 17, 1855, page 1, "The Poole Murder"
- New York Times, March 19, 1855, page 1, "The Poole Murder"
- New York Times, March 24, 1855, page 3, "The Kissane Trial"
- New York Times, April 16, 1855, page 3, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, May 16, 1855; page 1, "Baker Arrested!"
- New York Times, May 17, 1855; page 4, "The Poole Murder—What is to come of it?"
- New York Times, November 28, 1855, page 7, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, November 29, 1855, page 3, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, December 1, 1855, page 2, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, December 3, 1855, page 2, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, December 4, 1855, page 7, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, December 5, 1855, page 3, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, December 6, 1855, page 2, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, December 7, 1855, page 3, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, December 8, 1855, page 3, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, December 10, 1855, page 2, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, December 11, 1855, page 2, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, December 12, 1855, page 3, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, December 13, 1855, page 7, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
- New York Times, December 14, 1855, page 1, "The Stanwix Hall Tragedy"
See also
External links
- William Poole bibliography
- NY Press: William Poole
- Frances Asbury: William Poole
- History of Boxing: Poole vs Morrissey
- Findagrave: William Poole
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