Kid Shanahan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kid Shanahan
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| Born |
Joseph A. Shanahan
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| Nationality | Irish-American |
| Other names | Thomas Lynch |
| Occupation | Criminal |
| Known for | New York river pirate and member of the Patsy Conroy Gang |
Joseph A. "Kid" Shanahan, also known as Thomas Lynch, was a person involved in criminal activities in New York City during the late 1800s. He was known as a "river pirate" and was part of a group called the Patsy Conroy Gang. River pirates were people who tried to steal from boats and ships on rivers.
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Kid Shanahan: A Story from Old New York
Who Was Kid Shanahan?
Kid Shanahan was active between 1873 and 1883. He was part of a group that tried to take things from boats. This kind of activity was a problem in New York City's busy waterways back then. Shanahan was known for being part of the Patsy Conroy Gang, a group that operated around the rivers.
A Daring Attempt on the Victor
In May 1883, Kid Shanahan and some other people, including Thomas J. Reily, James McMann, and James Moran, tried to rob a boat. The boat was a type of sailboat called a sloop, named Victor. It was anchored in a place called Flushing Bay.
When they got onto the Victor, the ship's mate, John Williams, saw them. He used a gun to make them jump off the boat. Three of the people who tried to rob the boat were saved from drowning by John Williams himself. The leader of the gang, James Moran, was picked up by Captain Price from another nearby boat called the Rebecca.
The Consequences
After this event, Kid Shanahan was held in a jail called The Tombs. He needed a lot of money, $3,000, to be released while waiting for his trial. This amount was very high for that time.
Shanahan was put on trial for trying to break into the boat and for hurting someone. He admitted that he was responsible for these actions. Because of this, he was sent to Sing Sing Prison for ten years. This shows that there were serious consequences for trying to steal from boats in New York City.
