1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Tracy ve Wilson. So this was going 4 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: to be an episode about several escaped criminals that have 5 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: never been found, you know, one of our little Schmorgasbordi 6 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: popoury episodes. Yeah, we have a six Impossibles on jail 7 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 1: breaks from a few years ago. Yeah, and this was 8 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:36,480 Speaker 1: kind of similar. But then I got to reading about 9 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: William J. Sharky's case, and then I was like, well, 10 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:40,480 Speaker 1: this is going to be a whole thing on its own, 11 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: because it's got some fun drama. Also, frankly, I'm in 12 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: the middle of a lot of travel and I wanted 13 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 1: to do something that would be really fun and engaging 14 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: that I didn't have to like learn telemetry or something 15 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: for and I could talk about, you know, crime without 16 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: having to do that. So for Contextilliam J. Sharky was 17 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: a pickpocket, a con man, a politician, and a murderer, 18 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,839 Speaker 1: although whether or not that murder was an accident became 19 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: the question at the center of a case that gripped 20 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: New York for months, and then he vanished sort of. 21 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: So In eighteen seventy nine, The Sun newspaper of New 22 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: York described William J. Sharky this way quote. Sharky was 23 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: the son of respected residents of the ninth Ward, but 24 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: he went astray early in life, and after a brilliantly 25 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: notorious career of the crooked sort, bloomed out into a 26 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: successful political adventurer. He was a power in the eighth 27 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: Ward primaries, had a club named after him, and belonged 28 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: to every influential political organization in the fifth Congressional district. Sharky, 29 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: who was born sometime in the late eighteen forties, got 30 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: into theft at an early age, and he actually became 31 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: known as an expert pickpocket, specializing in stealing fine jewelry 32 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: right off of people as they were wearing it. He 33 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 1: got arrested after stealing a pocketbook, but that didn't sway 34 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: him from a life as a career criminal. And then 35 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 1: he got involved with Tammany Hall as William Boss Tweed 36 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: was rising to power, and Sharky rose right along with him. 37 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,679 Speaker 1: As the New York Times put it, quote, the Tammany 38 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: Ring was seeking a suitable servant in the eighth Ward 39 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: and Sharky was selected as the man, but eventually Sharki 40 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: fell out of favor as a politician. There is some 41 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,839 Speaker 1: indication that Tweed used him as a pawn in eighth 42 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,920 Speaker 1: Ward politics until his defeat when running for Assistant Alderman, 43 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,679 Speaker 1: and then he was kind of discarded and went back 44 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: to his criminal enterprises. In eighteen seventy two, Sharki arrived 45 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: in Buffalo. He wanted to drum up a gambling opportunity. 46 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: He started a game called Pharaoh Bank. Faraoh Bank, sometimes 47 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 1: just called Pharaoh is a card game that was hugely 48 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,079 Speaker 1: popular in Europe and the United States at the time. 49 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: It's one of the oldest card games intended for gambling. 50 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: In this game, the player bets against the house or bank, 51 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: and Sharky lost a lot of money in Buffalo, a 52 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 1: reported four thousand dollars over the course of just five days. Yeah, 53 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: Pharaoh Bank is kind of interesting to me. It's spelled Faro. 54 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: It is meant to sound like Pharaoh, as in Egyptian Pharaoh, 55 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: because apparently the French cards originally used for it had 56 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: Egyptian iconography on them. I'm just fascinated by the way 57 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 1: card games come and go. That one fell out of favor, 58 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: like in the early nineteen twenties, kind of never to 59 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: return again in terms of its popularity in the US 60 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: until now when people hear about it on our podcast 61 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: and stage a revival, now a revival of Pharaoh. After 62 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: this big series of losses in Buffalo, though, Sharky went 63 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: back to New York City, and although he had lost 64 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: a lot of money in Buffalo, he still thought gambling 65 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: offered plenty of opportunity, and he actually got involved in 66 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: the startup of another game of Pharaoh Bank in Buffalo, 67 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: this time through a friend and associate of him. So 68 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 1: Sharki gave a man named Robert Dunn six hundred dollars 69 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: to start up and run the new Pharaoh game, hoping 70 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: that this one would be more successful and would generate 71 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: some cash. Dunn theoretically knew a lot about money. He 72 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: worked at the New York City Controller's office. But Don's 73 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 1: Pharaoh operation went the same way as Sharky's earlier effort. 74 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 1: He lost the six hundred dollars seed money which he 75 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: had promised to repay Sharky, and lost some more money. 76 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: Besides that, the two men met up again at a 77 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: funeral of an associate named James Riley on September first, 78 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,479 Speaker 1: eighteen seventy two, and after the funeral, they went to 79 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: a saloon on Hudson Street called the Place They had 80 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 1: a drink. Arki demanded repayment of his money, and when 81 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 1: done could not produce that money, Sharky shot and killed him. 82 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: Sharky just left the place. He was caught and arrested 83 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: a few hours later at a private residence and charged 84 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,919 Speaker 1: with first degree murder. It was almost ten months before 85 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 1: Sharky's trial began in June of the following year, and 86 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: when the court date finally arrived, Sharky's three brothers were 87 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: in attendance, as was Robert Dunn's widow. Although there were 88 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: two eyewitnesses willing to testify that they had seen William 89 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 1: Sharky purposely shoot Done in the chest at short range, 90 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 1: the defense's story was that it had all been an accident, 91 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: and as the testimony played out, it's not that different 92 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: from one side to the other. The only major difference 93 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:50,919 Speaker 1: that keeps coming up is kind of the perception of intent. 94 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 1: Per the opening statement on June twentieth, which was made 95 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: by one of the defense attorneys, Charles Brooke, Sharky was 96 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: to another friend, and when he leaned forward with his 97 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,919 Speaker 1: arm on the counter as he was showing quote what 98 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: he would have done for the deceased, the gun accidentally discharged. 99 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: Seems safe to assume that if he was kind of 100 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: waving a gun around talking about what he was willing 101 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: to do for Done, that still does not characterize Sharky 102 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:26,039 Speaker 1: in an especially favorable light. This is not a safe 103 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:30,599 Speaker 1: way to handle a firearm, or to make your point right, 104 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 1: This was the foundation of the case, though the defense 105 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,040 Speaker 1: also stated that Sharky did not believe the shooting had 106 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:42,919 Speaker 1: resulted in a serious wound and that's why he had left. So, 107 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 1: as I hinted to you a moment ago, the testimony 108 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: of witnesses on both sides of this case kind of 109 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: paint pictures that are not identical to either the prosecution 110 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: or the defense's version of the story. They sort of 111 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: fall in shades in between. The one that most closely 112 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:02,679 Speaker 1: met their account was given by a man named William Welsh, 113 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 1: and according to his version, when he got to the 114 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: saloon at about eight pm, Sharky was pacing around, waving 115 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: a pistol and calling Done names. Welsh stated that he 116 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: said to Sharky, quote, Billy, put that away. It might 117 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: go off and shoot somebody. But Sharky continued to argue 118 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 1: with Dunn, and Welsh once again urged him to put 119 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:26,679 Speaker 1: the gun down, saying, quote, Billy, don't hold the pistol 120 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: that way, it might go off. And then Sharky asked 121 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: Welsh if he was willing to make good on Dunn's debts, 122 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: to which Welsh said no. This is when Sharky supposedly 123 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: made that statement about what he was willing to do 124 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: for Don. If that sounded weird to you, this will 125 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: be illustrative. He told Welsh, quote there was a time 126 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: I would go into a butcher's shop and let a 127 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 1: butcher take a cleaver and cut that arm off for 128 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: that son of a bee. That is actually exactly how 129 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: the paper wrote it up, which I find amusing. And 130 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: then he attempted to illustrate that loyalty and devotion he 131 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 1: had for in their friendship at that point by kind 132 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 1: of gesturing to his arm. And it was as he 133 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: said that that the gun went off. And according to Well, 134 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: Sharky was not looking at done when this happened. This 135 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: witness would have really helped Sharki's case, had it not 136 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: been for the fact that on cross examination it became 137 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: apparent that he may have attempted to tamper with the 138 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 1: prosecution's main witnesses in the case. They were named Betts 139 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: and Klein. When he was asked directly if he had 140 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: offered Bets and Kline money not to testify, Welsh refused 141 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 1: to answer. Yeah, the court date had actually been initially 142 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:45,680 Speaker 1: set to start earlier than it did, and those two 143 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: witnesses had kind of gotten cold feet for a minute, 144 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: and so it had had to be postponed, and they 145 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: think that Welsh might have been the problem there. But 146 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: even one of the witnesses for the prosecution, a local 147 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,840 Speaker 1: from the neighborhood who often drank at the place, more 148 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: or less supported that accidental discharge story. He backed up 149 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: the account that Sharky was telling people he would have 150 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,200 Speaker 1: had a hand cut off for Doune at one time 151 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 1: in their friendship. This witness, William Highly, also indicated that 152 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 1: Sharky was not looking at done when the gun went off, 153 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: but was looking down at his own arm as he 154 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 1: dropped the hand down dramatically to demonstrate his point. On 155 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: cross examination, Highly also added that Sharky appeared to be 156 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:34,160 Speaker 1: intoxicated when the shooting took place. There was also testimony 157 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: from other bar patrons that Sharky had loudly said that 158 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: Robert Dunn had made fifteen hundred dollars in his gambling 159 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: set up, so he could easily afford to pay Sharky 160 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 1: back if you wanted to, but Dunn denied that he 161 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: had been successful with Pharaoh. One particularly damning piece of 162 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 1: testimony was that Sharky had said, quote, make good for yourself. 163 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: There's only two feet between us, so that's a clear threat. 164 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,840 Speaker 1: According to one witness, He also challenged Done to a 165 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 1: pistol duel, which was something that Done did not want 166 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: to do. One reason that these various testimonies all offer 167 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 1: different accounts of things that were said and done. It's 168 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: just they witnessed different phases of this altercation when it 169 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 1: came down to the moment that Done was shot. There's 170 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:29,439 Speaker 1: actually a lot of corroboration, and several different people all 171 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 1: said that they had known both men for years, that 172 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 1: they had a good friendship, and often according to the 173 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 1: coverage of the trial that was published in the New 174 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:41,679 Speaker 1: York Times, quote we're in the habit of joking and 175 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:46,959 Speaker 1: larking together. Yeah, it's unclear if they're trying to hint like, oh, 176 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 1: they got into fights like this from time to time 177 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 1: and that was the dynamic of their friendship, or if 178 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 1: they're trying to hint that people were thinking they may 179 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 1: not be as angry as they appeared in some points 180 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:00,679 Speaker 1: in time. This may have come up as an issue 181 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 1: because some people were asking questions about why did no 182 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: one try to stop this? The barkeep Henry Kleine, one 183 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,959 Speaker 1: of those witnesses we mentioned earlier, gave what reads as 184 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 1: the clearest explanation in my opinion, of this accidental firing 185 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:18,559 Speaker 1: and what exactly Sharki was doing in the moments leading 186 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: up to it. So, according to Kline, Sharky was holding 187 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 1: the pistol in his right hand, and with that hand 188 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 1: as he talked about his willingness to lose a hand 189 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: or arm for Robert Dunn, he was making what seemed 190 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: like a chopping motion repeatedly to his left arm, and 191 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 1: on the third time he dropped his hand to make 192 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 1: this chop the gun went off. The other witness that 193 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 1: we mentioned earlier, John Dee Betts, completely backed up Klein's 194 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 1: version of events. Last police officer testified about how he 195 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 1: learned of the shooting and the word had reached the 196 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: police station that Sharki was willing to give himself up. 197 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:01,080 Speaker 1: The closing remarks from the defense where that it was 198 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: clear that this had been an accident and that Sharky 199 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:09,320 Speaker 1: had no actual intention to shoot Doun. The prosecution felt 200 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 1: as though the behavior Sharky had exhibited was in line 201 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 1: with an intent to kill. The prosecution also tried to 202 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: throw additional blame on the other patrons of the saloon 203 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: for not doing more to end Sharki's tirade while he 204 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:29,319 Speaker 1: was brandishing a gun, something I feel is understandable considering 205 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: that he was brandishing a gun. Yeah. Yeah, there's a 206 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: lot of like uh in the newspaper accounts, there's a 207 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:38,560 Speaker 1: lot of intimation of like, you guys all clearly knew 208 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: this guy, why didn't you disarm him? And it's like 209 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 1: he's angry and he has a gun and a waven 210 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,319 Speaker 1: a gun around. We are going to talk about what 211 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:51,720 Speaker 1: happened with the jury after we pause for a sponsor break. 212 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,719 Speaker 1: As the jury was given instructions on what would qualify 213 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:08,559 Speaker 1: as murder in the first degree, versus finding Sharky guilty 214 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: of manslaughter. One of the notes to them was actually 215 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: about the intoxication aspect of the defendant's demeanor on the 216 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 1: night of the murder. The judge said, quote, voluntary intoxication 217 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:24,560 Speaker 1: can furnish no excuse or immunity to crimes, and so 218 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 1: long as the offender is capable of conceiving a design, 219 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 1: he will be presumed, in the absence of contrary proofs, 220 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 1: to have intended the natural consequences of his own acts. 221 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:40,120 Speaker 1: Throughout all of this, all of the closing remarks and 222 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:43,560 Speaker 1: discussion and instructions to the jury, The New York Times 223 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 1: described Sharky's behavior this way, quote the prisoner was bent 224 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 1: forward during the delivery of the recorder's address and listened 225 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 1: breathlessly to every word, his face occasionally twitching nervously as 226 00:13:56,200 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 1: allusions were made to his character and career. The jury 227 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: deliberated for forty minutes. During that time, they asked to 228 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,480 Speaker 1: have Sharky's gun brought to the room for examination, but 229 00:14:07,559 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 1: the defense objected. The jury returned to the courtroom, but 230 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: it was not to deliver a verdict. They had questions 231 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 1: about the gun. They wanted quote to know how hard 232 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: it went off. This actually became an issue of debate 233 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: in the courtroom. Sharky's defense attorneys argued that the gun 234 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 1: had been sitting in evidence for ten months, there was 235 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: no way to guarantee that it was in the same 236 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: condition as it had been the night that it fired 237 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 1: the fatal shot into Dunn's chest. The prosecution thought the 238 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: jury should get to handle the pistol, but the judge 239 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: agreed with the defense. The jury once again retired from 240 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 1: the courtroom to deliberate. After another fifty minutes, the jury returned. 241 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: William Sharky was found guilty of murder in the first degree, 242 00:14:55,280 --> 00:15:00,040 Speaker 1: with a recommendation for mercy in sentencing. Sharky's defense he 243 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 1: wanted the jury to be asked why they had added 244 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: that recommendation for a merciful sentence. It seemed like the 245 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 1: defense team was trying to see if the jury was 246 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: actually not fully convinced of intent, which would give the 247 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 1: defense some ammunition to pursue a mistrial or fuel an 248 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: appeal in the case. But this request, after much deliberation 249 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: in the court room, was denied. The defense noted that 250 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: it was going to start immediately pursuing a new trial 251 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 1: on the ground of quote misdirection of the jury by 252 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:34,000 Speaker 1: the court. When the press approached the jury foreman to 253 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 1: ask about the unusual request for mercy for the defendant, 254 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: the foreman stated that the jury had taken an oath 255 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 1: quote not to divulge what took place in the jury room. 256 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 1: Another juror stated that even if the judge had asked 257 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: them to explain, they would not because of those oaths 258 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:57,479 Speaker 1: to one another. Sharky had worked hard to seem indifferent publicly, 259 00:15:57,640 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 1: but according to press accounts, when he got back to 260 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: his cell at the Tombs, he quote broke down completely. 261 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: He had very clearly not expected to be found guilty 262 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: of first degree murder. Aside from his closest friends and 263 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 1: family and his lawyers, Sharky refused to speak to anyone 264 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 1: that was very unlike him. He often was perfectly happy 265 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: to socialize with the press and any other visitors. But 266 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 1: in the meantime, his defense did file emotion for a 267 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 1: new trial, but that motion was denied, and their primary 268 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 1: argument was based on something that the judge had told 269 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 1: the jury that there was no question that Sharky had 270 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: killed done and this wasn't really a matter of question 271 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: Sharky and his defense team had been operating with this 272 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: as an established truth, and their case had been focused 273 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: on establishing the shooting as accidental. But the claim in 274 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: the motion for a new trial was that in stating 275 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: explicitly to the jury that there was no question as 276 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 1: to whether Sharki had killed done, the judge udge had 277 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:04,360 Speaker 1: taken away the option of the jury to acquit, and 278 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 1: Sharki's council had stated in his brief that quote, in felonies, 279 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:11,919 Speaker 1: the prisoner has no power to admit anything. But the 280 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 1: judge stated later at sentencing quote, I am not furnished 281 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:18,160 Speaker 1: with any case in support of this proposition, and all 282 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:21,919 Speaker 1: the clementary books and decisions go the other way. On 283 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:26,159 Speaker 1: July third, the sentence was handed down. Leading up to 284 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 1: the announcement, Sharki was reportedly in good spirits. He seemed 285 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 1: to have believed that the jury's request for mercy and 286 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: his sentencing would be honored. The New York Times reported 287 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: that he was joking and chatting with the court staff 288 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: while they waited for the judge and the lawyers to 289 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: get there, but then once the sentence was read, things 290 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:50,719 Speaker 1: got serious. In a hurry. Regarding that recommendation of mercy. 291 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: The judge's statement was this quote. This recommendation was not 292 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 1: and cannot be made a legal part of the verdict. 293 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:02,680 Speaker 1: The latter can only be guilty or not guilty. Even 294 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:07,159 Speaker 1: had the jurors presented affidavit's explanatory of the technical verdict 295 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 1: of guilty, I am of the opinion it would become 296 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:13,880 Speaker 1: the duty of the judge not to award weight to them. 297 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 1: Then came the sentencing quote. In Sharki's case, my reviewing 298 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:22,560 Speaker 1: judgment concurs with the jury. I have reread all the testimony, 299 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:25,399 Speaker 1: all the requests of the Council, and my charge in 300 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: the spirit with which both the Supreme Court and the 301 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:33,359 Speaker 1: Court of Appeals must necessarily review Hereafter Sharky was given 302 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:36,679 Speaker 1: a death sentence and his execution was to be carried 303 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:41,120 Speaker 1: out by hanging that was initially scheduled for August fifteenth. 304 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:45,879 Speaker 1: Once again, his lawyers, Charles W. Brooks and Peter Mitchell, 305 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: pursued other options, and they started by filing for a 306 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,120 Speaker 1: stay of execution with the Supreme Court of New York 307 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:55,199 Speaker 1: a few weeks later. Because while the judge in the 308 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:58,119 Speaker 1: initial case believed that he had done nothing wrong, the 309 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:02,119 Speaker 1: defendant's counsel wanted to take their questions of jury handling 310 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:05,680 Speaker 1: and some other issues to a higher court. The bill 311 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,960 Speaker 1: of exceptions they filed stated the following quote that the 312 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 1: recorder aired in charging the jury that he could not 313 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,119 Speaker 1: perceive how they could acquit the prisoner, that he aired 314 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: in commenting on the language used by the prisoner and 315 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:20,239 Speaker 1: saying that a man who would use such language as 316 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:23,240 Speaker 1: the prisoner used and which was testified in the case 317 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 1: would be almost unfit to live. That the statement of 318 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:30,760 Speaker 1: the recorders was calculated to mislead and prejudice the jury 319 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 1: coming from the judge. That bill of exceptions also mentions 320 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 1: the judge dismissing intoxication as a mitigating factor, mentioning that 321 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: anyone who picks up a gun can't not intend to 322 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:48,159 Speaker 1: do harm, incorrectly repeating a detail of distance in the 323 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,120 Speaker 1: crime scene, like when it came up he had said 324 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: that Sharkey was closer to Robert Dunn than he actually 325 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:59,360 Speaker 1: had been, and then incorrectly explaining other possible guilty verdicts 326 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:02,200 Speaker 1: that the jury could have found Sharky guilty on such 327 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:05,360 Speaker 1: as murder in the second degree instead of the first. 328 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 1: While he waited. Sharky was imprisoned in the Manhattan House 329 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 1: of Detention, known colloquially as the Tombs, which is what 330 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 1: we called earlier. Was as an aside. This Jaale is 331 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:20,320 Speaker 1: said to have gotten that nickname because the exterior, designed 332 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:23,880 Speaker 1: by architect John Haviland in the eighteen thirties, was inspired 333 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 1: by the style of Egyptian tombs. Maggie Jordan was Sharky's girlfriend, 334 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 1: or maybe his wife. There are apparently some police records 335 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: that suggest the two of them were married. Maggie kind 336 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: of gets held up as an almost tropy instance of 337 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:43,159 Speaker 1: a woman from a good family who had a predilection 338 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 1: for a life of crime and for criminal men. Sharky 339 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: was not her first paramour to be involved in some 340 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:56,280 Speaker 1: kind of illicit activity, but she seemed genuinely devoted to 341 00:20:56,359 --> 00:20:59,720 Speaker 1: William Sharky. She went to visit him every day, spent 342 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:02,360 Speaker 1: hours at a time at the jail, sitting in front 343 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:04,879 Speaker 1: of his cell, or going with him on walks in 344 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 1: the building when he was allowed to stretch his legs. 345 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:10,640 Speaker 1: That might sound a little odd, but at this point 346 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:13,880 Speaker 1: the Tombs, like a lot of municipal services in New York, 347 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:18,960 Speaker 1: was run with a pretty laxadaisical attitude. Corruption was rampant 348 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:22,879 Speaker 1: in the city government. The political organization known as Tammany 349 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: Hall was directing a lot of New York's government, and 350 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: if you were in good with Tammany Hall, you did 351 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:33,480 Speaker 1: not serve time in the way that another incarcerated person would. 352 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 1: Sharky had Tammany ties, so he was staying in a 353 00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: section of the jail that sounds more like a hotel 354 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:44,440 Speaker 1: than a prison. Because of that death sentence, he could 355 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:47,680 Speaker 1: not leave the premises, but he could often just walk around. 356 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:50,399 Speaker 1: Maggie made sure that he had all the comforts of 357 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 1: home and his cell, including fine furnishings, a pet canary, 358 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,679 Speaker 1: and the latest magazines. We will talk about how William 359 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 1: Jshon Sharky just strolled right out of prison one day 360 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 1: after we paused for a sponsor break. November nineteenth, eighteen 361 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:20,240 Speaker 1: seventy three, was a day seemingly like any other when 362 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:24,160 Speaker 1: Sharky had his usual visit from Maggie. She arrived at 363 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 1: ten am and she was given a pass instantly as 364 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:30,240 Speaker 1: she was a regular, all the guards knew her. Maggie 365 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:33,879 Speaker 1: stayed until one pm, and then another visitor to the 366 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:37,160 Speaker 1: tombs named Missus Wesley Allen came to the prison at 367 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:40,360 Speaker 1: twelve thirty. She was there to visit a man named Flood, 368 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: so her time there overlapped Maggie's by about half an hour, 369 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:46,760 Speaker 1: and in fact she was a friend of Maggie's. She 370 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 1: stopped to chat with Maggie and Sharky briefly before continuing 371 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:54,879 Speaker 1: on to visit Flood. Missus Allen had requested and was 372 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:58,560 Speaker 1: given a pass at the check in when Maggie exited 373 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:01,399 Speaker 1: the building at one pm. It was kind of noted 374 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:04,679 Speaker 1: it as odd because she normally stayed much later than that. 375 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,920 Speaker 1: At one thirty pm, an unnamed woman who was described 376 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:12,400 Speaker 1: as peculiar looking left the jail and turned in her 377 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,640 Speaker 1: pass at the gate. As she left, she was dressed 378 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 1: all in black, with a winter bonnet and a green 379 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 1: veil over her face. She crossed the street and waited 380 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: a few moments before boarding a street car as it 381 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:29,920 Speaker 1: came by. Then, at two five pm, Missus Allen came out. 382 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 1: She was stopped on her way out of the prison 383 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:35,240 Speaker 1: by a guard named Johnson, who asked for her pass, 384 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: but she couldn't find it, and she told the guard 385 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:42,320 Speaker 1: she must have lost it. This seemed suspicious, so Johnson 386 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 1: detained missus Allen and then ordered a walk through and 387 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:48,719 Speaker 1: inspection of the prison by the guards on duty, and 388 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:52,359 Speaker 1: that was when they realized that Sharky had escaped. It 389 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:55,439 Speaker 1: did not take long for them to piece together that 390 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 1: Sharki was the peculiar looking woman who had exited the 391 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:03,040 Speaker 1: building at one thirty. In his cell, they found remnants 392 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:06,159 Speaker 1: of his mustache, which he had shaved off, and his 393 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: clothes were strewn about uncharacteristically. After Sharky had vanished, the 394 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:16,960 Speaker 1: guards recalled that Maggie's skirts had looked extra bulky when 395 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:19,719 Speaker 1: she got there, but they assumed that she had been 396 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 1: wearing an extra petticoat or two to help keep out 397 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:26,360 Speaker 1: the November chill. They realized that she had brought him 398 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 1: a dress hidden under her own dress. Missus Allen was arrested, 399 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,919 Speaker 1: but she was soon released because the only thing that 400 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:37,640 Speaker 1: was known conclusively was that she didn't have her pass anymore. 401 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 1: She never wavered in her claim that it had simply 402 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:45,159 Speaker 1: been lost, but Maggie was soon arrested at her mother's house. 403 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,680 Speaker 1: At first, reports of the escape were met with disbelief. 404 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:55,399 Speaker 1: It seemed so preposterous and even humorous. I in fact 405 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:58,159 Speaker 1: laughed out loud when I first read about him shaving 406 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: off the mustache. A lot people rejected it as just nonsense, 407 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,400 Speaker 1: but a rumor had also started to circulate almost instantly 408 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:10,160 Speaker 1: that Sharky had learned from his lawyers two weeks earlier 409 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 1: that they had exhausted all legal means of freeing him, 410 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:17,440 Speaker 1: and that at that time Maggie had decided she would 411 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:21,320 Speaker 1: plan an escape. According to this rumor, she'd been sneaking 412 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:24,359 Speaker 1: in his disguise a piece at a time in the 413 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 1: weeks that had followed that decision. Maggie was tried for 414 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: aiding in Sharky's escape, but unlike in Sharki's case, the 415 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 1: journey never reached an agreement about her guilt or innocence. 416 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:40,719 Speaker 1: She was ultimately released on bail. A reward for Sharki 417 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 1: was offered by the city two thousand dollars dead or alive. 418 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:48,879 Speaker 1: No one ever claimed it. Sharky was never again taken 419 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:51,760 Speaker 1: into custody in New York, and according to a nineteen 420 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:54,119 Speaker 1: thirty one New Yorker account of the events of his 421 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,600 Speaker 1: life after the escape, he hid out in New York 422 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: for three weeks before boarding a schooner bound for Cuba. 423 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,360 Speaker 1: After landing in Barracoa, which sits near the eastern tip 424 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 1: of the island, he made his way west to Havana, 425 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 1: although his location was known, and we'll talk more about 426 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:13,399 Speaker 1: that in a minute. In the eighteen seventies, Cuba was 427 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:16,560 Speaker 1: still a colony of Spain. That status did not change 428 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:19,479 Speaker 1: until eighteen ninety eight, when the US gained control of 429 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:22,840 Speaker 1: Cuba as a territory, although that did not remain the 430 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:26,119 Speaker 1: status quo. But at this point Spain in the US 431 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:30,440 Speaker 1: didn't have an extradition treaty, so Sharky was theoretically beyond 432 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:34,720 Speaker 1: the reach of US law. As for Maggie, she joined 433 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:38,639 Speaker 1: Sharki in Cuba after her trial. They only stayed together 434 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:41,800 Speaker 1: in Cuba for a couple of months, though Sharki reportedly 435 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:44,640 Speaker 1: broke up with her, and then she returned to New York. 436 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 1: Although an article in The New York Sun that came 437 00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:51,159 Speaker 1: out in eighteen seventy five makes it sound like she 438 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:54,680 Speaker 1: might have just gotten fed up with him and left 439 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,680 Speaker 1: a little trigger here, it hints that he was probably 440 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: abusive with her. The account also gives significant updates to 441 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:07,639 Speaker 1: Sharky's life in Cuba, and that write up states quote. 442 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 1: Private Detective Harry Davies of Davies and Companies Agency returned 443 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 1: from Havana on the steamer city of Havanah on Monday. 444 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 1: In a stay of many weeks in Havana, mister Davies 445 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 1: was frequently thrown into the company of William J. Sharky, 446 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 1: the escaped murderer, and learned much of his habits and 447 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,600 Speaker 1: mode of life. As a rule, mister Davies says, Sharky 448 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,920 Speaker 1: is not as boisterous and violent in his cups as 449 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:35,720 Speaker 1: he was wont to be in New York. While Maggie 450 00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 1: Jordan remained with him, he always had a safe and 451 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 1: convenient outlet for his natural cussedness, for he knew that 452 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:45,600 Speaker 1: she would never complain of him. But since her flight 453 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 1: he has had to bobble up some of his passion 454 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 1: for want of a fitting object to exercise it upon safely. 455 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 1: Sharky has more respect for the authorities in Havana than 456 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:58,439 Speaker 1: he ever showed for the police in New York, and 457 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:02,160 Speaker 1: carefully represses him solf when there is the slightest danger. 458 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:05,360 Speaker 1: All the money he has is sent to him by 459 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:08,640 Speaker 1: his brothers in New York, and although the allowance is liberal, 460 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:11,919 Speaker 1: it is not sufficient to enable the escaped convict to 461 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:15,639 Speaker 1: cut the figure he did in his native city. So 462 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:18,840 Speaker 1: if that account is accurate, it seems like Sharky might 463 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:22,880 Speaker 1: have been really altered by his trial sentencing in prison time. 464 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 1: Even if he did have more privileges than the average 465 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:30,160 Speaker 1: person who was incarcerated in the Tombs. It could also 466 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,440 Speaker 1: simply have been that he did not want to risk 467 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:35,240 Speaker 1: Cuba sending him back to the United States to face 468 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:38,560 Speaker 1: the gallows. This also mentions that he was living under 469 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 1: the name Frank Campbell, and he continued to assert that 470 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:46,600 Speaker 1: Dunn's death was an accident. Incidentally, that same rite up 471 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 1: says at the very end that Sharki actually got arrested 472 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:54,240 Speaker 1: in Cuba right before the publication, for threatening to kill 473 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:58,080 Speaker 1: the captain and purser of a ship. The month after 474 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 1: that account was published, the New York Times ran an 475 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 1: update that opened with quote, it was learned by a 476 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:08,840 Speaker 1: telegram received from Havana dated the twentieth, that William J. Sharky, 477 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:11,840 Speaker 1: the murderer who escaped from the Tombs in November last 478 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:15,720 Speaker 1: was arrested on that day in Santiago to Cuba, where 479 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: he had gone for the purpose of embarking for South 480 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 1: America and that he would be returned to the United States. 481 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 1: But from here the story gets really fuzzy. Nobody seemed 482 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,200 Speaker 1: to know exactly where Sharky was, but he didn't ever 483 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 1: arrive in New York. An account in The Evening World 484 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 1: in March of nineteen hundred indicated that he had run 485 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:42,239 Speaker 1: from Cuba and landed in Europe. After that, there are 486 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 1: a lot of sightings claimed, but no real evidence for 487 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:48,080 Speaker 1: any of them. There were people who said he had 488 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:51,200 Speaker 1: joined the Spanish military, and others saying that he died 489 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 1: in Italy. That nineteen hundred ride up was prompted by 490 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 1: a businessman saying that he had seen Sharky in Europe 491 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 1: working as a guide for tourists. His ultimate fate remains unknown. 492 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:08,360 Speaker 1: Maggie Jordan meanwhile had married actor William J. Scanlan, although 493 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:12,080 Speaker 1: this is not a happy ending either. Scanlon was declared 494 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:15,280 Speaker 1: insane and sent to live in Bloomingdale Asylum in eighteen 495 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: ninety two. Maggie became a widow in eighteen ninety eight 496 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 1: when Scanlon died. Mysteries abound. Yeah, do you have a listener, mail? 497 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:29,440 Speaker 1: I do? It's not mysterious in the least, it's delightful, 498 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:32,480 Speaker 1: and it's about an episode that you worked on, but 499 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 1: about a thing I said. So this is from our listener, 500 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 1: Helena or Helena I don't know, but they write Dear 501 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:43,600 Speaker 1: Holly and Tracy. After loving your podcast for many years, 502 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:46,280 Speaker 1: I finally have to write to you. I listened to 503 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 1: the Ballpoint Pen episode last night while making dinner, and 504 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:52,200 Speaker 1: my ears perked up when you mentioned Marie Antoinette's inks 505 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 1: blotch on her marriage certificate. That caught my attention because 506 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:58,360 Speaker 1: I thought I had seen that certificate and did not 507 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: notice sustain. It turns out I was mistaken, and it's 508 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 1: the marriage contract, not the marriage certificate that I had seen. 509 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:08,680 Speaker 1: Apparently she was less nervous or had a better pen 510 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:12,120 Speaker 1: when she signed that. The marriage contract is kept at 511 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 1: the library where I work, and I was pretty blown 512 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:16,800 Speaker 1: away when it casually showed up on my desk. A 513 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 1: few years ago. We were digitizing a large collection of autographs, 514 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:24,360 Speaker 1: and while it contained many very famous people's signatures, Marie 515 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:27,800 Speaker 1: Antoinette's marriage contract, as well as some sketches from Leonardo 516 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 1: da Vinci, really took the cake. And then there's a 517 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:35,680 Speaker 1: link to where they are as pet tax I attached 518 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 1: two pictures of the late Ernestine, who was fearless, nosy 519 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 1: and opinionated, especially about proper bedtimes for her human and 520 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:45,360 Speaker 1: filled my life with so much joy every day she 521 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,960 Speaker 1: lived with me. I still miss her. Many thanks for 522 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:50,000 Speaker 1: the wonderful work you do. I hope you never get 523 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 1: sick of it. I sure won't. Kind regards from Switzerland, Helena. 524 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 1: This is such a fun story and also like I 525 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,600 Speaker 1: think I would pass out if I had Yeah, a 526 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 1: Marie Antoinette signed document on my desk, so I'm glad 527 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:08,560 Speaker 1: you survived that encounter without apparently losing consciousness. Yeah. This 528 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:12,280 Speaker 1: is also an email that I fished out of our 529 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:16,680 Speaker 1: spam filter this morning, which contained a number of legitimate emails. 530 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:21,160 Speaker 1: So we have said that like we read all the 531 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 1: emails but can't answer all of them, we are seeming 532 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 1: to have an uptick in the legitimate ones that wind 533 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 1: up in spam for some reason. And Ernesty was indeed 534 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:36,600 Speaker 1: an adorable, beautiful baby, so I am glad that she 535 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 1: got to live a life of very very loved If 536 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:41,480 Speaker 1: you would like to write to us, although I don't 537 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:43,160 Speaker 1: know what you could tell us that would be more 538 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 1: brain breaking than having a document in your handsome marine 539 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:50,800 Speaker 1: toinette signed. But you could try, try, try to try 540 00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 1: to surprize us. I'm sure you can, it's really not 541 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:56,040 Speaker 1: that hard. You could write to us at History Podcast 542 00:32:56,120 --> 00:33:00,240 Speaker 1: at iHeartRadio dot com. You can also find us through 543 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:03,360 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, and you can subscribe there or anywhere 544 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 1: else you listen to your favorite shows. Stuff you Missed 545 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 1: in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. For more 546 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 547 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:20,600 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.