Billy Porter (criminal)
Encyclopedia
William O'Brien better known as Billy Porter but also known by the alias William or Billy Morton, was an American burglar and underworld figure in New York City
during the mid-to late 19th century. He and partner Johnny Irving were longtime members of the Dutch Mob
along with Little Freddie and Michael "Sheeny Mike" Kurtz
. He was present during the 1883 gunfight at Shang Draper's saloon in which Irving was shot and killed by rival John "Johnny the Mick" Walsh. O'Brien then killed Walsh and was himself gunned down by Shang Draper. Although surviving his wounds, he was tried for, and acquitted of, Walsh's death.
Like many of the Dutch Mob, O'Brien was also associated with the infamous bank robber George Leonidas Leslie and his gang. Nearly a year after the Walsh murder trial, he was among those suspected of Leslie's murder in 1884. He was among those profiled in Thomas F. Byrnes's Professional Criminals of America (1886).
By the mid-1870s, he and partner Johnny Irving became members of the Dutch Mob
, a major Manhattan
pickpocketing gang, which operated east of the Bowery between Houston and Fifth Streets. He and Irving were among the many underworld figures also associated with Marm Mandelbaum. It was during this period that he took part of a number of major robberies with his partners in crime. On October 11, 1877, he was arrested with Irving, Joe Dollard and George Leonidas Leslie for stealing $2,000 worth of silk hat linings from E. Tilges' warehouse on Broome Street. He was held in custody in default of a $4,000 bail set by Justice Morgan, but was subsequently released from police custody.
O'Brien was again arrested with Irving on June 5, 1878, and transported to authorities in Brooklyn
where they were wanted for the burglary of Mr. Betterman's dry goods store in Williamsburg
in which $5,000 worth of silk and $1,400 in cash were stolen. Neither man could be properly identified, however, and charges were dropped. A little over two months later, the two were arrested in the company of Gilbert Yost
at O'Brien's Brooklyn residence at No. 152 Pachen Avenue. O'Brien was charged with the burglary of Martin Ibert's Sons' flour and grain store on Graham Avenue which had occurred the previous day. He was tried twice for the burglary, both trials ending in a hung jury
, and he finally escaped with Irving from Raymond Street jail on June 1, 1879.
The two fugitives fled to Boston, and from there traveled to Providence, Rhode Island
where, with Joe Dollard, they burglarized C.R. Linke, then a major jeweler in the city, breaking into its safe and stealing watches and silverware valued at $15,000 on June 27, 1879. Three days later, the three successfully eluded private detectives sent from New York to capture them. On July 23, he and Irving also escaped from police in Passaic, New Jersey
but O'Brien was eventually apprehended in New York on September 28, and delivered to Sheriff Reilly in Brooklyn. He was tried and convicted by Judge Moore on October 23, 1879, and sentenced to five years imprisonment in the Kings County Penitentiary.
On the morning of October 16, 1883, O'Brien accompanied Irving to Shang Draper's Sixth Avenue
saloon. While there, they became involved in an altercation with John "Johnny the Mick" Walsh, an underworld rival, resulting in Walsh drawing a pistol and killing Irving. O'Brien then drew his own weapon and killed Walsh and was immediately shot by Draper. He was seriously wounded but eventually recovered from his wounds (at least one account claims he fled the saloon after killing Walsh and was arrested by a nearby police detective). He was arrested for the shooting and charged with murder, however, he was acquitted by a jury on November 20, 1883. Almost a year after the trial, O'Brien and Irving, then running the so-called Pachen Avenue Gang in Brooklyn, were among those suspected in the unsolved murder of George Leslie in the summer of 1884.
During his imprisonment at "Crow Hill", O'Brien's mother died and left him $12,000. O'Brien is claimed to have "well provided for his mother and sisters". He kept a low profile following his release and soon left for Europe
with "Sheeney" Mike Kurtz in February 1884. They had considerable success committing burglaries in England, France and Germany, netting them each $25,000 each, before returning to the United States in January 1885.
That same month, on January 14, 1885, O'Brien was arrested in New York City for his alleged involvement in the robbery of Emanuel Marks & Son, another jewelry store, in Troy, New York
. The robbery, which occurred the same month he had left the country, resulted in the theft of $14,000 in jewelry. He was taken back to Troy to stand trial and it was expected that, were O'Brien not convicted, he would be tried in a separate robbery in Brooklyn where he was suspected of robbing Haydn's jewelry store a year before. The same day of his arrest, Kurtz was arrested in Jacksonville, Florida
and extradited to Troy where he was tried as an accessory. In the late-1880s, his criminal career was profiled in Professional Criminals of America (1886) and Defenders and Offenders (1888). The latter publication referred to O'Brien as "one of the most celebrated crackmen and bank burglars in America".
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...
during the mid-to late 19th century. He and partner Johnny Irving were longtime members of the Dutch Mob
Dutch Mob
The Dutch Mob was a New York pickpocket gang during the late nineteenth century.Formed during the late 1860s by Little Freddie, "Sheeny" Mike Kurtz, and Johnny Irving, former members of the Italian Dave Gang, the Dutch Mob soon became one of the largest pickpocket gangs in the United States...
along with Little Freddie and Michael "Sheeny Mike" Kurtz
Mike Kurtz
Michael "Sheeny Mike" Kurtz was an American burglar and gang leader in New York City during the mid-to late 19th century. He was one of the co-founders of the Dutch Mob, along with Little Freddie and Johnny Irving, during the 1870s...
. He was present during the 1883 gunfight at Shang Draper's saloon in which Irving was shot and killed by rival John "Johnny the Mick" Walsh. O'Brien then killed Walsh and was himself gunned down by Shang Draper. Although surviving his wounds, he was tried for, and acquitted of, Walsh's death.
Like many of the Dutch Mob, O'Brien was also associated with the infamous bank robber George Leonidas Leslie and his gang. Nearly a year after the Walsh murder trial, he was among those suspected of Leslie's murder in 1884. He was among those profiled in Thomas F. Byrnes's Professional Criminals of America (1886).
Biography
William O'Brien was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1850. He was a printer by trade but began his criminal activities at a young age. By early adulthood, O'Brien had been arrested in almost every major city in the United States and was considered "second to no one in his business". According to former NYPD police detective Thomas F. Byrnes in Professional Criminals of America (1886), he was described asBy the mid-1870s, he and partner Johnny Irving became members of the Dutch Mob
Dutch Mob
The Dutch Mob was a New York pickpocket gang during the late nineteenth century.Formed during the late 1860s by Little Freddie, "Sheeny" Mike Kurtz, and Johnny Irving, former members of the Italian Dave Gang, the Dutch Mob soon became one of the largest pickpocket gangs in the United States...
, a major Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
pickpocketing gang, which operated east of the Bowery between Houston and Fifth Streets. He and Irving were among the many underworld figures also associated with Marm Mandelbaum. It was during this period that he took part of a number of major robberies with his partners in crime. On October 11, 1877, he was arrested with Irving, Joe Dollard and George Leonidas Leslie for stealing $2,000 worth of silk hat linings from E. Tilges' warehouse on Broome Street. He was held in custody in default of a $4,000 bail set by Justice Morgan, but was subsequently released from police custody.
O'Brien was again arrested with Irving on June 5, 1878, and transported to authorities in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
where they were wanted for the burglary of Mr. Betterman's dry goods store in Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
in which $5,000 worth of silk and $1,400 in cash were stolen. Neither man could be properly identified, however, and charges were dropped. A little over two months later, the two were arrested in the company of Gilbert Yost
Gilbert Yost
Gilbert Yost was a New York criminal and burglar associated with George Leslie and later the Dutch Mob. He was arrested with Leslie after robbing a jewelry store in Norristown, Pennsylvania in 1870 and, while Leslie was able to use his political connections in Philadelphia to secure his release on...
at O'Brien's Brooklyn residence at No. 152 Pachen Avenue. O'Brien was charged with the burglary of Martin Ibert's Sons' flour and grain store on Graham Avenue which had occurred the previous day. He was tried twice for the burglary, both trials ending in a hung jury
Hung jury
A hung jury or deadlocked jury is a jury that cannot, by the required voting threshold, agree upon a verdict after an extended period of deliberation and is unable to change its votes due to severe differences of opinion.- England and Wales :...
, and he finally escaped with Irving from Raymond Street jail on June 1, 1879.
The two fugitives fled to Boston, and from there traveled to Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
where, with Joe Dollard, they burglarized C.R. Linke, then a major jeweler in the city, breaking into its safe and stealing watches and silverware valued at $15,000 on June 27, 1879. Three days later, the three successfully eluded private detectives sent from New York to capture them. On July 23, he and Irving also escaped from police in Passaic, New Jersey
Passaic, New Jersey
Passaic is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 69,781, maintaining its status as the 15th largest municipality in New Jersey with an increase of 1,920 residents from the 2000 Census population of 67,861...
but O'Brien was eventually apprehended in New York on September 28, and delivered to Sheriff Reilly in Brooklyn. He was tried and convicted by Judge Moore on October 23, 1879, and sentenced to five years imprisonment in the Kings County Penitentiary.
On the morning of October 16, 1883, O'Brien accompanied Irving to Shang Draper's Sixth Avenue
Sixth Avenue
Sixth Avenue may refer to:*Sixth Avenue , in New York City*Sixth Avenue , in Tacoma, Washington*6th Ave , in the Denver metropolitan area...
saloon. While there, they became involved in an altercation with John "Johnny the Mick" Walsh, an underworld rival, resulting in Walsh drawing a pistol and killing Irving. O'Brien then drew his own weapon and killed Walsh and was immediately shot by Draper. He was seriously wounded but eventually recovered from his wounds (at least one account claims he fled the saloon after killing Walsh and was arrested by a nearby police detective). He was arrested for the shooting and charged with murder, however, he was acquitted by a jury on November 20, 1883. Almost a year after the trial, O'Brien and Irving, then running the so-called Pachen Avenue Gang in Brooklyn, were among those suspected in the unsolved murder of George Leslie in the summer of 1884.
During his imprisonment at "Crow Hill", O'Brien's mother died and left him $12,000. O'Brien is claimed to have "well provided for his mother and sisters". He kept a low profile following his release and soon left for Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with "Sheeney" Mike Kurtz in February 1884. They had considerable success committing burglaries in England, France and Germany, netting them each $25,000 each, before returning to the United States in January 1885.
That same month, on January 14, 1885, O'Brien was arrested in New York City for his alleged involvement in the robbery of Emanuel Marks & Son, another jewelry store, in Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
. The robbery, which occurred the same month he had left the country, resulted in the theft of $14,000 in jewelry. He was taken back to Troy to stand trial and it was expected that, were O'Brien not convicted, he would be tried in a separate robbery in Brooklyn where he was suspected of robbing Haydn's jewelry store a year before. The same day of his arrest, Kurtz was arrested in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
and extradited to Troy where he was tried as an accessory. In the late-1880s, his criminal career was profiled in Professional Criminals of America (1886) and Defenders and Offenders (1888). The latter publication referred to O'Brien as "one of the most celebrated crackmen and bank burglars in America".
Further reading
- Kohn, George C. Dictionary of Culprits and Criminals. Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press, 1986.
- Pilat, Oliver and Jo Ranson. Sodom by the Sea: An Affectionate History of Coney Island. Garden City, New York: Garden City Publishing Company, 1943.