Pugsey Hurley
Encyclopedia
Michael "Pugsey" Hurley (1846 – after 1886), also known by the aliases Pugsey Reilly or Hanley, was an English-born American burglar, river pirate and underworld figure in New York City
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. An old time thief from the old Seventh Ward, he was also a well-known waterfront thug whose criminal career lasted over two decades. He especially gained notoriety as a member of the Patsy Conroy Gang
Patsy Conroy Gang
The Patsy or Patsey Conroy Gang were a group of river pirates active along the New York waterfront of the old Fourth Ward during the post-American Civil War era. For nearly twenty years, the Patsy Conroys dominated the area of Corlears' Hook and were one of the last major waterfront gangs to remain...

 and was a principal figure in many of their most infamous crimes.

Biography

Michael Hurley was born in England in 1846. He was a trained machinist and later emigrated to the United States. Settling in New York City, however, he became involved in the criminal underworld. Hurley was described by former NYPD police detective Thomas F. Byrnes as "Forty years old in 1886. Born in England. Medium build. Machinist by trade. Height, 5 feet 7 inches. Weight, 135 pounds. Brown hair, hazel eyes, fair complexion, pug nose. Has an eagle, with star underneath, in India ink, on inside of right arm."

A notorious thief in the old Seventh Ward, he also established himself on the New York waterfront in the years following the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. Hurley was eventually recruited by Patsy Conroy
Patsy Conroy
Patrick Conway , commonly known by his alias Patsy or Patsy Conroy, was an American burglar and river pirate...

 into his band of river pirates
Patsy Conroy Gang
The Patsy or Patsey Conroy Gang were a group of river pirates active along the New York waterfront of the old Fourth Ward during the post-American Civil War era. For nearly twenty years, the Patsy Conroys dominated the area of Corlears' Hook and were one of the last major waterfront gangs to remain...

 when the gang leader relocated from the Fourth Ward to Corlears' Hook at the end of the decade. He was part of Conroy's raids against New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...

 with several other members including Dan Kelly, Larry Griffin, Big John Garvey, Frank Kayton, Frank Woods, Shang Campbell, Mike Kerrigan, John O'Donnell, John Orr, Dennis Brady and George Maillard during late 1873. One of the gang's first major robberies took place on October 17, 1873, when they invaded the home of wealthy farmer Abraham Post located on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

 three miles from Catskill Village
Catskill (village), New York
Catskill is a village in Greene County, New York, USA. The population was 4,081 at the 2010 census.The Village of Catskill is in the northeast part of the Town of Catskill. Catskill is the county seat of Greene County.-History:...

. The men tied up the occupants and looted the house carrying off bonds, jewelry and other property worth $3,000. Two months later, on December 20, Hurley and other gang members ambushed the watchman at the East New York depo of the Jamaica, Woodhaven and Brooklyn Railroad. They tied up the watchman, blew up the safe and escaped with $4,000 in cash.

Their most publicized crime, one which would eventually result in Hurley's imprisonment, came three days later with the burglary and home invasion
Home invasion
Home invasion is the act of illegally burgling or entering a private and occupied dwelling for the purpose of committing a crime Home invasion is the act of illegally burgling or entering a private and occupied dwelling for the purpose of committing a crime Home invasion is the act of illegally...

 of J.P. Emmett's country estate, popularly known as "The Cottage", at Pelham
Pelham
-Surname:* British Whig politicians:** Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham and his sons, both Prime Ministers of Great Britain** Henry Pelham ** Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne * American artistic family:...

 near New Rochelle. On the night of December 23, 1873, Hurley and several others under Conroy broke into the house with the intention of burglarizing the residence. Upon finding the house occupied, the masked burglars surprised Emmett, his nephew and servants then had them bound and gagged while they ransacked the house. The gang escaped with goods worth $750. Less than a week later, Hurley took part in another robbery with the same group of men. William K. Souter, his family and servants were all awoken by the burglars in the middle of the night and threatened with their lives. All heavily armed, they had little trouble in forcing Souter to surrender his valuables.

Conroy's raids terrified the region and nearly all the suburban villages on the Hudson River cooperated to defend themselves against further attacks, and formed vigilance committee
Vigilance committee
A vigilance committee was a group formed of private citizens to administer law and order where they considered governmental structures to be inadequate. The term is commonly associated with the frontier areas of the American West in the mid-19th century, where groups attacked cattle rustlers and...

s. With the exception of one or two members who had established alibis nearly ever single participant were apprehended by police and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. Hurley was arrested on August 15, 1874, tried and convicted in White Plains, New York
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...

and given a 20 year prison term by Judge Tappan on October 1, 1874. He made a failed attempt to escape from Auburn prison in the spring of 1876, and again in 1877, and was finally transferred to the asylum at Clinton prison by feigning insanity. He made another unsuccessful escape attempt shortly after his arrival, declared "cured" following a re-examination, and returned to Auburn. He made several more attempts to escape and, with outside help, successfully broke out in April 1882. He was captured by police in New York City, on the corner of Washington and Liberty Streets, on August 1, 1882, and handed over to prison authorities the next day. Hurley was subsequently taken back to prison to serve his unexpired 12 year term. He was among a number of career criminals profiled by Thomas Byrnes in '1886 Professional Criminals of America (1886).
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