Volume 14 , Issue 23

100 Years Ago Today - 4 June 1912

Remember the Gun Men In Battle On the Bowery? Who was "Chick Trigger?" Families were not the only ones who were feuding. It did not stop in the late 19th century with the Hatfields & McCoys, either.

According to The Evening World, New York, NY, Tuesday, 4 June 1912, Gangsters in 3 autos sent bullets flying on the crowded streets. "Chick Trigger" and pal, standing in a doorway, were made targets of a fusillade that created panic in the crowd. The attack was to fulfill the gang's death sentence. Doom of Trigger, pronounced earlier in the day, after two gun battles and dynamiting.

As reported one hundred years ago today (4 June 1912), 4 June 1912, Tuesday -- "An attempt to get Chick Trigger, the East Side gang leader, brazen and Wild West in its hazardous intent, was made late this afternoon, by a swarm of Bowery gangsters packed in three taxicabs, who wheeled slowly up the Bowery until they got in front of Christy Sullivan's saloon at No. 241 Bowery, and opened fire on Trigger and a friend, Mike Fagin, who stood on the street corner.

"Trigger and Fagin fled into the saloon and hid behind the bar. None of the shots took fatal ecect (sp), although it was reported later that Fagin had been shot in the foot. Before the police arrived Fagin disappeared.

"As the reserves came up the Bowery the taxicabs dashed away up the Bowery and fled into First street, firing a parting volley at the policemen as they left. "A barber shop at No. 243 Bowery was riddled with shot, several windows being broken. A crowd in the shop and the patrons in the chairs fled in a panic to the rear of the building.

"The shooting came on schedule time, for Trigger, as he left Magistrate Corrigan's Court today, was told he would be killed before night. He took his death notice smilingly and went uptown. During the day he remained under cover, but shortly before five o'clock he ventured forth with Fagin, who is not known to the police.

"Witnesses who saw the fusillade of the gangsters told the police Trigger and Fagin had been on the corner only a few minutes when the three taxicabs were seen slowly rounding a street corner several blocks down. They advanced steadily up the tracks of the Third avenue railroad, and as they came abreast of Trigger and Fagin a dozen pistols spoke the vengeance of Trigger's enemies. That either Fagin or Trigger escaped the delay volley is regarded as miraculous by bystanders, who fled pell-mell into retreats as the revolvers belched from the taxicabs.

"Reserves from the near stations were hurried to the corner, but no one could be found who was able or willing to reveal the identity of any of the taxicab bandits.

"In the code of gangsters, Trigger was due for such an attack as occurred today. It was merely the lawless reprisal of the rival gangsters for bringing their feuds into a courtroom. Trigger will be gotten, the gangsters say, but there will be no legal interference with the execution of the unwritten law of the gangsters.

"The pistol attack came after the four men arrested following the Chinatown shooting early yesterday were freed by Magistrate Kernochan for lack of evidence today. Their arrests preceded the shooting of Big Jack Zelig in the shadow of the Criminal Courts Building and the dynamiting of three gambling houses early today.

"None of the policemen who appeared against Trigger, James Martello, John Seidel and Harris Baker, the four members of the Trigger gang reeled, could swear he had seen any of the thugs fire a shot. Neither did any of them see the prisoners engage in a fist fight in front of the station-house desk, although all the policemen were present at the time.

The police could get no information from the prisoners, nor were they enlightened by enemies of the gangsters picked up after the Chinatown fight. The gangsters have their own way of settling their disputes, and the attempt on Trigger was made likely by gangsters who are out to revenge the attack on Zelig. It is the way they have of evening up their scores.

"Those who were in the Centre street court today when Magistrate Kernechan dismissed the charges against the four members of the rival Kid Twist and Sirocco gangs had seen three other members of the same warring organizations convoyed from Headquarters to the same court yesterday afternoon by no less than forty detectives, all armed. Inspector Hughes had feared these three, held for the shooting of Zelig, might be taken from the hands of the law by an assault in force on the part of the gangsters."   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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