NYC Court Records 1860s

[Michael ONeil]

Hi folks,

Does anyone know if you can find out about court sentences for NYC? I'm following up a lead and have hit a dead end.

Using the fabulous Fulton Postcards site I came across quite a few articles about a fatal shooting in a 'notorious' saloon called the Slaughterhouse at James Slip on the 8 March 1866. A fascinating story if anyone fancies a read so I won't spoil it here but what I'm after is what sentence the perpetrator received?

His name was Peter O'Neil and it was later reported 13 May 1866 that he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will be sentenced. Then the trail goes dead - no mention of what the sentence was.

I'm trying to establish if this Peter is the same Peter as my ancestor whose family home was 84 Madison Street from 1861 to 1883. My evidence of Peter being at this address are 2 newspaper listings of names drawn in the draft notices (August 1863 and March 1865) and his death certificate from May 1882 where his occupation is listed as 'Servant'. There's no directory or census listings for Peter at this address or another family address I have. There is a Peter O'Neil who appears in an army enlistment draft in July 1864 with an address of 9 James Slip, Saloon so this must be the Peter of the story.

What's led me to the shooting story is that the O'Neil family ran various liquor businesses, Peter in the story is variously referred to as servant, server, etc and that one of the witnesses to the shooting was a Pierce Walsh of 84 Madison Street. Walsh was Peter's mother's maiden name. So are these curiosities connected in some way.

I have other papers relating to my Peter but unfortunately they fall between the March 1865 and March 1866 dates. 

[shellyesq]

The NYC Municipal Archives has court records of every felony prosecution in Manhattan and indictment papers and case files for every felony arrest - http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/archives/collections_courtrecords.shtml

The State Archives has some prison records - http://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/research/res_topics_gen_guide_prison.shtml  It looks like you would need to know what prison he was in to have them check, and I don't know if the Municipal Archives records would have that information.

[carpenter49]

Since he plead out, he did not plead to the highest charge (he plead down) -- which is first degree manslaughter.  That could have carried a 15-20 year sentence.

Most likely he plead to a lesser charge for which he would have served 4-7 years, maybe 10 at most if he plead to 2d degree manslaughter.

Also, at this time, if under age 30, reform was the emphasis if he had no previous record.

I believe he could have been incarcerated in Sing Sing.

[Lisa in California]

Perhaps you've already found this newspaper notice, but it claims he "is" age 28 years and a native of Ireland.  I didn't see a date for the article.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0tzo/
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0tzp/

Do you know when your Peter was born?

[Lisa in California]

Have you been able to find "either man" -- Peter O'Neil(l) -- on the 1870 census?  If Mr. O'Neil was sentenced, I believe he would be still be recorded on the 1870 census and it should show the prison name.

[Michael ONeil]

Hi folks thanks for the replies.

In reply to Lisa Peter was born in 1836 in Ireland so if it was him then he would have been 30 when the shooting occurred - as you said the article says he was 28 so close enough as far as absolute accuracy is concerned.

The Peter who enlisted in 1864 (address James Slip - so obviously the same Peter as involved in the shooting) had age 22 born US. The address to me confirms that they are the same person but age and birth location is wrong but not uncommon.

Peter's brother John enlisted in the navy in 1862 - his age was out by a year and his birth location given also as US but was in fact Ireland. It is definitely my John as I have his address, pension and ship he served on so again age and birth location aren't too important.

Did a bit of checking in the NY city directories and found that there weren't too many Peter O'Neils at all so making it all the more probable that the coincidences could be connected?

1861 - 4
1862 - 7
1863 - 4
1864 - 5
1865 - 6
1866 - 7
1867 - 10
1868 - 10

Lastly there's a song mentioned in one of the witnesses statements that the victim John Sullivan was singing - "I'm Lonely Tonight". This appears to be what was then a music hall favourite, the correct title being "Nora O'Neil" I wonder whether the victim was taunting Peter O'Neil in some way - my Peter had a sister (Ha)Nora???

"Nora O'Neal"
O, the nightingale sings in the wildwood,
As if every note that he knew,
Was learned from your sweet voice in childhood
To remind me, sweet Nora, of you.
But I think, love, so often about you,
And you don't know how happy I feel;
But I'm lonely tonight, love, without you,
My darling, sweet Nora O'Neal.
O, don't think that ever I'll doubt you,
My love I will never conceal;
O, I'm lonely tonight, love, without you,
My darling, sweet Nora O'Neal.

"An Alleghanians songster printed in the United States":   Alleghanians, Songs Sung by the Alleghanians (New York: Printed by Edward O. Jenkins, 1866).

And good call Lisa about the 1870 census and a prison. I've not managed to locate Peter on the 1870 census at my confirmed addresses so have not been able to say for certain any of the Peters I've found are mine either by address, age, occupation, etc. I will have a look again.

As I said in my earlier message I do have other papers relating to my Peter which fall between the March 1865 and March 1866 dates so no help confirming anything only offering a possibility. One is his father James' probate from October 1865. It lists next of kin and addresses and Peter's has had "Charleston" crossed out and replaced with "undetermined". I was wondering whether he was still in the army, last known in Charleston but unknown at the time of the probate - maybe not returned from duty sort of thing.

Anyhow will carry on checking.