Role of Sheriff in the context of Tammany Hall politics

[Bellevue]

I have researched an ancestor who become Sheriff of New York County in 1897-99. He was connected with Tammany Hall and achieved this position with the help of Tammany Hall. I would like to understand the role of Sheriff in 1890's New York in the context of Tammany Hall politics but I am struggling to find something definitive.

https://ncsheriffs.org/about/history-of-the-sheriff
Has a good overview but I'm still not 100% sure on the role of the Sheriff and what exactly my ancestor did DAY to DAY.

I know this is not strictly genealogical but knowing more about the person (not just names and dates) is what real genealogy is as far as I'm concerned!

Thank you.

[Erato]

Have you looked for references to him in the press?  That might give an idea of what he was doing.  Try the Fulton History site:

https://www.fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html

[oldohiohome]

... what exactly my ancestor did DAY to DAY.
Thank you.

Was he Thomas Dunn? If so,

1. he got paid well
Thomas J Dunn, 321 East 68th St, Sheriff, salary: $12,000 per year.

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_City_Record/e7BXAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=thomas+dunn+sheriff+new+york+1898&pg=PA1360&printsec=frontcover

2. received occasional letters from the governor

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Public_Papers_of_Frank_S_Black_Governor/hxtEAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=thomas+dunn+sheriff+new+york+1898&pg=PA389&printsec=frontcover

3. auctioned stuff off:

https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030180/1898-11-01/ed-1/?sp=11&st=text&r=-0.104,0,1.207,1.28,0

4. got sued from time to time
https://casetext.com/case/einstein-v-dunn-1

5. got his job because he kept his district in line:

"Four years later, a Tammany district leader named Thomas Dunn argued that his district was “solidly Democratic because it ... is largely a working people’s district. We have little of the brownstone element.” The New York Times described Dunn, a native of Tipperary who started as a stonecutter and became a successful businessman, as “one of the most liberal leaders in Tammany Hall.” (The New York Times, August 7, 1893)

https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/37410/PDF/1/

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Also, there are five articles at the fulton history link that Erato linked to. Look for Thomas Dunn Sheriff

[oldohiohome]

... what his job description was and what he actually did from day to day were probably two different things  [insert non-seasonal smile button here]

I'd guess a Tammany Hall sheriff would have had a lot of latitude ranging  from "keeping the peace" to harassing the machine's enemies.

[Bellevue]

1. he got paid well
Thomas J Dunn, 321 East 68th St, Sheriff, salary: $12,000 per year.

Whats the source for this salary figure?
Based on a 1915 article, I am under the impression that Sheriffs did not have a fixed salary before 1915 but were instead compensated by charging fees plus keeping a percentage of what they would seize. After 1915 they got a fixed salary, I think c. 20k.

Many thanks for providing that Courts Records link. Never came across that website before. Very interesting.

And yes, its Thomas.

[Bellevue]

1. he got paid well
Thomas J Dunn, 321 East 68th St, Sheriff, salary: $12,000 per year.

Whats the source for this salary figure?

Sorry, only seeing the link you put up for that now. thanks

However, I cant read the pages as the search results return only a tiny bit of the page in small writting.
What page did you get the 12,000$ salary from?

[oldohiohome]

You might be in the "view all" mode at google books. Try clicking on one of the small clips, then on "previous" and "next". If you can only get "view all", the salary was on:

The City Record, p 1360, Tuesday March 29, 1898
in the lower left hand corner of the page

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Here is another possible article I forgot to include.. I don't know if this is him. It is behind the NY Times paywall.

https://www.nytimes.com/1900/09/23/archives/tammanys-joe-miller-exsheriff-dunn-the-wit-who-makes-croker-laugh.html

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If you get a sub to the NY Times they say you have access to the archives.

[Bellevue]

You might be in the "view all" mode at google books. Try clicking on one of the small clips, then on "previous" and "next". If you can only get "view all", the salary was on:

The City Record, p 1360, Tuesday March 29, 1898
in the lower left hand corner of the page

--------------
Here is another possible article I forgot to include.. I don't know if this is him. It is behind the NY Times paywall.

https://www.nytimes.com/1900/09/23/archives/tammanys-joe-miller-exsheriff-dunn-the-wit-who-makes-croker-laugh.html

----------
If you get a sub to the NY Times they say you have access to the archives.

Thanks I'll try that.
As regards new York Times articles. I have most of them

[oldohiohome]

if all else fails, here is a screenshot