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Terrible Tommy O'Connor
Posted by:
b.a.hoarder
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: December 28, 2009 06:32PM
In the Neighborhood Signs post I briefly touched on the County Jail and that made me think of this bit of history. Tommy was a small-time hood, stick-ups, burglary, and the like. That was until he hit the big time and killed a law officer. He was held in the original Cook County Jail that was on Hubbard St. and after being tried and convicted of the murder was sentenced to be hanged.
Tommy had other ideas and went over the wall with four other escapees in 1921, leaving nary a trace. What he did leave behind was the gallows. By law it was kept ready for him, should he be found, and when the new jail was built at 26th & Cal Tommy's gallows was stored in the records/documents building of the City of Chicago near 31st & Sacramento Blvd. I believe it was finally disposed of in 1977 when someone decided Tommy was likely deceased.
Tommy had other ideas and went over the wall with four other escapees in 1921, leaving nary a trace. What he did leave behind was the gallows. By law it was kept ready for him, should he be found, and when the new jail was built at 26th & Cal Tommy's gallows was stored in the records/documents building of the City of Chicago near 31st & Sacramento Blvd. I believe it was finally disposed of in 1977 when someone decided Tommy was likely deceased.
Re: Terrible Tommy O'Connor
Posted by:
SuperCFL
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: January 09, 2010 12:47AM
The gallows went to Seven Acres Antique Village outside Union, IL. I remember seeing it on display there. It is now a western-themed park called Wild West Town (with a very good attached steakhouse BTW) and I don't know if they still have it or not.
I understand recent research (a book?) concluded that Terrible Tommy O'Connor successfully evaded capture, made his way back to Ireland and subsequently died in the Irish Civil War.
I understand recent research (a book?) concluded that Terrible Tommy O'Connor successfully evaded capture, made his way back to Ireland and subsequently died in the Irish Civil War.
Re: Terrible Tommy O'Connor
Posted by:
adamselzer
(---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: October 27, 2011 05:50PM
The gallows were sold to Ripley's Believe it or Not a few years ago; they still have them in storage. Not much of the original was really left, though. News items when they bought it said it was the same gallows the prison had used for the Haymarket anarchists, among others, but my own research indicates that new gallows were rebuilt or replaced a couple of times in between 1886 and 1927, when the state switched to the chair.
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www.adamselzer.com
www.chicagounbelievable.com
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www.adamselzer.com
www.chicagounbelievable.com
Re: Terrible Tommy O'Connor
Posted by:
murphman
(---.evdo.leapwireless.net)
Date: January 03, 2013 07:30AM
Apparently I am related to the "Terrible one" on my fathers side through marriage. Everyone I broached the subject to was suspiciously mum. Except of course his daring escape from CCJ which I don't believe I have to recount here. If memory serves there was an auction in the late nineties of the gallows. Do not recall who the high bidder was, but think it was a museum of some sort. The county did preserve the gallows till 1977or8 when they finally figured he wasn't around anymore. Stubborn types!
Re: Terrible Tommy O'Connor
Posted by:
nordsider
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: January 03, 2013 10:13AM
murphman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Apparently I am related to the "Terrible one" on
> my fathers side through marriage. Everyone I
> broached the subject to was suspiciously mum.
> Except of course his daring escape from CCJ which
> I don't believe I have to recount here. If memory
> serves there was an auction in the late nineties
> of the gallows. Do not recall who the high bidder
> was, but think it was a museum of some sort. The
> county did preserve the gallows till 1977or8 when
> they finally figured he wasn't around anymore.
> Stubborn types!
Terrible Tommy O'Connor [Tommy O'Connor shown in police photograph mug shots].
Photographs from the Chicago Daily News 1902 - 1933
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpcoop/ichihtml/
Search: Tommy O'Connor
The story of Tommy O'Connor's escape appears in Ben Hecht's book "1001 Afternoons", titled: "The Man Hunt" (Published in 1931).
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/2013 10:27AM by nordsider.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Apparently I am related to the "Terrible one" on
> my fathers side through marriage. Everyone I
> broached the subject to was suspiciously mum.
> Except of course his daring escape from CCJ which
> I don't believe I have to recount here. If memory
> serves there was an auction in the late nineties
> of the gallows. Do not recall who the high bidder
> was, but think it was a museum of some sort. The
> county did preserve the gallows till 1977or8 when
> they finally figured he wasn't around anymore.
> Stubborn types!
Terrible Tommy O'Connor [Tommy O'Connor shown in police photograph mug shots].
Photographs from the Chicago Daily News 1902 - 1933
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpcoop/ichihtml/
Search: Tommy O'Connor
The story of Tommy O'Connor's escape appears in Ben Hecht's book "1001 Afternoons", titled: "The Man Hunt" (Published in 1931).
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/2013 10:27AM by nordsider.
