In 1912, there was a “Seamans” strike on the docks of Brooklyn.  On the night of July 8, 1912, violence broke out on the lower East River waterfront when Police moved in to disperse an agitated crowd of 500 strikers and sympathizers. Shots were fired.  One strike breaker was killed with a shot to the head and another  police officer wounded.  “While trying to apprehend one of the suspected shooters,” Officer Patrick Hanley was shot in the back and severely wounded.  The bullet pierced his lung.

Patrick survived for three years after the shooting but succumbed in June of 1915 to pleurisy brought on by the old wound.  Patrick was 50 years old and left behind a wife and six children.

I did some extensive internet research and could find no record of him at any of the local or national Fallen Police Office Memorials.  This is strange because today, this would most certainly be considered killed in the line of duty.  Also strange because the only article I could find that mentions this incident, comes from Washington, DC. And that article mentions the officer’s were shot in passing.  It didn’t even make the headline! Could this be a case of friendly fire that nobody wants to talk about?  The story from one witness states that the strike breaker who was killed met his fate by a Police Officers bullet.  Maybe my great Uncle suffered the same fate?

I’ll try to get some official accounting of the incident from the City of New York.  I’m not going to hold my breath on finding too much info on this.  Everything about the story is strange.

Additional Sources:

• 1915 Patrick Hanley Death Notice
• The Full Washington Post Newspaper Page (Seaman Killed In Riot)

• Census Records: 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.
• A letter From Grace Lewis telling the story of the family.
• A bio of Edward Hayes, found in an “About Erie County” PDF.
• Information gathered by my Uncle Lloyd

Patrick Hayes (b. 1822, d. 1875)  and Johanna Cowhey (b. 1820, d. 1888)

Patrick and Johanna Hayes  lived in Limmerick, Ireland and had six children; Ellen, Bridget, Mary, Edward, John and Patrick Jr.  The father, Patrick Sr., spent his entire life in Ireland and was a weaver by trade, using the hand loom. He did an extensive business and was very prominent in his time. In addition to at least one of his sons, he had several other people working for him.

One day his daughter, Bridget,  came home from school and found what they called call a “stone bruise” on her leg. From that day on, Bridget never walked again.  It appears her leg had stopped growing. It may have been related to Polio.  Because of  her Bridget’s illness, sister Ellen never went to school again.  She stayed home with her Mom to help with the house.  Ellen apparently got some literature education from her father, who read to the children at night. She was very good at quoting Shakespeare and many other stories. She often told how her father described the future with trains in the air and under the sea. Ellen lived to be 92 and eventually saw the planes, submarines and many other things that her father told her about in those stories.

Ellen married Daniel Hanley and began their family in Ireland, eventually moving to the United States.  Patrick Sr. died in limerick in 1875.  After he died, the rest of the family moved to America in smaller groups.  Johanna, his wife, went to Germantown, PA around 1870 with her daughter Bridget and son John.

Ellen Hayes (b. 1842, d. 1926) and Daniel Hanley  (b. 1841, d. 1869)

Ellen Hayes, daughter of Patrick and Johanna Hayes was married in Ireland to Daniel Hanley.  They had three children while living in Limerick, Ireland; Catherine (my great grandmother), William and Patrick.  This new Hanley family left Limerick were the first to arrive in Germantown, PA somewhere between 1866 and 1870.  Daniel began work in the Worsted Mills in or around Germantown but soon contracted tuberculosis and died.  Ellen, now a widow, took her children and moved to Brooklyn, New York by 1870.

“Worsted (pronunciation: [ˈwʊstɪd]), is the name of a yarn, the cloth made from this yarn, and a yarn weight category. The name derives from the village of Worstead in the English county of Norfolk. This village became, along with North Walsham and Aylsham, a centre for the manufacture of yarn and cloth after weavers from Flanders arrived in Norfolk in the 12th century.”

Between 1875 and 1878, Ellen was re-married to Patrick Graham who was born in Ireland and came to the United States in 1855. Patrick Graham had two children of his own from a previous marriage; Kate and Roseanna.  After he married Ellen Hayes Hanley, they had two additional children; Daniel F and Mary Anita Graham.

Daughter Catherine (my Great Grandmother) often reminisced of the story how, before moving to New York,  she would sit on the porch in Germantown and the “Quaker ladies” of the town would  stop and talk with her.  They would often give her a jar of jam or jelly. Catherine was very interested in them as they wore it the old-fashioned habits of the day.  Catherine was about 6 years of age at the time.

Johanna Hayes and Children; Bridget (b. 1843, d. 1903) and John (b. 1856, d. 1917)

Johanna arrived in the U.S. around 1870 with her two children and also settled in the Germantown area.

Bridget who was lame from the possible Polio, now lived with her mother and brother John.  Bridget had been educated to be a seamstress, particularly on riding habits; so the wealthy people would come and take her to their home for a few days while she sewed for them. When she thought she could not work anymore, she went into a convent. She was buried in Germantown in around 1903.

John either left home or “wondered away” from home at some point and was not seen until just before his death.  He never married or had any children.

Patrick Hayes (b. 1861, d. 1926) and wife “Kate” (b. 1865)

Patrick, came to Manhattan, New York and worked for an insurance company. He married a woman named Kate and had a son namedJames V. Hayes.  James was the same age as Sydney Lewis. They became friends. James apparent was a very smart young man. He eventually became an accountant and a lawyer.

James lived in the Bronx with his mother in 1930, but he did eventually get married.  He and his wife lived somewhere in New York.

Edward Hayes (b. 1853) and Ella Bray (b. 1857)

Edward Hayes received his education in the schools of his native land of Ireland and began life as a weaver. After coming to the the United States, he located in Erie, PA and from 1881 until 1905 was employed in the iron molding trade. In April, 1905, he began a term as clerk to the mayor of Erie and in February, 1908, was elected alderman and re-elected in 1914. He was again re-elected in 1920 and served in this capacity until January, 1926.

On Jan. 13, 1878, Edward was married in Philadelphia to Miss Ella Bray, a native of Erie, and the daughter of John and Mary (Delaney) Bray, natives of Ireland. Mr. Bray died Sept. 17, 1898, and his wife died July 6, 1886. Edward and his wife had three children;  Mary (b.  June 14, 1879, d. Dec. 16, 1882), Ida M. Carey (b. May 22, 1884) lives in Erie, and Edward S.(b. Nov. 21, 1886).  Edward Jr. became Secretary of the Erie Board of Assessors. He also lived in Erie.

Edward and his family were members of the Catholic Church and were highly esteemed members of their community. He also belonged to the local Knights of Columbus.

Summary

This is only part of the story…  I have another very interesting piece of family history that I will write up shortly.  As always, stay tuned!