Joseph Quinn

Joseph Quinn (c. 1861–July 5, 1887) was a New York clerk, amateur wrestler and murder victim of Danny Lyons, a co-leader of the Whyos street gang. 2Early life Although reportedly described as a pimp and rival Five Points thug, Quinn is described in newspaper accounts as "..a respectable young man, who for nine years past has been employed at the Cotton Exchange." A well known local athlete, he was a skilled amateur wrestler as a member of the Pastime and New York Athletic Clubs, whose career included winning the latter organization's spring competition as well as the State Championship's middleweight "catch-as-catch-can" wrestler. He also appeared at the first exhibition held by the Crib Club on April 9, 1885 in a catch wrestling match with fellow Pastime Club member John O'Brien both scoring a fall each. He would again face O'Brien in a catch-as-catch-can match, with each man gaining a pinfall before a draw was declared after wrestling another 10 minutes for the deciding third fall at an exhibition held by the New York Athletic Club on December 10, 1885. 2Confrontation with Lyons Although having no prior association to Lyons, the two men had recently been seeing a local girl, Kitty McGowan. Released from Sing Sing Prison only seven months before on burglary charges, Lyons confronted Quinn on the corner of Thirty-eighth Street and Second Avenue on the night of July 2, 1887. Although Quinn initially refused to fight, the two soon became involved in a heated argument resulting in Quinn striking Lyons, causing a cut above his left eye. 2Murder After this incident, Lyons reportedly swore revenge to friends in his neighborhood hangouts and, borrowing a revolver from friend Alexander Neil, he intended to shoot Quinn on sight next time they met. Asking around the neighborhood for Quinn, he failed to find him over the next two days and spent the next afternoon waiting at a Second Avenue liquor stor