USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Biographical history of the American Irish in Chicago > Part 23
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Marshal Mahoney is a Roman Catholic and an attendant of the Church of St. Elizabeth's, at Forty-first and Wabash Avenue. In his political views he is extremely liberal.
He was married, June 1st, 1874, to Miss Kate Barry of Chicago, and they have had six children, of whom four girls are living, while two boys have died.
Assistant Marshal Mahoney bears a splendid record in the fire department, and has obtained frequent mention for bravery in general orders. In a fire on Archer Avenue, August 29th, 1887, he, with several gallant companions, was the means of rescuing seven lives, and their bravery received most honorable commenda- tion.
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A man of fine appearance, of kindly and courteous manner, ever eager to help a friend and always willing to assist the deserving, there is none more honorably reckoned in the Chicago Fire Depart- ment than the genial chief of the 10th Battalion, Assistant Marshal David John Mahoney.
MARK F. MADDEN.
Than the lives of those who have risen from the ranks and by unswerving integrity and continuous hard work have conquered fate, there is nothing more interesting, more elevating, or more encouraging. The sternest opposition, bitter trials, difficulties ap- parently insurmountable, sink into mere shadows before energy, self-reliance, and earnest perseverance of character. Success may long elude, but it is bound to come in time to those who persist- ently and perseveringly strive. These facts the life of Mr. Madden will illustrate.
Mark Francis Madden, partner with his brother Michael in the well known firm of Madden Brothers, was born at Whitby, Pickering County, Province of Ontario, Canada, June 18, 1858. His father, John L. Madden, was a native of County Roscommon, Ire- land, and with his wife had come to America in 1849, locating per- manently at Whitby, Ontario. By occupation he is a farmer, and now, at the ripe age of seventy-six, is still hale and hearty. His wife, formerly Maria Murphy, was also born in Roscommon. She died in 1893, aged seventy-three. Mr. and Mrs. John L. Madden raised a family of nine children- eight sons, of whom the subject of our sketch is the fifth-and one daughter, the only child who still resides in Canada, all the others having settled in Chicago.
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M. F. Madden was educated in the public schools, where he remained until he was sixteen. He then found a place with a dry goods store, as apprentice, his wages to be $6 a month for the first year, $8 for the second, and $10 per month for the third year. So useful did he show himself that before the first twelve months was over he was in receipt of $400 a year. In 1878 he sought a larger field for his activities, and went to Buffalo, New York, afterwards visiting Louisville, Ky., New York City, and other places. Not until September, 1884, however, did he find permanent location in Chicago, having spent the two preceding years in traveling over the United States in the interest of an adding machine, the patent on which he owned. The possibilities of real estate transactions appealed powerfully to his active and vigorous mind, and with his brother, Michael S. (whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume), a partnership was formed under the name of Madden Bros. The firm, which was so quickly to become one of the largest in the West, had its beginning in a small way, but it now covers all business in connection with real estate, brokerage, the buying, selling-in fact, the full charge of estates and properties, rents, loans, and the placing of insurance. The firm is now located on the fifth floor of the Marquette Building, Chicago's finest office structure, and the name, Madden Bros., is well borne out, for as- sociated in the business, but acting under the superintendence and supervision of the two founders, Mark F. and Michael S. Madden, are their six brothers, James A., Thomas, Edward R., Joseph P., George H., and John.
Mr. M. F. Madden, who is still a bachelor, is a member of sev- eral clubs. The Chicago Athletic Club, over whose St. Patrick's Day celebration banquet he ably presided, in 1896, the Sheridan, and the Columbus. He was also a member of the famous Irish American Club, which is now out of existence, but which was the home of the Irish in Chicago, and the resort of the great Irish lead-
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ers when they visited this country. He acted as its treasurer in 1892.
In politics strongly Democratic, Mr. Madden is a staunch be- liever in the principles of his party. He contributes generously to all worthy charities, and strongly interests himself in educational institutions, expressing himself as satisfied that in the broader and more liberal education now being afforded many of the ills of the people will be removed and the greater happiness of the greater number thereby assured.
PATRICK DANIEL TYRRELL.
This justly celebrated detective was born in Dublin, Ireland, March 13th, 1831. His parents were John and Bridget (Kelly) Tyrrell, both natives of Kildare, and he is proud to record that mem- bers of his family helped to make Irish history during the troublous times of 1798. The subject of this sketch was but three years old when his parents moved to America, finding a location in Buffalo, N. Y. Here his father secured employment in the ship yards, but the family was in such poor circumstances that Patrick D. Tyrrell was not able to go to school and found work in the ship yards at the early age of fourteen. At this he continued until he was nine- teen years of age and learned thoroughly the ship joiner's trade.
He moved to Dunkirk, N. Y., April 1st, 1850, there finding work as a carpenter until a couple of years later he was appointed a police officer for that village. For this occupation he showed con- siderable inclination, and even at that early age proved very suc- cessful as a detective. A collection of pictures of criminals which
respectfully yours
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he had gathered during this time was the first rogues' gallery west of New York. His peculiar ability found recognition from the governor of New York, August 9th, 1863, when he was appointed state railroad detective, an office which gave him authority over the entire length of the Erie Railroad, and at the same time he was appointed to the office of deputy sheriff. He became well known and made himself very highly considered throughout the county. Later he was one of the first deputy collectors of revenue to be ap- pointed by President Lincoln.
Concluding to go west in 1869, he started for California, but stop- ping off at Chicago, there met a fellow citizen of Dunkirk who had a suit in court against two of the Chicago railroads. Being aware of Mr. Tyrrell's ability as a detective he employed him to collect evidence, and after being engaged some thirteen months the latter managed to collect so much evidence that the railroad was glad to compromise for $10,000. Jacob Rehm, then commissioner and afterwards chief of police, knowing of the good work he had done, as a detective at Dunkirk, N. Y., offered him on January 14th, 1872, the position of detective for the Chicago Police Commission. He remained actively employed on the Chicago police force for two years, being very successful in a number of murder cases and big hotel robberies. In one of his cases, that in which Fanny C. Shot- well was robbed of $51,000 worth of bonds, he traced the robbers over the country between Chicago and New York, arresting them in the latter city and recovering all the bonds. He was also able to handle successfully some cases that were placed in his hands after all the other detectives of the department had unsuccessfully tried to unravel.
Elmer Washburn, who had been chief of the Chicago police, was appointed December 1st, 1874, chief of the United States secret ser- vice and at once offered Mr. Tyrrell a position under him. This ac- cepting, he was placed in charge of the country west of Chicago to
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San Francisco, and from St. Paul to New Orleans, with headquarters in Chicago, this extensive area being necessarily one of very great responsibility. An interesting case with which he was connected was the conspiracy organized November 5th, 1876, with the object of stealing the body of Abraham Lincoln, which was buried at Springfield, Ill. The plot was deep and well laid, and the object to hold the body until $200,000 ransom was paid and a pardon granted a criminal named Ben Boyd, who was then in the state penitentiary. Through the sagacity of Mr. Tyrrell, this plot was discovered and the would-be grave robbers sent to state's prison. In the whisky ring cases in 1876 he did some good work. Another important case was the Missouri land steal case, where at the special request of Secretary of the Interior Carl Schurz he was detailed by the De- partment of the Treasury to work in the Department of the Interior. In this case twenty-two men, bankers, lawyers and other citizens residing all over the section of the country west of St. Paul had en- tered into a conspiracy to forge land warrants on the State of Missouri to the extent of 6,000,000 of acres of land. Success crowned their efforts until Mr. Tyrrell found a trail, and then his work was quick, and in a short time their crime was being ex- piated in the state's prison.
Mr. Tyrrell was also instrumental in the arrest of Lucian A. White of Waco, Texas, and the recovery of $346,000 worth of forged milries of the Brazilian government. As interesting records of his many experiments, he has five scrap books with over six- teen hundred pictures of criminals, and another book with por- traits of counterfeiters arrested by himself and sent up for different terms.
Elmer Washburn, chief of the secret service, to him gave the credit of breaking the back bone of counterfeiting in the United States by arresting a large and important gang in Fulton and Centralia, Ill. Dyer's Government Blue Book, which is a history of
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the secret service, has the following to say concerning his work: "Detective Tyrrell has arrested more counterfeiters, captured more counterfeit money, and done more to break up the business than any one who was ever connected with the secret service."
Mr. Tyrrell, after serving twelve years in the secret service, re- signed and went to his farm in Kansas, July 1st, 1886, remaining three years there. At the end of this time he returned to Chicago and again entered the police department as sergeant of detectives. As might well be expected he continued to show his capacity for the position, and two years since, having been specially assigned to the Civil Service Board, he has been of great assistance in its work- ing, particularly in correcting the evils done by justice of the peace courts, by straw bail bonds, the stuffing of city pay rolls, and other evils of a similar description.
During the war Mr. Tyrrell well took his part, serving in the Sixty-eighth New York Volunteers. He was prominent in the Citizens' Reform Association of 1893, being Chairman of the first meeting of that body, but later he refused to accept any office. The association has now over seventeen hundred members and has been able to do a great deal of good.
Detective Officer Tyrrell was married, December 1st, 1850, at Buffalo, N. Y., to Miss Mary Shannon, and they have had seven children, of whom three are living. His first wife dying, he mar- ried, August 9th, 1875, Kate Osborne, of Erie, Pa., and by her has had two children.
In his religious views a strict Roman Catholic, he is an attend- ant of the Rev. Father Butler's Church. In his politics he is a Re- publican, and is highly thought of by the party, the great record he has made in his profession assuring him an important position under the new administration.
Irish affairs have always been to him of very great interest, and heart, sympathy, and pocket have always been ready where
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the country of his birth and his father's was concerned. An unas- suming man of splendid abilities, no roll of Chicago's American Irish would be complete were it wanting in the name of Patrick Daniel Tyrrell.
JAMES MAHER.
James Maher is an American Irishman of whom his fellow coun- trymen may well feel proud.
He was born in Will County, Illinois, May 24th, 1859. His father, Thomas, and mother, Ellen (Kenefick) Maher, came to the United States from Limerick, Ireland, about 1849, settling first in Vermont, and finally locating in Will County, Illinois, in 1853. The elder Maher was a farmer, who by industry and natural apti- tude managed to acquire considerable property. Somewhat of a politician, he was a man of much influence in the district in which he resided and bore a very high reputation. Mrs. Maher died Christmas, 1893, and Mr. Maher, February 22d, 1896. They had two daughters-Mary, married to Joseph Murphy, and Norah.
James Maher followed the usual course of farmers' sons at that time, working on the farm in summer and securing what schooling he could during the winter at the district schools. With great pride he relates how he used to get out of bed at four in the cold winter mornings for the purpose of going to town with a wagon load of farm products, his father driving one wagon and he follow- ing with another. Work of this kind caused James Maher to de- velop into a strong healthy lad, with a keen thirst for knowledge and every determination to acquire despite all difficulties.
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He soon absorbed all that the district schools of his native town could teach him, and at the age of sixteen was sent to St. Viateur's College, at Kankakee, Ill., where he remained for four years. His college course completed, he was recalled in 1880 to accept the professorship of geometry and trigonometry, and after- wards that of English literature. As showing how advanced he was at this time in his studies, it is worthy of mention that he was professor in the college while at the same time taking a clas- sical course therein.
Among his contemporary fellow students were many men who are now high in the church or holding important positions in pri- vate life. Mr. Maher remained at this college as student and pro- fessor until 1883, when he graduated with high honors, receiving the degree of Master of Arts.
Having decided to take up the profession of law, he studied for some time in an office in Kankakee, when, having established his faith in Chicago as the best field for a young man of ability, he came to this city. Having read law for one year, he then attended for the same period the Union College of Law, both junior and senior classes being taken at the same time, and so assiduous was he that he managed to complete a two years' course of lectures in one year, and not desiring to wait for his class he went to Ottawa, making application to the Supreme Court to be licensed. He was examined, received a license, and having graduated with the senior class of the Union College, at once began to practice law in Chi- cago. His specialty is commercial law and he represents several very large corporations and large business firms, from which he derives a considerable income.
He received the appointment of Attorney for the West Town from 1891 and 1892, and of County Attorney in 1893. Mr. Maher is a prominent and old time member of the Knights of Pythias, the Catholic Benevolent Legion, Catholic Order of Foresters, and the
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Cook County Marching Club. A Democrat always, he believes that were all citizens to take an active interest in election matters and attend the primaries, better government would be assured. He prac- . tices what he preaches, and in his ward-the Ninth-is very prom- inent.
Mr. Maher was married to Mary C. Rafferty, niece of ex-Alder- man Rafferty, in 1891, and they have two children-Mary and Thomas Francis.
This is necessarily but a brief sketch of the career of an Amer- ican Irishman who, by sheer force of character, sterling abilities, and the strictest honesty and the most complete integrity towards his clients' interests, has succeeded in making a reputation as a lawyer and a citizen at a comparatively early age, giving promise of a future of marked utility to his country.
MICHAEL J. QUINN.
Michael J. Quinn was born in the County of Roscommon, Ire- land, June 23d, 1852. His parents were Michael and Bridget (Lefin) Quinn. The latter-now over eighty-is still living in Ireland, but his father died in 1855.
The subject of this sketch attended the public schools of his native place until at fourteen years of age he was compelled to go to work to help his mother in the support of the family. He was nineteen years of age when he concluded (in 1871) to seek his fortune in the new world, and, setting out for Chicago, left every relative and friend he possessed behind.
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His first employment in this city was as a day laborer, but he was ready and willing for whatever he could find, and at the end of three years secured a better position at the Government Build- ing, then being erected at Dearborn and Adams Streets. Here he was given charge of a body of men and remained four years; later working for the Armour Packing Company, weighing meat; and also as foreman for the Pullman Company when they were build- ing the town of Pullman.
The subject of politics has from the time of his first arrival in this country been to him one of the greatest interest. In April, 1884, he received the nomination for the office of Justice of the Peace for Hyde Park, and this he has held four terms. For the pop- ularity he possesses in his district, the fact that at the convention held in the spring of 1886 he was the only officer nominated by acclamation, speaks volumes. Irrespective of party, the people are with him, and his election on one occasion was on the Citizens' ticket, and on another on the Taxpayers" ticket.
Justice Quinn is an influential member of the Royal Arcanum, and for nine years was president of Division No. 5 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, a position he had to resign on moving to Hyde Park. In his religious views he is a Roman Catholic and a member of the Parish of St. Lawrence.
He was married, February 19th, 1889, to Miss Margaret Hack- ett, of Chicago, and they have had four children.
A thorough Irishman, ever ready to take his part in every movement with purpose the good of his native land, Justice Quinn has by energy, determination and ability made for himself a high place in the community and has gained at the same time the respect and esteem of every one with whom he has been brought into busi- ness or social contact.
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PATRICK L. GARRITY.
P. L. Garrity, one of Chicago's old time, best known and most highly respected citizens, was born February 22d, 1843, near West- port, County Mayo, Ireland, where his father, John Garrity, was for many years connected with the mail service. Early in the for- ties the latter emigrated to Chicago and took part in the works on the Illinois & Michigan Canal, later entering the employ of R. P. Burlingame & Co., as foreman of their employes in their extensive elevator and warehousing business. Eventually, however, he en- gaged in the grocery business on the North Side and in that he re- mained until the great fire of 1871; his death followed a few years later. The mother of Patrick L. was Catherine Lally, also of County Mayo, and she also is deceased. During her lifetime she was one of the most respected members of the Holy Name parish, where she will ever be remembered by the poor of that parish for her acts of charity and kindness, especially by those who are sur- vived the cholera plague of 1851.
In 1849, when six years of age, the subject of the present sketch came to Chicago, crossing the Atlantic in company with his mother and the rest of the family, to join the father, who, some two years previously, had preceded them. For a couple of years the boy at- tended the public school and at the age of eight years, a well de- fined business instinct led him to engage in selling fruit at the steamboat landings and shortly afterward he obtained employment with Stevens & French, who were at that period one of the largest fruit houses in the city. In 1853 he started in as a carrier of the Chicago Journal, then, as now, an afternoon paper, but a year or
Very Rupy URL Garrity
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so later he entered the employ of the Chicago Democrat as a car- rier, and in 1855 became mailing clerk on that paper, a position he held until 1858, when he resigned to take a year's course at the University of Notre Dame. That completed, he re-engaged with the Democrat in his old capacity, at the same time taking the com- mercial course at St. Mary's of the Lake, and in that way gaining a full and complete knowledge of book-keeping and commercial law. In 1859 he was one of the owners and organizers of the first Hotel Reporter in Chicago, and in this connection a misunderstand- ing occurred between Long John Wentworth and himself, which caused him to resign and accept a position with the North Chicago Railroad Company, succeeding Mr. Courtright as receiving cashier, paymaster and ticket seller, performing, indeed, duties that now re- quire a small army of officials.
From this office he soon resigned, not on account of the amount of work, but because of the insufficiency of remuneration given. His next engagement was as mailing clerk with the Chicago Herald, at that time owned by C. H. McCormick and edited by ex- Governor McCormick, who was his staunch friend. Among his as- sociates at that time on the Herald was the well-known West Side merchant John M. Smyth, and in this employment he continued until after the consolidation of the Times and Herald under the Wilbur F. Storey management, about the time the war broke out.
Then eighteen years old, full of life and ambition, Mr. Garrity took a lively interest in recruiting for the army and was only de- terred from joining himself by the offer of a partnership in the confectionery business of Edward Scanlan, one of such an advan- tageous character to the young man that the partnership papers, which were drawn by Mr. Thomas Kinsella, at that time Collector of the Port, were signed May 1st, 1861. The firm Scanlan & Gar- rity had its place of business at 18 South Clark, but shortly after the firm had started, the small capital of the firm was swept away in 21
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part by the failure of E. I. Tinkham's Bank. The stroke of ill fortune was a hard one, but nothing daunted, the firm succeeded, and by the sale of its lease to the United States Express Co., re- sulted in doubling its capital and moved to new premises at 79 Ran- dolph Street. It was about this time that Mr. Garrity made a hard fight against the late Thomas Mackin for the post sutlership of Camp Douglas, then under the command of Col. Mulligan, and though he failed to obtain, he received the appointment of sutler to the Fifty-eighth Illinois, commanded by Col. W. Lynch at Camp But- ler, Springfield, from which he returned after some two years to take active management in the firm of Scanlan & Garrity, which, the 1st of May, 1865, removed to 49 State Street. The following Sep- tember Mr. Scanlan retired and the firm name was changed to P. L. Garrity, and under his energetic management trade grew and pros- pered until in 1870 the business reached over one million dollars, the large building of four stories and basement at 33 and 35 River Street was occupied. The fire of 1871 swept away the building, like all others in the business section, and with it was consumed a stock of goods worth nearly $100,000, as well as the savings of years. Another disaster came the May following, when a distillery, in which Mr. Garrity was a part owner, was burnt to the ground, with contents valued at $36,000, and not one cent of insurance. Even this accumulation of misfortunes could not crush his am- bitious and energetic spirit; business was speedily resumed, but only to discover his crippled resources were too limited to give him a fair chance of success. The panic of '73 and '74 followed, bring- ing many millionaires to poverty. Mr. Garrity recognized the fu- tility of struggling along with insufficient capital, and at the close of 1875 he sold his business and on January 1st, 1876, accepted a position with the wholesale grocery house of Towle & Roper. Two and a half years were spent with that firm and then once more he started for himself in the cigar and tobacco business, which had in
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former years been a branch of his business. Locating first at 23 Lake Street he moved afterwards to 49 Dearborn Street, and when the First National Bank Building was completed, made another change to 103-105 Monroe Street, where the vaults of the bank are now installed. On the 1st of May, 1884, he joined the Hamburger Bros. in forming a corporation with a capital of $250,000, and of this Mr. Garrity was made President until 1887, when he retired to connect himself with Heyman Bros. & Lowenstein, manufacturers of cigars in New York City, as their general agent, being given en- tire charge of their outside business. In this he has been so sig- nally successful that his yearly income from that source amounts, we are informed, to more than $20,000. Mr. Garrity is at the same time President of the National Cereal Company, which is engaged in milling of cereal goods in the City of St. Louis; and is the owner of the majority of the stock. He also has mining interests of con- siderable value, and is the owner of some valuable Chicago real estate.
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