William J. Sharkey was a pickpocket, a con man, a politician, and a murderer, though whether or not that murder was an accident became the question at the center of a case that gripped New York for months. And then, he vanished. Sort of.

Research:
“An Assassin’s Career.” New York Times. March 22, 1875. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1875/03/22/91671169.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
Asbury, Herbert. “The Escape of William J. Sharkey.” The New Yorker. Feb. 27, 1931. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1931/03/07/and the-escape-of-william-j-sharkey
“Criminal’s Chances.” New-York Tribune. Nov. 20, 1873. https://www.newspapers.com/image/85393879/?match=1&terms=William%20J.%20Sharkey
“The Death Penalty.” The New York Times. July 4, 1873. https://www.newspapers.com/image/20559978/?match=1&terms=William%20J.%20Sharkey
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Boss Tweed". Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 May. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Boss-Tweed
“The Escaped Murderer.” The Sun. Feb. 24, 1875. https://www.newspapers.com/image/51905732/?match=1&terms=maggie%20jourdan
“Found Guilty.” New York Times. June 22, 1873. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1873/06/22/90527758.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
“Last Days of the Tombs.” New-York Tribune. May 23, 1897. https://www.newspapers.com/image/78349840/?match=1&terms=%22william%20j.%20sharkey%22
“Maggie Jourdan Bailed.” New York Daily Herald. Jan. 4, 1874.
“The Murder Record: The Dunn Murder.” New York Times. June 20, 1873. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1873/06/20/90526851.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
“Scanlan, the Actor, Dead.” The Sun. Feb. 20, 1898. https://www.newspapers.com/image/79111299/?match=1&terms=%22william%20j.%20sharkey%22
“The Sharkey Case.” The New York Times. July 25, 1873. https://www.newspapers.com/image/20561956/?match=1&terms=William%20J.%20Sharkey%20%22writ%20of%20error%22
“Sharkey Is Still Alive.” The Evening World. March 6, 1900. https://www.newspapers.com/image/50555426/?match=1&terms=%22william%20j.%20sharkey%22
“Sharkey’s Escape.” New York Times. Nov. 20, 1873. https://www.newspapers.com/image/20503882/?match=1&terms=maggie%20jourdan
“Trial of William J. Sharkey … “ New York Daily Herald. June 21, 1873. https://www.newspapers.com/image/329612596/?match=1&terms=William%20J.%20Sharkey
“Why Is the Manhattan House of Detention Called the Tombs?” The New York Historical. https://www.nyhistory.org/community/manhattan-house-of-detention
“Wm. J. Sharkey’s Escape.” The Sun. June 23, 1879. https://www.newspapers.com/image/78200292/?match=1&terms=maggie%20jourdan

William J. Sharkey was a pickpocket, a con man, a politician, and a murderer, though whether or not that murder was an accident became the question at the center of a case that gripped New York for months. And then, he vanished. Sort of.
Research:
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;An Assassin&rsquo;s Career.&rdquo; New York Times. March 22, 1875. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1875/03/22/91671169.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&amp;ip=0</li>
<li>Asbury, Herbert. &ldquo;The Escape of William J. Sharkey.&rdquo; The New Yorker. Feb. 27, 1931. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1931/03/07/and the-escape-of-william-j-sharkey</li>
<li>&ldquo;Criminal&rsquo;s Chances.&rdquo; New-York Tribune. Nov. 20, 1873. https://www.newspapers.com/image/85393879/?match=1&amp;terms=William%20J.%20Sharkey</li>
<li>&ldquo;The Death Penalty.&rdquo; The New York Times. July 4, 1873. https://www.newspapers.com/image/20559978/?match=1&amp;terms=William%20J.%20Sharkey</li>
<li>The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Boss Tweed".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 May. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Boss-Tweed</li>
<li>&ldquo;The Escaped Murderer.&rdquo; The Sun. Feb. 24, 1875. https://www.newspapers.com/image/51905732/?match=1&amp;terms=maggie%20jourdan</li>
<li>&ldquo;Found Guilty.&rdquo; New York Times. June 22, 1873. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1873/06/22/90527758.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&amp;ip=0</li>
<li>&ldquo;Last Days of the Tombs.&rdquo; New-York Tribune. May 23, 1897. https://www.newspapers.com/image/78349840/?match=1&amp;terms=%22william%20j.%20sharkey%22</li>
<li>&ldquo;Maggie Jourdan Bailed.&rdquo; New York Daily Herald. Jan. 4, 1874.</li>
<li>&ldquo;The Murder Record: The Dunn Murder.&rdquo; New York Times. June 20, 1873. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1873/06/20/90526851.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&amp;ip=0</li>
<li>&ldquo;Scanlan, the Actor, Dead.&rdquo; The Sun. Feb. 20, 1898. https://www.newspapers.com/image/79111299/?match=1&amp;terms=%22william%20j.%20sharkey%22</li>
<li>&ldquo;The Sharkey Case.&rdquo; The New York Times. July 25, 1873. https://www.newspapers.com/image/20561956/?match=1&amp;terms=William%20J.%20Sharkey%20%22writ%20of%20error%22</li>
<li>&ldquo;Sharkey Is Still Alive.&rdquo; The Evening World. March 6, 1900. https://www.newspapers.com/image/50555426/?match=1&amp;terms=%22william%20j.%20sharkey%22</li>
<li>&ldquo;Sharkey&rsquo;s Escape.&rdquo; New York Times. Nov. 20, 1873. https://www.newspapers.com/image/20503882/?match=1&amp;terms=maggie%20jourdan</li>
<li>&ldquo;Trial of William J. Sharkey &hellip; &ldquo; New York Daily Herald. June 21, 1873. https://www.newspapers.com/image/329612596/?match=1&amp;terms=William%20J.%20Sharkey</li>
<li>&ldquo;Why Is the Manhattan House of Detention Called the Tombs?&rdquo; The New York Historical. https://www.nyhistory.org/community/manhattan-house-of-detention</li>
<li>&ldquo;Wm. J. Sharkey&rsquo;s Escape.&rdquo; The Sun. June 23, 1879. https://www.newspapers.com/image/78200292/?match=1&amp;terms=maggie%20jourdan</li>
</ul>

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Stuff You Missed in History Class

William J. Sharkey was a pickpocket, a con man, a politician, and a murderer, though whether or not that murder was an accident became the question at the center of a case that gripped New York for months. And then, he vanished. Sort of.

William J. Sharkey’s Not-so-great Escape

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0c8981e4-0665-4d4c-99fd-b33701203ce2/transcript

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