William Poole, the leader of New York gang the Bowery Boys, clashes with bare-knuckle boxer John Morrissey.
Our nation is built upon a history of battles, fought over honor, family and power. These bloody and iconic chapters, define what it truly means to be an American. These are Blood Feuds. In the 1840s, New York's mean streets are ruled by rival gangs... Gentlemen, stand your ground now. Narrator: One of them, Irish, the other, native-born... I should have killed you when I had the chance. This feud was fought with blood, sticks, guile, nerve. Consider this an open challenge. Narrator: Led by two men... John Morrissey and William Poole, who are sworn enemies. I'll teach you a lesson not to mess with true Americans like us. Their bitter hatred would spark savage fury and become the stuff of legend. One man will emerge victorious and rise up in American politics, while his opponent will end in ruin. This was a street fight for America and who is gonna get to be an American. It was gouge your eyes out and leave your enemy dead in the street. Narrator: This is the harrowing, real story of the fabled feud from gangs of New York. This was an epic feud. Aah! It was gonna end bad. I'm William Poole, better known as Bill the Butcher. I'm a true American. And I made it my mission to let all the Irish scum know just how unwelcome they are in my country. The worst of the lot is John Morrissey. My name is John Morrissey. I'm Irish and proud of it. I'll do what I have to do and fight who I'll have to fight. And not bill Poole, nor any man, will stand in my way. I'll teach you a lesson. It'll be you who takes a poundin', Butcher. Come on! [Groans] Narrator: For William Poole and John Morrissey, their blood feud has its beginnings in the late 1840s. New York City is a thriving metropolis, the biggest city in the country, swelling with waves of new immigrants from Europe. The 1840s and '50s was probably the most violent and volatile era in New York City's history. You've got a newly emerging, early industrial elite class and thousands of immigrants streaming into the city. Narrator: The divide between rich and poor has never been greater. The poorest New Yorkers live in a downtown slum called Five Points, located in the part of town known today as Chinatown. Five Points, New York, at this point, was a den of iniquity. It was the worst place on earth. People were starving. People were fighting. There was blood in the streets. Narrator: For the masses who live here, every day is a brutal struggle to survive amidst poverty and violence. There was prostitution, drunkenness, children being left neglected. McMillan: And there was not a large police presence. So walking down the streets in Five Points, you could literally be killed. I could murder you and get away with it. Narrator: Here in Five Points, only the strongest men rise to the top of the heap. McMillan: You had to be tough. Back then, you backed it up with this. And if you didn't, you took the proverbial dirt nap, if you know what I'm sayin'. Narrator: On these mean streets, one man is known as the meanest of them all... 28-year-old William Poole. He's a butcher by trade, who maintains a stall in a downtown market. At over 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, Poole is an imposing figure. Butchers tended to be big men. You were really taking animals apart by hand. You had to really be a powerful person to do that. Three pounds of pork, please. Uh, that's three. I... I'm sorry, Mr. Poole. No, that doesn't look like three pounds to me. Narrator: Poole's nickname, Bill the Butcher, doesn't come from just chopping meat. Everyone knows that if you cross Poole, you may not walk away. Sir, are you suggesting that I'm not an honest man? McMillan: He was notorious for his brutality. Are you questioning my integrity? He is vicious. He could be evil. He could be downright deadly. Get out of my sight before I slice you in two! Narrator: Poole's fierce reputation doesn't just come from the butcher stand. He rules Five Points, along with a vicious street gang called the Bowery Boys. The Bowery Boys would lease themselves out to various people to collect debts. They looked like something out of "Clockwork Orange". You didn't want to see these guys coming. The group is based upon one thing... hatred for anyone who is not a native-born American. The Bowery Boys were American-born, semi-educated. They were rabidly anti-Catholic, anti-Irish, anti-semitic, anti-black. They are anti-everybody that didn't look, dress, sound, and act just like them. Narrator: In recent years, Five Points has become a dumping ground for an enormous wave of Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine back home. This is suddenly this wave of the poorest, most desperate people who can get off the island. In the space of about five years, 250,000 Irish Catholics show up. Narrator: The Bowery Boys, part of an anti-immigrant movement called the Nativists, regard all Irish with fear and contempt. Baker: Nativists see this wave of Irish coming in. And they're really fearful of this. They see themselves losing jobs, losing political power, losing money. Many were Catholics, which Protestants had a huge problem with. This is a tremendous threat to them. Narrator: Poole himself has a deep, personal loathing for the Irish, who he considers a sub-human race contaminating his city. Kamil: Poole sees all of these Irish immigrants taking over the cities, changing what he sees as the course of America's destiny. William Poole really did have this air about him that he was a better class of person. And immigrants were just dirt. He was very much, "I'm American. This is they way things are. And if you're not gonna play by the rules, get the [Bleep] out." Narrator: Bill the Butcher thinks he and his thugs can rule Five Points for good. But one man is about to challenge him and start a battle that will end in blood. In 1849, a scrappy, young Irishman arrives in New York City. His name is John Morrissey. Born in Ireland, he grew up in the tough town of Troy, New York, 150 miles up the Hudson. In his teens, he fought prejudice and poverty with his fists as a street corner brawler and a leader of a predominantly Irish gang, the Downtown Boys. As a teenager, he'd been arrested numerous times. He'd been charged with aggravated assaults. Narrator: But Morrissey grows sick of petty crime. He's got a burning desire to rise up in the world. He knows he's got to use his head. He teaches himself to read and write. And he knows, if he's going to use his hands, it's going to be for fighting his way to the top. Narrator: Having faced prejudice his whole life, he's got a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. And he's here in New York to prove that an Irishman can claw his way to the top. He's been through the [Bleep], and he wants to get a million miles away from where he came from. And anything that stands in his way, he's going to obliterate them. Narrator: And nothing can unleash his fury like an insult to his Irish blood. Paddy Irish scum. Morrissey doesn't think about the consequences. He thinks about here, now, and what seems to be an uncontrollable rage. Oh! Who the hell do think you are? Nobody talks to John Morrissey that way! I ought to teach you some damn manners! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Morrissey comes into town, frankly, full of piss and vinegar. In New York, a tough reputation is gonna help you get ahead in a testosterone-driven neighborhood like Five Points. Narrator: In order to stake his reputation here, Morrissey heads to a notorious hangout for the toughest gangs in Five Points, the Empire Club. One night, Morrissey walks into this lion's den all alone, with a bold plan to get noticed. He has no idea the danger that awaits because, according to legend, he's about to meet the man who will become his rival in blood. Gentlemen, I hope you'll excuse my interruption. My name is John Morrissey, proud son of county Tipperary and light of Troy, New York. John Morrissey saunters into this club like he's the biggest thing since Whales. He has balls the size of king Kong, as we would say in Ireland. I've spent my life developing my skills as a fighter. And I welcome the pleasure of taking on all commerce... ... if you have the nerve. You have seasoned boxers that populate the Empire Club. So you have to think that Morrissey's insane to go into a bar full of brawlers and challenge every one of them to a fight. Kamil: This is Morrissey's James Dean moment. He has nothing to live for, nothing to die for. He's not thinking about the consequences. But Morrissey has picked a bad night because the most vicious man in Five Points, William Poole, is sitting with his gang only feet away. So, of course, Poole looks at him like, "what, are you [Bleep] stupid?" Listen to that cocky jackass. Who the hell does he think he is? Who does he think that we are? I promise, I can best you. Consider this an open challenge. [Man laughs] Muldoon: He had no chance of survival. The odds were just zilch. But Morrissey knows he had to do it to make a mark. Kamil: He's young, he's strong, and now he wants to take a seat at the table. Narrator: To Bill the Butcher, there's nothing more hateful than a bragging Irishman. You dumb potato-eater! You think you can take on the likes of us? McMillan: William Poole would refer to the Irish as dirty, stinky, paddy, lowlife potato-eaters. I think we can save you a lot of time and trouble if you just take us all on at once. All: Yeah! Yeah! Muldoon: For Poole, this is a piece of paddy scum. How dare him come into this bar, come into this country, and challenge us. Let's have at him. All: Yeah! Narrator: What happens next... [indistinct shouting] ... is the start of a feud so violent, an entire city will be bathed in blood. Narrator: It's 1849. Irish immigrant John Morrissey has just challenged anyone in New York City's Empire Club to a fight. I welcome the pleasure of taking on all commerce... ... if you have the nerve. Narrator: As legend has it, gang leader William Poole accepts. You think you can take on the likes of us? And this fateful moment ignites the beginning of a feud so vicious that it will live forever in infamy. Let's have at him. All: Yeah! [Indistinct shouting] [Grunting] Everybody ganged up on Morrissey. Literally, it was a scrum. Everybody just piled on and started beating the [Bleep] out of Morrissey. Narrator: As the story goes, it's Bill the Butcher who delivers the most brutal assault. Poole was on top of Morrissey and was wailing on his face. Narrator: It's as if Poole's hatred of the Irish is all directed at this one man. Morrissey was getting his ass whipped, but Poole just kept on pummeling. Bill the Butcher was a terrific street fighter, a ferocious individual. When he fought somebody, he would do everything he could to actually hurt that person. Bill excelled at that. He enjoyed hurting his opponents. He would eviscerate somebody if he had to. Yeah! Narrator: It looks like Poole will kill Morrissey. But suddenly, the beating stops. As the story goes, William Poole actually pulled people back because they were gonna kill him. All right, boys, that's enough that we wiped the smirk off this dirty Irishman. Muldoon: His face was so violently disfigured that Poole wanted Morrissey to live and walk amongst the masses like a freak, to let Irish people know this is what's going to happen to you if you mess around with me. Anyone who claps eyes on him will know not to mess with true Americans like us. All: Yeah! McMillan: But not killing Morrissey would be something that William Poole would live to regret. Narrator: Despite the savage beating Morrissey took, it turns out the Irishman also had a little luck. At a nearby table, one man is impressed by his courage. His name is Isaiah Rynders. He's the owner of the Empire Club and a legendary power-broker in Five Points. You've got a lot of guts, lad. I could use somebody like you. And Rynders ultimately offers him a job for the sheer audacity of him coming in and challenging them. Morrissey accomplishes his goal of making his mark. As his wounds heal, word of his brave stand against Poole the bigot spreads all over town. This is something that will be told and retold. This makes him an instant champion of his fellow Irish New Yorkers, somebody who would walk right into the lion's den and challenge Poole. Narrator: But humiliation from the fight still burns deep, and he vows revenge on his new foe, Bill the Butcher. Meanwhile, Poole's beatdown of this bragging Irishman earns him a wider reputation among the Nativists. The feud is on, and all of Five Points is watching. With his newfound notoriety, Bill the Butcher goes deeper into politics. Joining the anti-immigrant know-nothing political party, he and the Bowery Boys act as shoulder-hitters during elections to secure the vote. McMillan: There were gang members that intercepted you and told you who to vote for. And if you were smart, that's exactly what you would do. Narrator: For Poole and the Bowery Boys, the enemy is Tammany Hall, the Democratic machine which has the support of thousands of Irish immigrants. Baker: Tammany Hall was pretty much the only organization really looking out for the immigrants in any sort of way. Narrator: One of the biggest fixers for Tammany Hall is none other than Isaiah Rynders, the Empire Club owner who hires John Morrissey as a runner to court the Irish vote. Kamil: Morrissey's primary job is to welcome the new Irish to America, to help get them settled in a home, in a job, and remind them who got them a job because when election day comes, they will be called upon. Narrator: To take on his adversary, Poole and the Bowery Boys, it's said the Morrissey enlists the notorious Five Points gang whose name has long been shrouded in mystique, the Dead Rabbits. The Dead Rabbits is one of the best-known yet least-known-about gangs in Five Points. They were an amorphous group of Irish, deeply involved in criminal activity. Narrator: Morrissey and the dead rabbits are on a collision course with Bill the Butcher and the Bowery Boys. Their rivalry is a time bomb ready to explode. Election season, early 1850s. In order to defeat a pro-Irish, Democratic candidate for mayor of New York, a rising champion of immigrants and the poor named Fernando Wood, Bill the Butcher and the Bowery Boys plan to raid a heavily Irish polling place. McMillan: The way they intimidated was basically by blocking ballot boxes and threatening the people coming up to them. Narrator: It's a tactic they've used many times before. And Poole has no reason to think that today will be any different. Kamil: Rumors begin to circulate that William Poole and his Bowery Boys are gonna do everything they can to affect the upcoming election. So Tammany Hall recruits Morrissey to guarantee what Tammany Hall is gonna call a fair and equal election, which, in reality, is get Poole out of the way and stuff the ballot boxes with Democratic tickets. Narrator: At the polling station, Morrissey gathers his men. This is a way for him to help the Irish of Five Points and to finally get his revenge. Gentlemen, stand your ground now. And tonight, there be a pint for every Bowery head you crack! McMillan: By the time Poole got there, Morrissey's gang, the dead rabbits, was already there. They had ringed the place. Well, if it ain't John Morrissey. Have you forgotten the last time we met and I beat your face into a pulp? Stand aside, or you'll be sorry. Poole, you're outnumbered. The good people of this precinct will be voting for them that takes care of them. And youse can't stop 'em. William Poole and John Morrissey came within feet of each other and just stared at each other. You're a sneaky Irish b*st*rd, Morrissey. I should have killed you when I had the chance. Narrator: Poole has a tough decision. If he leaves, he'll be humiliated by his rival, Morrissey. But to take on the larger gang could be suicide. Common sense took over and Poole was like, "yeah, we are way outnumbered." This is a sight we'll get used to, boys... A native, ready to tuck tail and run away. You'll pay for this, I swear. Poole hated it but walked away. Poole had to essentially slink away, which is worse than losing a fight. He was beaten by an Irishman. He was beaten by a [Bleep] immigrant! That had to have gone through his head. Narrator: This time, it's John Morrissey who has won the day against Poole. With Morrissey's backing, Fernando Wood goes on to become mayor. It's a victory for Tammany Hall and the Irish. In the battle for power and politics, Morrissey and Poole have each won one round against the other. But this epic feud is just getting started. After the election day standoff, John Morrissey's reputation among the Irish and Tammany Hall continues to grow. But it's his success in another arena that will catapult him to national fame. Since leaving Troy, Morrissey has honed his brawling skills to become a fearsome bare-knuckle boxer. It's a brutal sport and illegal in most places. Colberg: Unlike boxing today, bare-knuckle boxing had no rules... ear biting, eye gouging, fighters sharpened their finger nails, sharpened their teeth. You hoped to come out with all your parts intact. This was ugly. Narrator: With prizefighting touted by many during this era as the unofficial national sport of the United States, boxers are revered as heroes by the public. Boxing is almost always about people on the way up... The Irish, African-Americans, Hispanics in this country. It's always been the sport in which new Americans are trying to assert themselves. [Bell dings] Narrator: On October 12th, 1853, Morrissey has the chance to compete against the reigning American heavyweight champion, Yankee Sullivan. This is a shot for stardom and a $2,000 purse. But that figure doesn't include the big money being wagered on the fight. One of the biggest betters in town is none other than his Nemesis, William Poole. The story is that Poole put a lot of money on Yankee Sullivan, who was the champion of the Nativists. Come on! Narrator: By betting on the champ, Poole expects to win big. Sullivan was fast. He's been in the game for a long time, but Morrissey's not afraid. He'll face the devil himself, head on. Narrator: Just as Poole hopes, Sullivan trounces Morrissey. Poole can't wait to see his enemy go down in flames. But this fight is about to take a shocking turn that will take this blood feud to a whole new level. [Bell dings] Narrator: It's October 1853. John Morrissey is fighting boxing champ Yankee Sullivan for the heavyweight title. But one man, William Poole, has bet a significant sum of money that his archenemy, Morrissey, will lose. Come on! McMillan: Yankee Sullivan did quite a job on John Morrissey. He was surgical in his strikes. Morrissey was getting his ass whipped. [Bell dings] Kill him! Narrator: Despite the thrashing, Morrissey won't go down. The fight goes on for an incredible 37 rounds. Colberg: That's crazy. Modern fighters today last only 12 rounds. It would be a prodigious undertaking to take such abuse. [SCENE_BREAK] [Bell dings] Narrator: The crowd is in a frenzy. Knock him out! It looks certain Morrissey will lose. Muldoon: Morrissey... he's bloody, he's bruised, he's broken. But there's no stopping this guy. He just will not give up. Narrator: Morrissey staggers up and fires one last shot, pushing Sullivan against the ropes. Off balance, Sullivan falls outside the ring. Get off him! That's when all hell breaks loose. The rabid fans swarms Sullivan. In all the chaos, it's likely that Sullivan does not hear the referee's calls over the roar of the crowd. Referee: Get back into the ring. Mr. Sullivan. And he doesn't return to the ring. [Indistinct shouting] Sullivan was supposed to come back, center of the ring, and continue, but Sullivan didn't come back. Sullivan! Sullivan! One... Supposedly, 10 count is given. Yankee Sullivan is out. Five, six, seven, eight... Narrator: So the referee declares the unlikely winner. Nine. [Indistinct shouting] Referee: I declare John Morrissey the new heavyweight champion of the United States. So Morrissey won on a technicality. [Cheering] He's a cheat! The only reason he "won" was 'cause it was called by a judge. He's a cheat! Poole felt ripped off. He felt raped. William Poole lost a fortune. And his enemy has won again. Narrator: After the fight, news of Morrissey's victory spreads, and the Irish celebrate all over Five Points and America. While the Butcher can't change the outcome of the match, he does the one thing he can to get back at his rival... renege on his bets. Poole has been talking very loudly to all of his friends and anyone who will listen, "do not pay the gambling debt because Morrissey didn't win the fight." Nobody pay out your bets. Nobody pay out on this Irish scum. Narrator: Poole is determined that Morrissey and the Dead Rabbits will not profit one cent off their bets on Morrissey. Kamil: Now, this is preventing Morrissey from making money. It's also questioning his victory. So he may have the title of the heavyweight champion of America, but it doesn't mean anything if people don't believe he won. Narrator: Although Morrissey is furious over Poole's refusal to pay his debts, he's helped by a new romance with a kindhearted lass who will soon be his wife. Meanwhile, Morrissey's career continues to rise. His newfound fame and his work for Tammany Hall make him one of the best-known Irishmen in the northeast. Some even whisper he should run for elected office. And yet, all over town, the Butcher is trashing Morrissey's name, insulting him as only a bigot can. There's something about this whole sort of dance that Morrissey and Poole are having. It's like they're kind of stalking each other. Narrator: As the feud simmers, all of Five Points is watching. The Nativists want their hero, Poole, to put the immigrant in his place. And the Irish hope Morrissey will be their champion against Poole the bigot. Everyone can feel a showdown is near. Several months after the boxing match, the two rivals have a chance encounter that quickly erupts into fury. Morrissey asks Poole why he's telling people not to pay him out, and Poole responds, "because you didn't win the fight." Narrator: Filled with rage, Morrissey issues a challenge. Morrissey responds with, "I'll fight you anywhere, any time." Narrator: It's what everyone has been waiting for... a one-on-one fight between the two toughest men in Five Points. McMillan: So it was agreed that they would meet at the Amos street dock at 7:00 the next morning, where they would have their fight. Narrator: On July 27th, 1854, the stage is set for a showdown at the docks. Morrissey arrives with a few Dead Rabbits and Poole with a pack of Bowery Boys. Now, the Irishman and the bigot are about to square off. They're fighting for their pride, fighting for their people, and they're fighting for blood. McMillan: It's finally gonna happen. Now, they're gonna have revenge on each other. Narrator: July 1854. After a long-simmering feud, Irishman John Morrissey is about to fight his archenemy, William "Bill the Butcher" Poole. They are the two toughest men in Five Points... One, an Irish immigrant, the other, a proud Nativist. Morrissey and Poole are staring eye-to-eye. Their hatred is so intense, they're biting at the bit to start the fight. This is the moment that they've both been waiting for. Come on, Irish. You know you can't cheat your way out of this one. I'm glad to see you brought all your boys with you. They'll be cleaning you up off this pier. When will you ever learn? Don't worry. I'll teach you a lesson. Not this time, Poole. It'll be you who takes a poundin', Butcher. Man: Make him look silly. Come on, man. Morrissey threw the first punch. Poole blows it off. Morrissey throws the second punch on his body. Poole blows it off. [Indistinct shouting] A guy like Poole, this guy is methodical. Come on! His approach is pragmatic. Narrator: Morrissey is a bare-knuckle boxer. But Bill the Butcher is one of the deadliest street fighters in Five Points. And he knows how to find an opponent's weakness. Morrissey's anxious. Morrissey wants the world in his hands, right then and there. It's gonna make Morrissey vulnerable because he's gonna be emotional. And Poole's emotionless. Poole waits patiently for Morrissey's impulsiveness to give him an opening. Come on! Morrissey makes a mistake, charges Poole. And Poole jumps on him. This is bare-knuckle boxing. This is rough and tumble. There are no rules. Narrator: Now, the Butcher has his prey right where he wants him... Trapped. Poole beats him to a pulp... eyes, face, ears. Narrator: With shocking brutality, Poole reportedly gouges his eyes and bites a hole in his cheek. Poole knew going in he was gonna wipe the floor with Morrissey. And that's exactly what happened. Through a haze of blood, Morrissey realizes that Poole won't stop pounding him until he's dead. With his last breaths, this proud Irishman does something he's never done before. Not after 37 rounds with Yankee Sullivan, not even when Poole had him down at the Empire Club. He surrenders. Come on, you. Yeah! To survive this moment, he needs to surrender. He needs to give up. Otherwise, he's gonna die. McMillan: There was no choice. He was being beaten so badly by William Poole. Poole gets up, struttin' like the cock of the walk. Narrator: Poole and his gang leave Morrissey for dead. But Morrissey is still breathing, barely alive. Morrissey is just beaten to the point of hospitalization. Morrissey could have very well died that day. Narrator: By the next day, reports of Poole's victory and Morrissey's injuries made national headlines. Kamil: The newspaper accounts asked whether Morrissey will ever actually walk again. William Poole soundly thrashed poor John Morrissey. Poole was totally the winner of that confrontation. Narrator: It's a victory for the anti-immigrant movement across the country that this Nativist beat the upstart Irishman. As months pass, a triumphant Poole believes the feud with Morrissey is over. He carries on his life of butchering and ballot stuffing, confident his reign in town will continue. But he may have underestimated his opponent one last time. In the wake of the fight, a devastated Morrissey spends weeks recuperating. His wife, shaken, begs him to leave town, fearful that Poole will be the death of him. But he refuses to back down. I'll not be run out of town by Poole. Fighting on behalf of all Irishmen struggling to make it in the new world against bigotry like Poole's, he just can't stand for this hateful man to be victorious. I'll get my revenge. I swear it. This was an ugly fight filled with blood, hate, fists. An epic feud. It was gonna end bad. Narrator: The following year, on a cold winter night, William Poole is drinking at a local watering hole, Stanwix Hall. He doesn't notice when a lone figure walks in. But the other patrons are stunned to see Poole's old rival, John Morrissey. Stanwix Hall was a Nativist leaning place. How dare Morrissey trespass on Poole's territory? He's just asking to have his balls handed to him. Narrator: But this time, Morrissey no longer cares about honor. His hatred is so deep that he'll do anything to destroy his rival. The sudden use of a firearm is completely out of Morrissey's character. He's a man of fists. The use of a gun is murder as opposed to a retaliatory beating. You Irish thug. Don't you have the sense to know when you've been beaten for good and all? I should have killed you years ago when you first showed up at the Empire Club. I wager you wish you had, you son of a bitch. Morrissey's had two experiences with Poole. Aah! This time, he's taking no chances. Poole has to be eliminated by hook or by crook. I'm gonna end this, right here and right now. Narrator: It's February 1855. John Morrissey has just approached his hated enemy, William Poole, in a New York bar. I'm gonna end this, right here and right now. McMillan: Nothing happened. He pulled it again. Twice now, nothing happens. Muldoon: The gun, it must have misfired. Divine intervention. [Laughs] You know? It's like... it's hard to believe. Narrator: Now, Morrissey is unarmed facing his bitter foe in a hostile bar. You're a lucky b*st*rd, Morrissey. If that gun had gone off, you'd have all the fury of the Bowery Boys come down on your head. You know you can't kill me and live to brag about it. I imagine Morrissey's immediate reaction is, "it's gonna be down to fists." But to his amazement, Bill the Butcher then pulls two carving knives. Knives. Now Bill was in his element. Why don't you fight me like a real man? Take it, you son of a bitch. Suddenly, the tables have turned. There's absolutely no chance of taking him on in a knife fight. Poole's gonna kill him in a knife fight. I'll butcher you like the pig that you are. Narrator: Just then, by blind luck, a few policemen enter the bar. Man: Halt! There'll be no fighting here, boys, or it's the tombs for both of you. If it hadn't have been for the intervention of that policeman, God knows what would have happened. Out. All right, all right. Out. Morrissey's fumin'. This ain't over, Poole. I'll see you soon enough. Narrator: Poole carries on drinking, laughing at his rival's sad attempt at revenge. Kamil: Think of the insult that Poole has just leveled at Morrissey. He looked at the guy who just shot at him and said, "You're lucky. Not me." That's a really powerful statement. Narrator: Outside the bar, an enraged Morrissey runs into two of his comrades, Jim Turner and Lew Baker, and tells them what happened inside. Morrissey, for once, does what he's told and goes home. But Morrissey's men come back in Stanwix Hall. Narrator: And so, on this night, Bill the Butcher is in for yet another surprise. Poole was sitting at the bar, having a drink. In walk a couple of Morrissey's gang, that one of which was Mr. Turner. Poole. We've come to clean up the place. Your butchering days are over. Turner goes to pull his gun out, winds up shooting himself in the arm, then shoots Poole in the leg. As Poole goes down, Baker gets out a gun... [Gunshots] [Poole gasping] ... and shot William Poole twice. Bill? Snell, get the doctor. It's all right. [Groaning, gasping] Baker: Poole must have been infuriated that these Irish had ambushed him and brought guns to a knife fight. Narrator: Poole is carried home, and a doctor is called in. One of the bullets has entered his heart, a wound too serious for the limited surgery of the day. But as he lies there dying, he manages to tell the police who he holds responsible. It was that Irish b*st*rd John Morrissey who got me. He lingers for 2 weeks before succumbing to his wounds. The final words that he allegedly says were... Good-bye, boys. I die a true American. This is an incredible way to die. This is a powerful slap in the face of every immigrant that has ever come to American shores. I have been killed by the immigrants, but I'm dying a true American. But he was anything but a true American. I mean, this was a racist, bigotist scumbag. And John Morrissey is a much better person. Poole deserves to die because he's in John Morrissey's way. Narrator: Poole's death is big news throughout the city. As for Poole's accusation, of course, John Morrissey denies any involvement. He and his colleagues, Turner and Baker, are indicted for the murder. But after hung juries, the charges are dropped. In my opinion, William Poole's death is attributable to John Morrissey simply because it was on behalf of Morrissey that Baker and Turner came to face Poole. Narrator: William Poole's funeral is a grand spectacle of Nativist pride, with contingents of police, fire companies, gang members, and politicians. William Poole's funeral was attended by over 100,000 people. That was unheard of. That had never happened before that. The next time it happened after that was for Abraham Lincoln's funeral. Narrator: With William Poole in his grave, the feud between Poole and John Morrissey is finally over. Their gangs, the Irish Dead Rabbits and the Nativist Bowery Boys, will continue to compete for turf and power in bloody street battles. As for John Morrissey, he retires from boxing and from gang warfare but not from politics. In 1866, he gets himself elected to Congress. Kamil: The Victor of all this is John Morrissey. He transforms himself from an uneducated son of a factory worker to a member of the United States Congress. It's respect. It's money. It's recognition for everything that he's achieved in his life. Narrator: When Morrissey dies of pneumonia at the age of 47 in 1878, state offices are closed and flags fly at half-staff. By the time he dies, the Irish are still not fully accepted in this country as equals. But it's coming. And that's in part because of how he was able to force their acceptance on America. That fight has often been violent. It's sometimes been ugly. But it has led to a wider sense of who we are as a country. Narrator: While these two men, William Poole and John Morrissey, may now be long gone, the legacy of their blood feud lives on. William Poole, John Morrissey, they represented something that still exists to this very day. There are still huge divides in race, immigration, politics, the one-percenters. Kamil: Throughout this feud, you can see the story line of American individuals struggling to not only survive in this country but to be Americans.
Gangs of New York