Death of John J Dowd, 26 July 1946

From the Brooklyn Eagle, via Fulton History:

John J. Dowd was the husband of Anne Murphy Dowd, and thus the son-in-law of Mary Ann Toner Murphy. His brothers-in-law, John and Thomas Murphy, had lived for a time with their aunt and my great-great-grandmother, Julia Mulvaney. He died on Friday 26 July 1946 - either "at his residence" or at "Madison Park Hospital"; the two news items, from the same page of the same day's paper, disagree on that point.

He was survived by his widow, Anne Murphy Dowd, and I have yet to discover evidence of her death.

Obtaining genealogical Information about ancestors who served in the NYPD

Months and months ago, I contacted the New York City Police Department to see whether they could offer any information about my great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mulcahy, who was a New York cop. I was living in a DC apartment at the time, and though I knew I'd be spending the summer in New York, I was using my temporary address on all of my correspondence at the time, since I never dreamed the response to a February request would arrive in June.

I went back to the old apartment this past weekend to pick up some furniture I'd stored there (and moved it into my GORGEOUS brand new apartment, by the way), and the upstairs neighbors gave me the mail they'd collected for me over the summer. There, among the alumni mailers and charity brochures, was a thick manilla envelope from the police department. It was so thick, in fact, that I assumed it couldn't be information about Papa. They must have sent a booklet or magazine about the history of the NYPD, or some such.

Oh no. It was an inch of material, and it was all about Papa. Just the list of what was included was 3 and a half pages long! I couldn't believe it!

If you're looking for information about the NYPD service of your ancestors, here's what I did:

I wrote to

Chief of Personnel
Staff Services Section
1 Police Plaza Room 1208
New York, NY 10038

I wrote a brief paragraph requesting any information they might be able to provide about my great-grandfather, Joseph E. Mulcahy, making sure to include the following information:

his name
my relationship to him
his shield number
his precinct
date of birth
years served

I was able to make out his shield number from an old picture of Papa in uniform, and I knew at least one of the precincts he'd served in based on old newspaper articles. I didn't know the years he'd served, but I ball-parked it based on what I knew about his life - when he was born, when he'd served in the Army, when he'd married, and when he'd died. Any other information you may have about your ancestor will probably be helpful, too.

It took about 4 months, so please don't give them a temporary address if you're not sure how long you'll be living there. I was very lucky that the boys upstairs were holding my mail, and that I'd even had cause to go back to the apartment at all. If I'd moved out cleanly, without leaving my things, I'd never have gone back and never have gotten all this information.

Joseph Mulcahy Promoted to NYPD Sergeant

Some time ago, one of the Griffins sent me this image of a newspaper clipping from the 1936 article about the results of the Civil Service Examinations for NYPD Sergeant. There were only 37 spots available, for the 1,345 men who passed out of 5,342 who took the test. Papa, Joseph E. Mulcahy, had the 3rd highest score, behind only Joseph M. E. Mallon and John E. Godfrey. I've had this saved for some time, but am only just remembering to post old documents now that I've figured out how to use Scribd.


Joseph Mulcahy 1936 Sergeant's Exam

Mulcahy family pictures

This is a picture of Papa as a policeman. He was in the 70th precinct, if I'm not mistaken, but someone please correct me if I am.

This is Papa's mother, Mary Ann Madigan Mulcahy.

Battle of Bergen Beach Won: Horse Sense Did It, Cop Captain Says

By I. Kaufman

Victory came yesterday to the entrenched residents of Bergen Beach in their Battle Against the Galloping Horse.
It wasn't that the Bergen Beachers-tenants and homeowners alike-were against the saddle horses of the riding academies in their vicinity, or against the riders. All they wanted was to have the riding done elsewhere than over the streets of their six-block-long and two-block-wide community on the edge of Mill Basin. There, they said in a petition signed by 150 Beach citizens, the saddled steeds ofttimes went out of control and became a menace of life and limb of man, woman and child. With the Spring horseback riding season approaching they wanted something done about it.

Something, finally, was, although twice before the people had tried to get help from the nearby Vanderveer Park Police Precinct, 1844 Brooklyn Avenue.¾and twice the police captain whom they were about to meet for this purpose was transferred to points far away.
The victory came, when did, suddenly.

New Captain Acts
Not much more than 24 hours after the transfer of Capt. John Langton the new precinct commander, Capt. Joseph E. Mulcahy, took the matter in hand, swiftly and decisively.
Driven by Patrolman William Kearney, he called at the home of Mrs. Mildred Schinelli, at 2258 E. 72d St., in the heart of Bergen Beach. Word spread swiftly around the colony that he was coming and a sizable delegation of mothers and fathers, children and grownups met him. They told him some of their hardships and he already knew of others. He then and there announced that the free galloping through the Bergen Beach streets would be stopped.
He said that it had already been arranged, not by putting anybody in jail, but by friendly, mutual arrangement. He has spoken to the riding academy owners, he said, and they had agreed to co-operate.
From now on, he said, the riding would be along a laid-out bridle path along E. 69th St. and then Avenue X, the Mill Basin Shore front. The local Hopalong Cassidys¾at so much an hour¾would keep off Avenues U, V and W and E. 70th to E. 75th Sts., inclusive. Signs would be posted along the bridle path to guide the riders and, beginning this morning, a police patrol car would be there to snforce the directions. The riding academies themselves, in addition, would post their own patrols for the same purpose.

‘Horse-Sense’ Solution
“I am very pleased,” said Captain Mulcahy, coining a pun, “with the approach of everybody concerned to this problem. Horse sense solved it.”
Bergen Beach, too, was pleased.
“We are grateful to the Brooklyn Eagle,” Mrs. Schinelli said, “for the help it gave us in drawing public attention to our trouble.”

[Photo info: from: http://catalog.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/search/XSEARCH=mulcahy&m=k&
SORT=R

CALL # NEIG 0083
AUTHOR McNamara, C. E., photographer.
TITLE At "peace" talks [picture] / C. E. McNamara.
PUB INFO [Brooklyn Eagle], 1951.

DESCRIPT 1 photographic print : b & w, gelatin silver ; 8 x 10 in.
NOTE On verso: date stamped: Mar 3, 1951.; photographer's stamp.
Title from caption on verso.
SUMMARY Caption: "At 'peace' talks--Bergen Beach residents head report by Police Capt. Joseph E. Mulcahy of the Brooklyn Ave. station on latest developments in fight to keep horses off certain streets in area. Seated, left to right, are Mrs. Mildred Schinelli, chairman of the resident's group; Mulcahy, Mrs. Harry Crouse, and Peter Plaia. Looking on are, left to right, Mrs. P. Trautman, Mr. and Mrs. E. Birkner, Mrs. C. Romano, William Hickey and Frank Cannizzaro."
CITE AS: Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection.
NOTE Brooklyn Eagle.
INDEXES Folder: Bergen Beach: General
SUBJECT Civic leaders.

Community life.
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Bergen Beach (New York, N.Y.)
GENRE Gelatin silver prints.
Photographic prints.
NOTE Series title: Locations]

(Courtesy of Joseph Griffin)