John Kelly (New York politician)

For other people named John Kelly, see John Kelly (disambiguation).
John Kelly
Puck magazine caricature of Kelly (on grill), 1881
This cartoon describes the aftermath of the fight for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 1884.

John Kelly (April 20, 1822 – June 1, 1886) of New York City, known as "Honest John", was a boss of Tammany Hall and a U.S. Representative from New York from 1855 to 1858. The title "Honest" was given to him during his years as New York City Sheriff, and was more ironic than truthful.

Kelly was able to amass a vast fortune estimated at $800,000 ($17,400,000 in current dollar terms) by 1867 by both ethical and questionable means. In addition, after having his methods questioned and his title insulted by New York City Mayor William Havemeyer, Kelly responded with a lawsuit for libel. On the day of the trial, Havemeyer dropped dead of apoplexy.[1] He had a questionable reputation and was the subject of a gubernatorial investigation at the time of his death.[2]

  1. ^ Connable, Alfred, and Edward Silberfarb. Tigers of Tammany: Nine Men Who Ran New York. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1967. Print.
  2. ^ William Bristol Shaw (1932). "Havemeyer, William Frederick". Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.