Patrick "Cruxy" Connor -shot New York 1922

[corisande]

I am trying to find out where this man actually came from. My notes on him are on this link

Patrick Connor was an ex-British soldier, nicknamed "Cruxy" as be had apparently won the Croix de Guerre in WW1. However I cannot find anyone  of roughly this name getting Croix de Guerre

He joined IRA and took part in Coolavohig ambush in Feb 1921 where he manned one of the IRA Lewis guns, but he claimed it jammed. Later the IRA believed he was responsible for the deaths of 6 volunteers in a British raid in March 1921

He fled to New York with his father, mother, brother and sister-in-law. And was shot by an IRA vengeance squad led by Patrick 'Pa' Murray Commander of the Cork city Active Service Unit , and containing at least one more man, Danny Healy. It is believed that Connor survived the attack

I cannot find a suitable candidate in 1911 census (or 1901) in the Blarney Rd or Clogheen area of Cork. Patrick Connor appears to be 26 in 1922, and to have a brother Michael, his mother and father are not named in New York newspaper reports.

So my question is who was Croxy. I just cannot get any further clues

I believe that Witness Statements were made by Healy and Murphy
WS 1656 by Danny Healy
WS 1584 by Patrick Murphy
But I do not have access to WS from where I live

[corisande]

Somebody was kind enough to send me the WSs above.

I now know that the Active Service Unit that went to New York to shoot Connor was three men

Pa Murray, Martin Donovan and Danny Healy

Donovan did not make a WS, Murray stops his WS narrative at the truce, and does not mention the New York shooting.

However Healy makes a detailed statement of how the operation was carried out. Though the Bur Mil History have pulled 4 pages that describe the actual shooting.

I am still none the wiser as to who Connor was, as Healy does not go into Connors background at all.

[oldkingkole]

Hi I liked the puzzle you set
hope this is correct...thought I'd try to track down the Connor Family's passage to New York via Ellis Island Site.
From newspaper reports you had...Patrick's mother said the family  came over in to NY in October 1921.
I did a few searches and found nothing matched on Connor but with "O'Connor"
...........................................
Aug 08 1921  on the ship ..'Carmania'

Patrick Joseph O'Connor Aged 26....single...Accountant....Staying with Aunt Rosaleen Caffey 308 East 66st NY.....Mo. Mrs O'Connor 7 Lancaster Quay.
Michael F O'Connor  aged 28...married....Salesman....etc

There's more details on the form but I think this is very suggestive of the right man......correct age, travelling with a married brother called Michael....roughly the right area of Cork and also an accountant. The newspaper article said he worked in NY as a bookkeeper.


Then found Florence, Michael's wife travelling over in October 1921 with her in-laws and an infant, (also mentioned in the reports)...
...............................................................................................................

October 02 1921 on The Centennial State

Florence 26yo, John Patrick ?aged 3, John O'Connor 51, engine driver, Hannah O'Connor 50yo

They are going to join  Florence's husband, Michael O'Connor, at 308 East 66th ST NY,  Michael is listed as John Patrick's father, Michael is listed as the son of John and Hannah.

There are other details including that Florence was born in Dublin and that prior to coming to NY they were staying in county Meath with a Mrs Hannah O'Connor.
..who's listed as Florence's mother and sister-in-law of  John and Hannah?
This last bit i a bit confusing but all the rest fits very well...
....................................................................................................
So after the Ambush Michael and Patrick fled to NY,
the rest of the family joined Florence's mother in County Meath before leaving to NY in October 1921.
............................................................................................


Had a quick check with the new info. on the 1911 Census...still not obvious?

PS. Sorry I haven't given the links for the above pages but for some reason it wasn't working for me...I'm sure you'll find the pages with all the info......if I'm correct with the above this info will give a whole lot of clues to follow..I'd be interested to know what happened to Patrick and the rest of the family?

Padraig.

[corisande]

Padraig

Thanks for those leads - I will spend the morning now trying to see if I can prove, or disprove that this is our man

You are right in picking up the profession, it is an example of how a fresh mind can help enormously. I was thinking soldiers and labourers, but as you saw, and I missed, he was doing white collar work in New York.

As you have seen in your playing with the puzzle, it is a question of trying to cover off all the permutations of (O')Connor(s)

There is someone on WW1 forum who has the definitive database of thousands of "foreign gongs" who looked up Croix de Guerres for me and cannot find anything remotely resembling Connor or variations. He has tried other foreign crosses (eg Russian, Bulgarian, etc) , but nothing there either

[corisande]

And I have now been able to find that family in the 1911 census on this link    living in Mount  Desert, Cork. And the same place in 1901 census   Which is the right area of Cork

This is certainly the family as the father is an Engine Driver. The ages are out, but that is less important.

It does not prove that it is Croxy, but it is the family that you picked up emigrating, and the relationships look promising.

Healy, the man who shot Croxy gave Croxy's brother as "Frank", the papers gave him as "Michael" and this chap is "Michael Francis" which looks right

I have updated my page on Patrick O'Connor  and I am now reasonably certain that this is indeed the elusive Croxy. Thanks you for your help

Still a long way to go, but at least I now have his name and background correct.

[quinndaughter]

I see that this is a very old thread, but I'm hoping my post finds it's way to you, corisande.

My great uncle, William Deasy, was one of the men killed based on Patrick O'Connor's information.  Before my grandfather, Jeremiah Deasy, died, I asked him how they found Patrick O'Connor in New York.  He told me that the IRA had agreements with all of the Irish social clubs to provide them with members' and visitors' names.  The IRA figured that Cruxy would soon get homesick and turn up at one of the clubs.  As it happens, he did just that.  I don't know which club -- possibly the NY Cork Association. 

My grandfather also provided me with his own written recollection of the Ballycannon incident and Cruxy's role in it.  I would be more than happy to share this with you.

[corisande]

How time does fly !

I have sent you a PM with my email - I would be really interested in reading that account of your grandfathers

[mbulik]

Hi, Quinndaughter. I'm researching the shooting of Patrick O'Connor in New York and would love to get in touch.

[rathmore]

if it is the same person

http://www.stairnaheireann.net/tag/patrick-oconnor

they still remember him and call him Connor the spy or Connor the shafter

cannot find him on croix de guerre sites