By Danny Leavy (New York, August 2026)
Edward J Kavanagh (1877-1907) – Find a Grave Memorial
The NYPD Memorial in Battery Park stands in the shadow of the Freedom Tower. It honors and pays tribute to the members of the New York City Police Department who lost their lives in the line of duty. The memorial holds more than one thousand names dating back to 1849. One of the names listed on the wall is Edward Kavanagh who was shot and killed on November 14th, 1907.
Edward Kavanagh was born in Walsh Island, County Offaly. His Parents were James Kavanagh and Mary Behan. Most of the Records available for Edward from his time in the US gave his birth year as 1877 or 1878 which was a common mistake at the time. Luckily his birth record in Ireland was recorded in the Registrars District of Edenderry in February of 1876.
In May 1903 Edward applied for citizenship in New York. On his paperwork it states he entered the US in 1897 and at that time was 21 years old. The same paperwork from 1903 gives his occupation as a Bartender. The Police Dept records and newspaper reported at the time of his death in 1907 that he was a member of the Police Department for two years. It looks like for his first eight years in New York he was bartending and then he decided to join the Police. In the early 1900s roughly five out of six officers in the NYPD were either born in Ireland or were first and second generation Irish-Americans. Edward wasn’t married and had no children, which limits the amount of material available for research on this side of the Atlantic although the manner of his death did provide some.
A recent book by the Walsh Island Historical Group called “A history of Walsh Island Through Its People” gives a great account of local stories about Walsh Island and its peatlands with wonderful photos and illustrations. This book also contains a full page on the Kavanagh family with a photo of their home from the early 1900s with family members out front. It also has a reports on Edward and his death in NYC.
The above photo includes Edward’s father, James. The family headstone in Walsh Island shows James Kavanagh passed away in 1914 and his wife Mary died in 1888. The Walsh Island book states Mary sadly passed away during childbirth. Based on the 1901 census James Kavanagh is the youngest member of the family. He was 14 in 1901. (See pic) It would appear it was during his birth that his mother tragically died. Based on the same census, the oldest at the time was Bridget who was 23. This means Edward was the oldest as he would have been 25 in 1901.
Newspaper reports of the shooting in 1907 were far from politically correct when describing the shooter William Morse as he was a man of color. It also mentions he narrowly escaped swift justice by the citizens who chased him down. The report below of what happened that day appears on the NYPD Officer Down Memorial website. This website is a non-profit organization which honors law enforcement officers
“Patrolman Kavanagh Was Shot and Killed Attempting to arrest a robbery suspect. At approximately 2000 Hours the suspect grabbed the handbag of a woman in front of 194 Duffield Street, Brooklyn. He fled with a citizen in pursuit. The citizen tackled the suspect on Gold Street, near Willoughby Street. During the struggle, the suspect drew a revolver and fired. the shot missed, but it drew the attention of Patrolman Kavanagh who was nearby. Patrolman Kavanagh ran to the location and grabbed the suspect, but the suspect fired again, striking Patrolman Kavanagh. the suspect fled, but the citizen took patrolman Kavanagh’s revolver and pursued the suspect. He fired five shots and eventually cornered the suspect, where he and several other citizens took him into custody. Patrolman Kavanagh was taken to Brooklyn Hospital where he died from his wounds. The suspect was convicted of patrolman Kavanagh’s murder and executed at Sing Sing prison on January 3rd, 1910. He had served with the New York City Police Department for two years and was assigned to the 47th precinct, which Is the present day 76th precinct.”
To make his murder even worse was the fact Edward was only fifteen minutes away from the end of his shift when he encountered William Morse. At the time of his death, he was boarding in a house at 188 Amity Street in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn. The house is only a ten-minute walk from where he was shot. Coincidentally this home was built on land once owned by Cornelius Heeney from Edenderry.
William Morse was found Guilty of the murder on December 20th, 1907. He was sentenced to death in the electric chair in the week of February 3rd, 1908. It took just thirty-six days from the time of the shooting to indict, try and convict Morse. His execution date was pushed back due to appeals by his lawyer. Morse was finally executed on January 3rd, 1910, at the infamous Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York.
The newspaper at the time stated:
“Morse was prepared to die when the warden walked through the corridor leading to the death house this morning. The door to his cell swung wide and he was led forth. He was taken to the death room without delay and at 5:55am the current was turned on”.
The last person executed at Sing Sing Prison was Eddie Lee Mays. He died in the electric chair on August 15, 1963, after a conviction for first-degree murder during a robbery in Harlem. His execution was also the last carried out in the state of New York.
Edward’s wake was in the house of his cousin Margaret Dempsey. I haven’t traced the family connection to Margaret just yet. He was 31 years old when he was laid to rest in Holy Cross Cemetery Brooklyn on November 18th, 1907. Holy Cross is the final resting place for countless Irish emigrants. The 96-acre Cemetery opened in 1849 as Brooklyn’s Catholic population surged with the Irish fleeing the famine. I have visited hundreds of graves in Holy Cross, most with an Offaly connection. Edwards is somewhat different of course because of how he died.
With thanks to my former teacher Anne Barry from Carbury who reached out to me a while back looking for info on Edward Kavanagh. Annes Aunt, Peg Birmingham, married Ger Byrne in the 1950s. They bought the house nearby the original homeplace from James Mangan who was married to Edward’s sister Elizabeth. Also, thanks to Gary Comerford and his Mother Maureen for the help. Along with Catherine Molloy Leavy for the photo of the family headstone in Walsh Island.
Danny Leavy (New York, August 2026)
Sources:
“A History of Walsh Island Through Its people”. Walsh Island Historical Group.2023.
Census Record | The National Archives of Ireland
Edward J Kavanagh (1877-1907) – Find a Grave Memorial
NYC Police Memorial – BATTERY PARK CITY AUTHORITY
