Joseph Kelly (crimper)
Encyclopedia
Joseph "Bunko" Kelly was a Liverpudlian
hotelier of the 19th century who kidnapped men and sold them to work on ships
. The terms "crimp" and "shanghaier
" are used to describe this type of criminal.
He received his nickname in 1885 by providing a crewman that turned out to be a cigar store Indian
. Kelly made $50 on the deal.
In one infamous deal in 1893, he delivered 22 men who had mistakenly consumed embalming fluid
from the open cellar of a mortuary
. He sold all the men, most of whom were dead, to a captain who sailed before the truth was discovered. He got $52 for each man.
Once, he set a record for crimping, by rounding up 50 men in 3 hours.
Kelly was never arrested for crimping because it was not illegal at the time. He was however arrested for murder in 1894. He was convicted in March 1895, and sent to the Oregon State Penitentiary
in Salem, Oregon
. He was released in 1908. Afterwards, he wrote a book entitled "Thirteen Years In The Oregon Penitentiary" about the conditions there.
After his book was published, he left on a trip to California and never returned.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
hotelier of the 19th century who kidnapped men and sold them to work on ships
Merchant vessel
A merchant vessel is a ship that transports cargo or passengers. The closely related term commercial vessel is defined by the United States Coast Guard as any vessel engaged in commercial trade or that carries passengers for hire...
. The terms "crimp" and "shanghaier
Shanghaiing
Shanghaiing refers to the practice of conscripting men as sailors by coercive techniques such as trickery, intimidation, or violence. Those engaged in this form of kidnapping were known as crimps. Until 1915, unfree labor was widely used aboard American merchant ships...
" are used to describe this type of criminal.
He received his nickname in 1885 by providing a crewman that turned out to be a cigar store Indian
Cigar store Indian
The cigar store Indian or wooden Indian is an advertisement figure, in the likeness of an American Indian, made to represent tobacconists, much like: barber poles advertise barber shops; Show globe for an apothecary; or the three gold balls of the pawn shop. The figures are often three-dimensional...
. Kelly made $50 on the deal.
In one infamous deal in 1893, he delivered 22 men who had mistakenly consumed embalming fluid
Embalming chemicals
Embalming chemicals are a variety of preservatives, sanitising and disinfectant agents and additives used in modern embalming to temporarily prevent decomposition and restore a natural appearance for viewing a body after death...
from the open cellar of a mortuary
Morgue
A morgue or mortuary is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, or removal for autopsy or disposal by burial, cremation or otherwise...
. He sold all the men, most of whom were dead, to a captain who sailed before the truth was discovered. He got $52 for each man.
Once, he set a record for crimping, by rounding up 50 men in 3 hours.
Kelly was never arrested for crimping because it was not illegal at the time. He was however arrested for murder in 1894. He was convicted in March 1895, and sent to the Oregon State Penitentiary
Oregon State Penitentiary
Oregon State Penitentiary , the first state prison in Oregon, United States, was originally located in Portland in 1851. In 1866 it was moved to a site in Salem and enclosed by a reinforced concrete wall averaging in height...
in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. He was released in 1908. Afterwards, he wrote a book entitled "Thirteen Years In The Oregon Penitentiary" about the conditions there.
After his book was published, he left on a trip to California and never returned.