#newswomen

Page 1 of The New York Tribune, 17 December 1897.

Well it's true! But the Crutchy Morris we all know and love was in fact a newsboy on the Strike Committee in 1899.

Questions are great! Please keep sending questions!

Unfortunately I don’t have too much information on Annie Kelly at the moment, but here’s what I do know:

Annie Kelly was a well-known newswoman before the strike. She is described as “the Park Row newswoman”, so she likely sold papers near City Hall. One paper references her selling the Post, Eagle and Evening Sun, and running a newsstand rather than holding her wares in her arms like the children often did.

Annie was the only woman consistently named as being loyal to the strike. This is significant because as somebody established enough in the newspaper business to own a stand, she had a lot of influence over what people read. She also had privilege as a woman because, as Kid Blink put it, “a feller can’t soak a lady” so she chose to join because of morals, not threat of violence.

Annie is the only woman listed as a speaker at the newsboys’ rally in Irving Hall. She didn’t intend to speak, but when the boys saw she was there they started chanting her name and wouldn’t stop until she stood up and said a few words.

One paper claimed she had a son named Sam Keeler who was also involved in the strike, but as it is only one source it is unclear how true this is.

Cocorans Win at the Bridge 25 Jan 1899, Wed The Sun (New York, New York) Newspapers.com

January 25th, 1899

Mrs. Corcoran and her two daughters get in to a tangle with Mrs. Shea.

People:

Mrs. Shea (Widow Shea)

Mrs. Corcoran

Rosie Corcoran

Mamie Corcoran

Policeman O'Brien

Policeman Doyle

Places:

“Scrappy Day in City Hall Park”, The Sun, July 9th 1899

People:

Kitty Daly, newsgirl

Widow Cochran, newswoman

Jimmy Cochran

Two Cochran daughters

Unnamed policeman

Large newsboy

Small boy in blue flannel

Places:

City Hall