WHO WAS “SQUIZZY” TAYLOR AND HOW DID HE INFLUENCE LIFE IN RICHMOND

W R I T T E N B Y C A M R O N M E R J A N

WHO WAS SQUIZZY TAYLOR?Squizzy rose to power by leading a gang war againg

rival criminal gang run by Snowy Cutmore during 1919.He was a diminutive man at only 156cm tall but what he lacked in height he made up for with attitude. He had a fearsome reputation in melbourne during the 1920’s. He was often referred to the Australian equivalent of the American bootleggers. He died on the 27 of October 1927 in typical gangster fashion he was killed during a gun fight with Snowy Cutmore in which both gangsters were killed.

WHO WERE HIS ASSOCIATES? Buckley, Richard

Slater, Henry

Cutmore, John Daniel

Green, Daniel Cooper

WHAT SORT OF CRIMES DID HE COMMIT?Squizzy committed crimes such as pickpocketing

theft, assault, inciting to resist arrest, vagrancy, offensive language, throwing missiles, robbery, armed robbery and murder.

WHAT PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT DID HIS CRIMES HAVE ON THE POPULATION?

Squizzy’s crimes would have had a great psychological effect on the population as many people would become afraid of leaving their homes at night in case they came face to face with either Squizzy or his brutal goons. The threat of being robbed would of caused great mental harm to the population in the area of Richmond and Fitzroy as they would never know if the next road they went down would be their last.

WHO WERE HIS ENEMIES?Squizzy’s main enemy was John “Snowy” Cutmore

though, his other adversaries included the Razor Gang.

WHAT THRUST HIM INTO A LIFE OF CRIME?Squizzy turned to crime four years after his father

died. Without a fatherly figure in his life Squizzy would have grown up having a different life than most other children had because he did not have a father. At the age of 16 he was arrested for insulting behaviour he was discharged without conviction but this was to be the first of many court appearances. His first criminal conviction was in 1906 at the ripe age 17 when he was sentenced to 21 days imprisonment for theft.

WHAT EFFECT DID THE “FITZROY VENDETTA” HAVE ON THE POPULATION?

The “Fitzroy Vendetta” had a great effect on the population as criminal activities such as drive- by shootings began to increase in rate causing the public to even be afraid in the safety of their own home.

HOW MANY PEOPLE WAS HE SUSPECTED OF KILLING?

Suizzy Taylor is suspected of killing three people. These people are Arthur Trotter, William Haines and Thomas Berriman.

WHAT LEGACY DID HE LEAVE BEHIND?Some of Squizzy’s legacy is still evident. In

Melbourne in the 1970s: the legendary bullet marks in the central stairwell of the Trades Hall, and one or two pubs that were still known as former hangouts of Squizzy Taylor.

WHAT WAS THE FITZROY VENDETTA?The ‘Fitzroy Vendetta’ begun when Fitzroy's

members were taken to court for stealing from a jeweller, it was suspected that Squizzy Taylors men had given a hint to the police. This lead to an aggressive verbal disputed, leading to punches being thrown to Taylor and his co-leader, stokes. To add to the problem, Taylor's wife, dolly, was drugged, abused and robbed of her £200 jewellery. Taylors men retaliated furiously to the men responsible for his wife's mistreatment. Taylor invaded, his enemy, Edward whiting's home. Whiting was shot several time, but survived thanks to his ‘extremely thick skull’ this was only the beginning of many retaliations. May of ‘19 was the peak of havoc in Richmond. Within the span of a few days, a Richmond member was shot, a Fitzroy meme was brutally bashed by the Fitzroy gang, whiting house as once again invaded, but by late 1919 the feud had died down.

WHY WAS THE VENDETTA WITH “SNOWY” CUTMORE?

It is suspected that the Fitzroy Vendetta is as a result of a love triangle. The two men were both in love with the one female (still unknown) and this caused a feud now known as the Fitzroy Vendetta.

WHY WAS HE CALLED “THE GENTLEMEN GANGSTER”?

Squizzy was called this because although he was a thug and did some awful things he was also quite the gentlemen. He would do many things that would help others and would even put others wellbeing before his own. He did many things for others that were unrequired for and would even use his own men to help people that were in serious need. This is why he was called the gentlemen gangster.

BIBLIOGRAPHY"Squizzy Taylor." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 July

2012. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squizzy_Taylor>.

"Squizzy Taylor." Ergo. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/rebels-outlaws/city-criminals/squizzy-taylor>.

"Australian Dictionary of Biography." Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. <http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/taylor-joseph-leslie-squizzy-8762>.

MCcALMAN, Janet. Struggle Town. N.p.: Hyland Hous, n.d. Print.