LizzieMaine
Bartender
- Messages
- 33,771
- Location
- Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
Fifty-four-year-old Barney Doyle of Fairview, New Jersey was looking forward to the Fourth of July 1950 -- he had scored excellent tickets to see his beloved New York Giants take on the Brooklyn Dodgers in a doubleheader at the Polo Grounds. It was a beautiful summer day, the stadium was packed, and as the Giants were about to take the field for the start of the afternoon's first game, Barney turned to speak to his companion. And then his face went blank, and he fell over dead in his seat.
Barney Doyle was shot in the head by a .45 buillet fired by a bored teenage boy from the roof of 515 Edgecomb Avenue, atop Coogan's Bluff, overlooking the ballpark. The 14-year-old gunman had found the pistol, with one round in the chamber, on the ground in Central Park, and took it home, planning to use it as a noisemaker to celebrate the 4th. The slug went straight from the gun into Barney Doyle's brain. He never knew what hit him.
As police carried Doyle's body under the stands for examination, standing-room-only fans fought for possession of his vacated seat. The doubleheader went on without interruption, and Doyle's seatmate complained to the officers that he really didn't want to go along for questioning, because he'd been looking forward to the games for weeks. The Giants won the first game 5-4, but the Dodgers took the nightcap 5-3.
It was a kinder, gentler time...
Barney Doyle was shot in the head by a .45 buillet fired by a bored teenage boy from the roof of 515 Edgecomb Avenue, atop Coogan's Bluff, overlooking the ballpark. The 14-year-old gunman had found the pistol, with one round in the chamber, on the ground in Central Park, and took it home, planning to use it as a noisemaker to celebrate the 4th. The slug went straight from the gun into Barney Doyle's brain. He never knew what hit him.
As police carried Doyle's body under the stands for examination, standing-room-only fans fought for possession of his vacated seat. The doubleheader went on without interruption, and Doyle's seatmate complained to the officers that he really didn't want to go along for questioning, because he'd been looking forward to the games for weeks. The Giants won the first game 5-4, but the Dodgers took the nightcap 5-3.
It was a kinder, gentler time...