A Murderer's County - An Update on Minooka Connections

When I published A Murderer’s Country, I knew of one connection to Minooka with the regard to the murders of bailiff Joseph Huddy and his grandson on January 3, 1882 in Upper Cloughbrack, Galway: Sharkey Lydon’s grandmother, Mary Kerrigan Lydon, had witnessed the murders, and Mary’s father, Mathias Kerrigan, had testified for the prosecution. Before turning Queen's evidence, Mathias had been detained, without charge, for nine months because the murders had been committed in his yard. It was Mathias who had named the three men found guilty of the murders.

After the trials, Mary married Michael Lydon in Dooras (we think) in 1883. After immigrating to America, they built a house in the 3000 block of Pittston Avenue. Sharkey and Dr. Joe Lydon lived in the same house as their Irish-speaking grandmother until her death in 1928. The Huddy murders were a part of family lore. As it turns out, Mary is not the only Minooka connection.

Three men were convicted and executed for the Huddy murders: Michael Flynn and Thomas Higgins of Middle Cloughbrack, also known as America, and Patrick Higgins of Upper Cloughbrack, an adjacent village. Patrick Higgins was first cousin to Bridget Kerrigan Kerrigan, Mathias’s wife and Mary’s mother, and, therefore, related to the Sharkey Lydons.

The investigation into the Huddy murders was conducted between January and September, 1882. During that time, 211 people were questioned. One of those interviewed was Julia “Judy” Higgins Holleran, the sister of Thomas Higgins. She stated that she had been at her brother’s house on the day of the murders and that he had not been out of her sight for longer than fifteen minutes; that is, not enough time to kill the Huddys. At the trial of Thomas Higgins, her testimony was vigorously challenged by the prosecution, and the jurors did not believe her.

Julia Higgins had married Michael Holleran from Glenlusk in 1874. Their daughter, Bridgit Holleran, moved to Minooka and married Thomas F. Kearney and lived at 2707 Cedar Avenue where they raised twelve children.

Michael Flynn’s widow, Bridgit Higgins, was the sister of Thomas Higgins. A few years after his execution, Bridgit and at least six of her seven children moved to Minooka. Most of their children moved on to Pittsburgh and Ohio, but Catherine and Michael stayed in Minooka. Catherine married Patrick Laffey, son of James Laffey and Peggy Mulroe. In 1920, the Laffeys lived at 2901 Cedar Avenue. Michael married Mary Coyne, and in 1920, lived at 2718 Colliery Avenue. They had at least five children. Tragically, Bridgit Higgins Flynn was killed by a train in 1911. She and her daughter Catherine “Kate” Laffey had visited friends in Taylor. On the way home, they had been caught in a heavy rainstorm, and Bridget sought shelter under a train. When the car started to move, she was killed in front of Kate.

In summary, all three men who were found guilty of the Huddy murders have direct connections to Minooka. The book is available in paperback and on Kindle. See the links below.

Amazon Kindle ebook

Paperback on Amazon