Ned Lyons

Ned Lyons
Lyons recuperating in a hospital after being shot by police
Born	Edward Lyons 1839 (1839) Ireland
Died	1906 (aged 66–67) Manhattan, New York, US
Nationality	Irish-American
Other names	Robert E. Hapgood, Edward T. Sanman, George Jackson and George F. Lenning
Occupation	Criminal
Known for	New York burglar, bank robber and underworld figure
Spouse	Sophie Lyons (wife)
Children	2 sons, 4 daughters

Edward "Ned" Lyons was a New York City gangster in the 19th century. Born in Ireland around 1839, he immigrated to America as a child and settled in Lowell, Massachusetts. A burglar and bank robber, he learned his criminal trade in New York City. He was sentenced to Sing Sing Prison, from which he escaped in 1872 with his wife, Sophie Lyons. After serving multiple prison terms he became a notorious hustler and conman.

Ned learned to understand how people think and react, and although impaired by extreme near-sightedness, he was capable of quickly identifying liars, earning himself a high powered position among the gangs of New York. Physically, he had a strikingly large head.

Further reading

• Asbury, Henry. The French Quarter: An Informal History of the New Orleans Underworld. New York: Alfred A. Knoff, 1936. ISBN 1-56025-494-7
• Davidson, Shayne. Queen of the Burglars: The Scandalous Life of Sophie Lyons. Jefferson, N.C.: Exposit Books, 2020. ISBN 978-1-4766-8254-9

External links

• The Willimantic Chronicle - Year of 1884, imprisoned at Springfield
• Edward Lyons, alias Ned Lyons, Professional Criminals of America by Byrnes