James Kelly (crimper)

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For other persons named James Kelly, see James Kelly (disambiguation).
James Kelly
Nationality Flag of the United States United States
Occupation Bar owner and so called King of Crimps
Title Shanghai Kelly

James "Shanghai" Kelly was an American criminal of the 1800's who kidnapped men and forced them to work on ships. The terms "crimp" and "shanghaier" are used to describe this type of criminal. Kelly wore a red beard and had a fiery temper to match. A legendary figure in San Francisco history, Kelly was called the King of Crimps for his gift of supplying or Shanghaiing men to understaffed ships.[1]

Kelly kept a boarding house in San Francisco, variously reported to be on Pacific or Broadway.[2] He also ran a number of bars including the Boston House at the corner of Davis and Chambers streets near the waterfront.[2] He also ran a saloon and boarding house at No. 33 Pacific between Drumm and Davis streets[2]

Kelly is highly mythologized, and it is difficult to separate truth from the folklore. Here are some possibly true items about Kelly that have appeared in pront:

  • His saloon had three trapdoors. When a sailor was needed, one was rendered unconscious with drugs or violence, dumped into a boat through a trapdoor and taken to the waiting ship. [2]
  • Cigar makers in Chinatown made up special opium-laced cigars for him to render sailors unconscious[2]
  • Some of the bodies he provided to ships were, in fact, dead. Once he provided a crewman that turned out to be a cigar store indian. [2]
  • Fellow-crimp Johnny "Shanghai Chicken" Devine shanghaied "Shanghai"[2]
  • They say that Kelly was shot down in Peru[2]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Yongiki Yoon (2000). The Barbary Coast Trail (HTML). GrandTimes. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Smith, 2007.

[edit] References