Mary Jane “Bricktop” Jackson of Gallatin Street (1860)
The toughest resident of Gallatin Street was prostitute Mary Jane Jackson. Jackson had fiery red hair and unflinching killer instinct epitomized her nickname, “Bricktop.” In 1856, Bricktop killed a man for calling her a w-h-o-r-e. While that man was clubbed to death, her favorite weapon was a custom-made knife, which she could allegedly slash in any direction without changing her hand position. She killed at least four men and stabbed many more.
Her most notorious fight was with John Miller, a man so hardcore, when he lost his arm in a fight, and had it replaced with a mace. During a fight, Bricktop grabbed the arm-mace and beat him with it. Miller tried to stab her, but she used her knife to finish him off. She went to prison for his death, but only for one year. Upon release, she led a quieter, more subdued life.
