PETER BETZ
Several days after the murder of William Hayden, Maggie Curranâs âresortâ not so mysteriously burned down. The strong odor of kerosene convinced authorities it was arson, but no one was overly upset about it.
When veteran Irish-American stage star Ned Harrigan and his composer father-in-law Dave Brahman, creators of the American musical comedy format, penned “Maggie Murphy’s Home” in 1890, it was just another of their long run of hit songs, written for inclusion in their latest musical comedy, “Reilly and the Four Hundred.” The New York stage was then where most popular songs of the era first appeared. Today it seems full of innocent merriment, and the lyrics don’t appear to contain any intended vulgarities. Witness the first verse: