From the November 28, 1909 New York Times:

“One of the diversions of the New York tenement house boy is flying captive pigeons from the roof of his home. While three little boys, Anthony Koenig, of 638 East Eleventh Street, Henry Flannigan, of 187 Avenue C, and Rudolph Poharley of 174 Avenue C, were flying pigeons from the roof of the Koenig boy’s home, yesterday afternoon, Poharley lost his string, and his black pigeon fluttered off.

He reached after the string as it trailed over the edge of the roof and lost his balance, falling to the ground, six stories below. Dr. Reiter, of 630 East Eleventh Street, just across the street, saw Poharley strike the sidewalk on the side of his head. He ran to him, and after an examination, found that he had been killed instantly. His neck was broken.

An ambulance took the 18 year old boy’s body to the Union Market Police Station.

When his companions, who are 12 and 13 years old, had dried their eyes they returned to the roof and hid behind the chimneys, waiting for the pigeon that Poharley had been flying to return.

It was a black pigeon, and among the boys of the East Side, a black pigeon is called a ‘hard luck’ pigeon.

At last the pigeon returned, and the boys pounced upon it and killed it by wringing its neck.

Thus the hoodoo of the bird was ended.”