"put the maginnis on" atedated (?) to 1871

[Stephen Goranson]

OED has 1901. "Etymology:  Origin uncertain; S. J. Baker ( Austral. Lang. (1966) 126) suggests a possible derivation from the name of a wrestler called McGinnis. Austral. slang (disused).  A (wrestling) hold from which escape is difficult. Freq. fig.; esp. in to put (also clap) the maginnis on : to immobilize; to pressurize or coerce. Also in crooked maginnis."
Australian National Dictionary also has 1901.

The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) Thursday 6 April 1871 p. 5 col 5

Four stout fellows, well able to work, were charged at the City Court yesterday with assaulting and robbing a little elderly man named Cherrington. The prisoners were named Wm. Frazer....Frazier is a most determined and desperate fellow, and is known as "Chokem Bill," from a belief that when he once "puts the maginnis" on any unfortunate individual, i.e. garottes him, the victim is effectively disabled for a time....

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/5845685/229706?searchTerm=


FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1871.
    The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) Friday 25 August 1871 p 5 col. 4Article
    ... who " put the maginnis on him," i.e., garotted him, and robbed him of a pocket-book con- taining a ....

Colonial Extracts.
    Queanbeyan Age (NSW : 1867 - 1904) Thursday 14 December 1871 p 2 Article
    ... "Maginnis" pretty strong as the throat is so much swollen as to-almost prevent swallowing, and is much ..

Warwick Examiner and Times (St. Lucia, Qld. : 1867 - 1919) p. 4 col. 3
Saturday 23 December 1871
Garotting in Sydney
....The ruffians in the latter instance put on what is termed, in their slang, the "Maginnis' pretty strong, as the throat is so much swollen as to almost prevent swallowing....

The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) p.3 col. 5
Tuesday 8 August 1899
Witness did not put the "Maginnis" on accused till he resisted so violently that it was necessary....

Alexandra and Yea Standard, Gobur, Thornton and Acheron Express (Vic. : 1877 - 1908)
Friday 16 May 1902 p.2 col. 1
A policemann in the metropolis who is renowned for putting the "Maginnis," or the "hammer-lock" or the "half.-Nelson" on  inoffensive drunks in the city and otherwise maltreating individuals has been warned by his superior officer to control himself better.

Stephen Goranson
www.duke.edu/~goranson

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org