The evening times., 1901-05-21
PATRICK JEROME GLEASON.
Death of the cx-Mayor of Long ISL
and City.


and City.
! NEW YORK. May 2I-Patrick Jerome
/ Gleason, who died at his home in Long
/ Island City last night. was born in Ire
/ land, and came to this country when he
I was a boy He was a twin, and the small
/ est in height Of eight brothers His twin
! brother, Philip, was six feet seven inches
/ in height Gleason always said that he
! was much older than ne looked He be-
/ gan his political career when he was in
/ the liquor business in the Fourteenth
ward of Brooklyn. in 1872 He ran for
| Assembly on the Greeley ticket. and was
! elected. he claimed, but was counted out
/ by fifteen votes. He went West, and in
/ San Francisco accumulated about 10000
serving beef under contract to institu-
tions.
vher ne settled in Long Island City he
secured contract to build the first rail-
road between the Hunters Point Ferry
/ and Calvary Cemetery He worked with
a pick and ak with a gang of men build
/ ing the road. and when it was completed
he drove the first car over It. and contin-
/ ued to do this until he could afford to
put more cars on the road. He acted not
] only as driver. but as conductor, sta rter-
cashier. treasurer. president, and repairer
, for the line He had one car and three
horses. Afterward he became president
of the company. He continued to extend
! his railroad enterprises until he owned
several lines in Long Island City Later
he sold a portion Of his railroad to the
Steinway syndicate.
In 1876 he was a member of the Board
of Aldermen Of Long Island City. At that
time Henry 5. Debevoise, who was mayor,
was lodged in jail on charge Of misap-
propriating $4,000 of the city's funds.
made by Mr.. Gleason, who then became
President of the Board OF Aldermen, and
took an active part in getting Long Isl
and City out of its financial troubles In
1881 ne was elected mayor for the first
time. defeating George Petrie. He con-
tinued to be mayor until 1888, when Ho-
ratio s. Sanford IoOmed up as his opPo-
nent This was one of the hottest cleo
tions in the history of Long Island City
Mr.. Gleason claimed the election up to the
last moment, and had TO be elected from
the city hall by the police when Sanford
went to take possession of the Office, af-
ter the courts had decided against GIea-
son.
When the next election for mayor came
in 1896 Mr.. Gleason vas again successful
after another bitter fight. He would have
remained il office until 1929 had ne not
Dt7tIl leEs8Si&Leu out Dy tAC new at CLtd-A-
ing Greater New York. He was, however,
one of the first mayors to sign the Great
er New York charter, and he served as a
member Of the Greater New York Com
mission
During his term as mayor Mr.. Gleason
built five new schooIhouses. a paid fire de-
paTtment was established, and also an
electric light works He was the owner Of
the Puritan Club house and Of the City
Hall Building. He was instrumental in
reducing the fares on the Thirty-fourth
Street ferry and caused a sensation when
he cut down the sheds OF the Long Isl
and Railroad IN Front Street. because, as
he alleged, they were distractions to the
highway For this act his constituents
presented him with a battle-ax and or
ganizs5 what was known as the Battle
AK Ci--J- he used the battIe-ax as an
ernblenl in ali his campaigns afteTward.
MI Gleason served five days in the
Queens county iail for Stamping the face
Of political opponent. He was then
mayor. and while he remained IN jail he
was visited by a delegation of school chill
Qren, VINO presented him with flowers.
his .aSt candidacy for public Office was
for Mayor Of Greater New York. when ne
ran on the Independent ticket in the fall
Of 1881 He held his political power in
Long Island City until the Consolidation
act went into effect He then, for the
first time. threw down his battIe-ax and
realized that his political career was end
ed
Mr. Gleason said that the first Job he
obtained when he landed in this country
was in q brewery He received 50 a
month and his board He said he did not
Ike the liquor business. He next entered
the army to serve in the civil war All
his brothers fought in that struggle. Pat
rick's twin fought on the Confederate
side All his brothers came out with com
missions At the close of the war Nj
Gleason opened distillery at Flushing
His foreman was named FIeischman who
is now a wealthy distfIIer When MI
Gleason went TO San Francisco he had
no money and had 10 borrow funds for his
passage. Arriving in the gold country
he met q distilIer. to whom he sold dis
tillerS secret, receiving $500 in gold
This gave him new start, and he came
East with $1,000