Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-20
New York's Mayor Tells
His Impressions
Al the Time Of His Attempted
Assassination Last August
Was Not Afraid 10 Die II That Was
The VIII Of 9ed, No Says.

New York. Sept. 19.-Mayor Will
liam j. Gaynor. in a letter to his sis
ter, Miss Mary E. Gaynor, of Utica.
n. Y. which is printed this afternoon
in the Evening Post tells in an inter-
esting manner of his impressions at
the time he was shot on the steamship
Kaiser Wilhelm Der Crosse. Mayor
Gaynor wrote:
Il was standing on the deck talking
with Commissioners Thompson, Lee
derle, Edwards, Corporation Counsel
Watson. my secretary. Robert Adam
son, and several friends, who had
come aboard to see me off. Mr.. Mont.
president of Chile. and Mrs. Montt
had just passed by. and had spoken
a few words with them. Mr. Adam
son pointed out that the ship was
dressed with flags for me, but said
did not think it could be for me. MY
next consciousness was Of terrible
metallic roar in my head. 1t filled my
head, which seemed as though It
would burst open. 1t swelled to the
highest pitch and then fell and rose
again, and so alternated until 1t sub
sided into q continuous buzz. 1t was
sickening but my stomach did not give
way. was meanwhile entirely sight
less.
Il don't think / fell. for when be-
came conscious l was on my feet.
suppose they saved me from failing
and they were supporting me. MY
sight gradually returned SO that AFTER
a while / could see the deck and the
outlines of the crowd around me.
became conscious that l was choking
Blood was coming from my mouth
and tried all | could to swallow II
so those around me would not see 1t.
But found l could not swallow and
then knew my throat was hurt. IL
seemed as though it was dislocateo.
struggled to breathe through my
mouth, but could not and thought i
was dying of strangulation l KEEP.
thinking all the time the best thing
to do.
II was not a bit afraid to die II that
was Gods will of me- l SAID 10 myseh'
lust as we'll now as a few years from
now. No one who contemplates the
immensely of Almighty God ana OF ms
universe and His works. and reailzes
what an atom he is in 1t all, can rear
TO die in this flesh. yea, even though IL
were true that he is to be dissolved
forever into the infinity of matter from
where he came.
"In some way l happened to close
nv mouth tight and found breatneo
perfectly through my nose then oe-
lieved l could keep from smotherihe.
But r kept choking and my mouth kept
opening to cast out the blood.
.Th,,gb the thing had not entered
NV head that morning, l was not sur
prised when realized that l was sho'.
/ had had a feeling for some weeks
that l might be assaulted on account
of the anonymous threats was getting
by mail. l had not received 50 many
nor so regularly since was opposing
the ring corruptions and the Mckane
conditions in Brooklyn and GrAvesenu
when / was a young man. had ceas-
ed walking over the Brooklyn bridge.
Mayor Gaynor in the letter scored
certain newspapers for the manner IN
which they had attacked him. saying:
such Journalism is. Of course IN
absolute defiance of the criminal ~"
and It did enter my mind to puoncy
call on the grand juries and the as
trict sattorney to protect me from W.
hut I was weak and feared people
would say / was thin-skinned. but
the time is at hand when these journal
jstic scoundrels have got to stop or
| get out, and I am ready now to do my
share to that end. They are absolute
lly without souls. If decent people
would refuse to look at such newspa-
pers the thing would right ITSELF at
once The journalism of New York
city has been dragged to the lowest
depth of degradation. The grossest
railleries and libels, instead OF honest
statements and fair discussion navo
gone on unchecked. One cannot heip
svmpathizing with the decent newspa-
pers."
| Robert Adamson. the mayors secre~
tary said tonight that the mayors con-
dition continues to improve.
The mayor plans to return to his
desk at City hall on Oct 8. he said.