The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1910-09-23
HOW GAYNOR
FELT WHEN SHOT
Mayors Ogn St.y Of His Sen
SatiCnS ard Thoughts,
WAS NOT AFRAID TO DIE

He Was Not Surprised When He Real
lied He Was Shot, as He Had Ex.
pected to Be Administrators Vel
low Papers.
Mayor William J. Gaynor. In a letter
20 his sister, Miss Mary E. Gaynor, or
Utica. n. Y. which is printed in the
New York Evening Post, tells in an
interesting manner of his impressions
at the time he was shot on the steam
shin Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse.
The mayor says that he has not
read a line of what has been publish
ed OF the shooting, nor does he now
remember the name of the man who
shot him. Going over the incident OF
the shooting. Mayor Gaynor wrote:
Il was standing on the deck talk
ing with Commissioners Thompson,
I.ederle. Edwards, the corporation
counsel. Mr. Watson; my secretary,
Robert AdamsOn, and several friends,
who had come aboard to see me on.
Mr.. Mont, president of Chile, and
Mrs. Montt had just passed by, and ]
had spoken a few words with them.
Mr.. Adamson 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. Ii
filled my head. which seemed as
though it would burst open. 1t swelled
to the highest pitch. and then fell,
and then rose again, and so alternated
until it subsidized into a continuous
buzz. It was sickening, but my stom'
ach did not give way. | was mean
while entirely sightless.
Il do not think FELL for when be-
came conscious | was on my feet; |
suppose they saved me from falling
and they we're supporting me. My
sight returned, so that after while
could see the deck and the outlines OF
the crowd around me. | became con.
scious that was choking. Blood was
coming from my mouth, and tried all
/ could to swallow it so those around
me would not see it.
But | found ! could not swallow,
and then / knew my throat was hurt
1t seemed as though | was dislocated.
/ struggled to breathe through my
mouth, but could not, and thought J
was dying of strangulation. | kept
thinking all the time the best thing
to do.
Near to the Infinite.
81 was not a bit afraid to die II
that was Gods will of me- | said tc
myself. Just as we'll now as a few
years from now No one who contem
plates the immensely of Almighty God
and of his universe and his works. and
realizes what an atom he is in 1t all
can fear to die in this flesh, yes, even
though it were true that he is to be
dissolved forever into the infnity OF
matter substance and mind from which
he came.
''In some way l happened to close
my mouth tight and found / breathed
perfectly through my nose | then be.
lieved / could keep from smothering
But ] kept choking and my mouth
kept opening to cast out the blood.
Though the thing had not entered
my head that morning | was not sur
prised when ! realized that was shot
/ had feeling for some weeks that
l might be assaulted on account OF
the anonymous threats l was getting
by mail. l had not received so many
nor so regularly since I was opposing
the ring corruptions and the McKane T.
conditions in Brooklyn and Graves I
end when l was a young man. | had 1
ceased walking over the Brooklyn .
bridge"
Mayor Gaynor in the letter scored I
certain newspapers for the manner in
which they had attacked him, say
ing:
Such journalism is. Of course. in
absolute defiance of the criminal law
and it did enter my mind to publicly
call on the grand jury and the district
attorney TO protect me from IT, but
was weak and feared people would say
was thln-skinned. But the time is at
hahd when these journalistic scouD
dlels have got to stop or get out, and
am ready now to do my share &c
that end. They are absolutely without
souls.
'If decent people would refuse &c
look at such newspapers the thing
would right itself at once The jour
nalism OF New York city has beer
dragged to the lowest depths Of degre
dalton. The grossest railleries and
hbels instead of honest statements
and fair discussion, have gone on un
checked"
Boulder Falls on Miners.
TWO miners were seriously injured