The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-08-12
MAYOR WIN. ]. CAYNOR
SHOT BY AN ASSASSIN
GOTHANT'S CHIEF STRICKEN DOWN
on STEAMER.
Discharged Employee of City Fires
Three Shots, One Taking Effect
In Neck.

shot in the head and seriously wound
ed today as he stood On he proniel:-
ade deck of the steamship Kaiser VII
helm der Crosse. by James J. Gallagn-
er, q discharged and isgruntled city
employee Gallagher was almost in
stant?y overpowered and arrested.
The shot was fired at 9.i5 o'clock
this morning, IS minutes before the
vessel was due to leave her pier at
Eoboken, n. J., and the mayor vas
receiving God-speed from a group O;
friends preparatory to 2 vacation trip
to Europe.
The bullet struck him behind the
right ear and ranged downward, in
fiicting a dangerous, though not nec-
essarily fatal wound, and, unless
blood poison develops, surgeons are
hopeful Of the mayors recovery, al
though at his age-59 years-such a
wound is essentially grave.
Tonight the mayor is at st. Mary's
hospital, Hoboken, surrounded By his
specialists, with members Of his fam
lily gathered near, awaiting the out
come with anxiety.
All early reports from the hospital
were hopeful in tone and this even
ing six X-ray negatives of the wound
were taken to facilitate an operation
for the removal of the bullet. Gal
lagner the would-be assassin, is lock-
ed in cell at Jersey City, held with
out bail. He expresses no remorse,
Surrounded by Friends.
The big liner was gay with flags
and ringing with shouted good-byes
when the tragedy. occurred. Most of
those who had been aboard the ship
to say farewell to friends or relatives
had gone ashore, but little group re-
NAMED to talk with the mayor. They
were standing on the port side of the
vessel, near the promenade deck. for
ward, and were in the act Of posing
for group photograph when Gal
lagher, unnoticed, pushed his way al
most to the mayors side and fired
point blank at his head.
He used a 3S-calibre revolver and
an examination later disclosed that
the first cartridge had missed fire.
This probably saved the mayors life,
for Gallagher, when he first pulled the
trigger, was less than two feet away.
Backing away slightly in his excite
ment, he pulled the trigger a second
time and sent a bullet crashing into
the mayors neck below the ear. Will
liam H. Edwards, commissioner of
street cleaning and the former Prince
ton football star, struck Gallagher's
arm. As he did so. a second shot
pierced Edwards's sleeve, inhicting a
slight flesh wound on the right arm,
which remained undiscovered for
hours because Of the excitement.
Edwards Felled Gallagher.
Unmindful Of his wound, Edwards
hit the man blow in the face and
athey crashed to the deck together,
Gallagher struggling and pulling vi
ciously at the trigger.
But Edwards was too much for him.
He rained blow after blow in Gallagh-
ers now bleeding face, while Adamson !
and Archibald R. Watson, council for
the city, flung themselves on the
struggling two in an attempt to grasp !
the weapon When Mr.. Watson had
obtained possession of it, Edwards
and Gallagher continued a bitter
struggle about the deck. Edwards !
now crying and shouting in his anger
and excitement and Gallagher painting
as exhaustion began to grip his limbs.
When completely subdued, pair Of
steel nippers were slipped on his
wrists by a special officer, and he
was rushed through a threatening
crowd off the vessel, into an automo-
bile and arraigned before Recorder
McGovern, of Hoboken.
Gaynor Remained Conscious.
During the struggle with the man
who had attempted to take his life,
Mayor Gaynor, though badly wounded
and bleeding from the mouth and
nose, did not lose consciousness. The
impact of the bullet did not even
throw him from his feet, but he raised
his hands to his ears, and with his
face contorted with pain, he stagger-
ed in a daze and leaned Imply across
the ships rail until Adamson came !
to his assistance. Then some one !
drew a steamer chair to his side and !
.o Lh;. -bo ,,oovor sank few min !