The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-09-11
NEW Works MAYOR DIED THIS
AFTERNOON ON THE BALTIC
OF HEART FAILURE.
IN FAILING HEALTH
Gaynor Has Been in Poor HI NJ. for
Some Time - Recently Re-
From Attack Due to Bullet in Neck
Fired by Assassin.

New York, Sept. 11.-Mayor j. w
Gaynor of New York died on the
steamer Baltic in mid-ocean this al
ternoon.
His son, Rufus, so announced by
wireless today. His brief message
closed with the words Notify moth
er."
Gaynor sailed very unexpectedly
September 4th. His going was knowr
an hour before sailing only to- his
family and secretary. His health was
then fast failing. He had just re
covered from a severe attack due to a
bullet in his neck, fired by an assas
sin three years ago.
William Jay Gaynor, jurist and pol
itician. who made a remarkable rec
ord as reform mayor" of New YORK
City was born as the son Of poor
farmer near Whitestown, N. Y, IN
1851. He received his early educa'
ton in the public schools of Whites
town and later at the Whitestown
seminary and in Boston and was orig
inally designed to enter the priest
hood of the Roman Catholic church.
AS a boy young Gaynor was ambitious
and made every effort to acquire a
good education.
In his young manhood Mr.. Gaynor
taught school in Boston, and after
ward studied law in Utica, N. Y, re-
moving to Brooklyn in 1873 to con-
tinue his studies. Meanwhile he made
a scant living by. working for news
papers. He was admitted to the bar
in 1875, and went to live in Flatbush,
then a separate community in the
control of corrupt politicians.
Straightway Gaynor began to study
his surroundings and developed his
fighting qualities as reformer. He
found that Flatbush had forty saloons
but only one liquor license. He OBJ
tanned evidence against the saloons,
had their proprietors arrested and
compelled them to take out licenses.
Then he called the better element
together and a reform ticket was
nominated at the next election.
Although opposed by both political
machines, the reform ticket was
elected and Gaynor was appointed
police commissioner. AS commits
sioner his most notable achievement
was the closing of several Illegal road
houses on the Ocean Parkway, the
evidence being procured, the keepers
convicted and the whole business
cleared up within sixty days.
In 1885, Mr.. Gaynor moved to
Brooklyn proper and soon found him.
self arrayed against the late Hugh
Mclaughlin, the democratic boss.
When the town of New Lots was an
nexed to Brooklyn, in 1889, the boss
and his friends, with their peculiar
foresight, purchased, through dunn
mics, the Long Island Water COM
pany in the new addition for s1s5,OOO.
Their purpose was to sell 1t to the
city and they had contracted with
the mayor to dispose of 1t for s1,5OO,-
900. Gaynor denounced the scheme
as a swindle, and declared he would
stop it. He had a taxpayers suit
started to prevent the consummation
of the deal, and eventually won IN
the highest court in the state, saving
the city OF Brooklyn nearly one mill
ion dollars and beating the ring out
of the same amount.
Next, Mr.. Gaynor started out to
make the elevated roads OF Brooklyn
pay their taxes. The Brooklyn polit-
ical ring stood in" with the trac-
ton companies, and had refused to
allow the property to be sold for the
delinquency. Gaynor compelled the
traction companies to pay about ST.
900, 900 into the city treasury, much
10 the astonishment of McLaughlin's
men. Mr.. Gaynor fought the ring in
various other ways, its overthrow be-
ing complete when, in 1898, Gaynor,