The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-09-12
Mayor Gaynor of
New York Dies on
Board Ocean Liner


Continued From First Page)
three years ago had never been re-
moved.
It was the mayors plan to remain
abroad less than a week. He expected
to sail from Liverpool on September
Is.
POLITICS OVERTURNED.
Mayor Gaynor's sudden death com
pletsly overturns the municipal po-
Htical situation. It removes from the
field a candidate for mayor who was
expected to cut heavily into the vote
Of the fusion nominee. John Purroy
Mitchell and leaves only the tickets
nominated by the democrats and the
fusionists. The former Is headed by
John e. Mccall. Politicians who dis
cussed Mayor Gaynor's death today ex-
pected that his followers would make
no attempt to nominate a candidate in
his place. No other places on the
Gaynor ticket have yet been filed.
Mayor Gaynor was, placed at the
head Of the Independent ticket after
Tammany Hall had refused him re-
nomination. He was to lead those who
ization and yet were unwilling to join
the fusion Of republicans and progress
sives. His standard was the shovel,
reminding voters OF his efforts to
hasten the building Of the new SUBJ
ways. The mayor also said it was
emblematic of his intention to "ciean
the grafters out
The passing of Mayor Gaynor re-
called the sudden death Of Henry
George OF single tax fame and a third
party candidate, almost on the eve of
the ma,yoralty election almost sixteen
years ago.
Secretary Adamson received the ca
biegram announcing the mayors death
while he was at his home in Brooklyn.
Mr.. Adamson notified Mrs. Gaynor at
the mayors country home at st. James
and then endeavored to reach by tele-
phone Ardolph L. Kline. the acting
mayor, who win be New York's chief
executive until the inauguration Of
Mayor Gaynor's successor to be elect
ed in November. In this he was un
successful Col. Kline had left the
home of his son-in-law after an early
breakfast and at 10 o'clock had not
heard of the mayors death. At that
hour the flags on the city hall were
hslf-masted by Mr.. Adamson's orders.
ATTEMPT ON HIS LIFE.
Mayor Gaynor's death recalls the
attempt on his life made by an assas-
sin at Hoboken in August, 1910. On
this occasion the mayor had decided
to take a brief vacation abroad under
much the same circumstances as those
under which he left a week ago. He
was standing with friends and the CEN
ter of a group Of city officials at the
time.
Into this friendly group James A
Gallagher, the would be ASA ssin, made
his way unobserved. When close to
the mayor he drew a revolver and
fired a shot. The bullet penetrated
Mr.. Gaynor's throat. He suffered from
this serious injury for many weeks
but finally recovered to a sufficient
degree to enable him to resume his
duties and was apparently none the
worse for his experience until recently
when the wound began to trouble him
a gain.
Gallagher had been dismissed from
the dock department of the city of
New York under Mayor Gaynor's order
and had repeatedly endeavored to in
duce the mayor to reinstate him. For
his crime he was sentenced to twelve
wears imprisonment After little more
IMAM q year in prison he was trans
ferred to the New Jersey state hospital
for the insane at Trenton and died
there last February
William Jay Gaynor was born on a
farm. near Whitestown, n. Y, in 1851.
He had to help the family in its strug-
gle for existence, and in this fight he
lad to take time for his own educa-
ton. He graduated from the Whites
town seminary, went to Boston to
teach school. and afterwards studied
law in the ONCE Of Ward Hunt, Of
Utica. who later became a justice of
the supreme court of New York In
1873 young Gaynor went to Brooklyn
and became newspaper reporter. Two
years later he was admitted to the
bar.
From that moment until his death
Mr.. Gaynor had lived IN the midst OF
continual political warfare. He started
& with an attack upon the unlicensed
saloons in F1atbush, a section of Brook |
yn. and won. Ten years later. he led |
| successful fight against the So called |
ring in Brooklyn. His bat
lie against John Y. McKane boss Of |
Sheep Bay and Coney Island, at |
racted nationwide attention McKane |
lied in Sing Sing. Mr.. Gaynor was |
elected justice OF the supreme court |
n 1898 on 3 nomination given him by |
republicans and independent demo- |
rats. was reelected in 1907, but re- /
signed &c accept the nomination of |
mayor OF New York city. to which he
vas elected in November, 1909.
His career as mayor of New York
,ore the imprint Of his personality in |
many striking innovations As he ex-
,ressed it. Il never quarreled with the
leaders, because was too
'usy. ! simply went on and did my
york from day TO day. and 1 kept their /
Icnds out OF the public treasury"
Mayor Gaynor was a writer of many /
stters and attracted national attention
y these and his policies. Prior to the
emocratss national convention In Ball