Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-09-13
MAYOR GAYNOR
dies At SEA
William J. Gaynor Succumbs
to a Sudden Attack Of
Heart Failure
CITY IN MIDST OF
" POLITICAL TURMOIL
Independent Party Had Just
p Nominated the Executive
for Reelection

for Reelection
New York, Sept. 11.-Mayor Gaynol
died on the steamer Baltic In mid
ocean at l o'clock on Wednesday after
noon, according to q cablegram re
ceived here today. The message wat
sent to Robert Adamson, his secre
tary, by Rufus w. Gaynor, his son
who sailed with HON.
The message read as follows:
Father died Wednesday at / o'clock
! due to heart failure. Notify mother
Was Rapidly Failing.
| Mayor Gaynor sailed away from
New York a fast failing man on the
morning of September 4. An hour be
fore he sailed, only one man, his secre
tary, knew of his plans outside OF
members of his immediate family. The
mayors announced purpose was a
brief vacation on the ocean. He felt
that the tonic effect of the salt air
would restore him In some measure to
health. IT,.
The Baltic was due at Queenstown
today. The mayor died as she waa
| nearing the other side. The news OF
his death was sent by wireless to
Cuxhaven by Rufus G. Gaynor and re.
layed from Cuxhaven to New York by
cable. ...
Mayor Gaynor left New York at a
time when the city was seething in
one of the strangest municipal politi-
cal campaigns in it's history. The day
before his departure he was notified
on the city hall steps by representa-
tives Of independent political organ.
izations that they had chosen him as
their standard bearer In the mayoralty
campaign. A crowd gathered at city
hall park to hear him accept. He had
prepared a speech of acceptance but
he was 50 weak that he was unable to
deliver it, and his secretary read 1t
for him, the mayor standing beside
him. /.
Denied Serious illness.
Before the mayor sailed his secre-
tary Issued statement denying re-
ports of the mayors serious illness.
The recent attack of the old throat
trouble due to the wound inflicted on
August 10, 1910, by James J. Gala
CHER, just as the mayor was about to
leave this city for brief vacation in
Europe had entirely disappeared, &C.
cording to Mr.. Adamson, and Mr.. Gay
nor expected to return and enter the
campaign with his old time vigor. Tho
mayor himself, just before leaving,
spoke of his condition as follows: Y
81 have been nearly four years
mayor and have not yet had any vaca.
ton. Il suppose almost everybody will
concede that may have one now.
have been laid up . few days with
one Of the sharp attacks occasion
ally have, but i am over 1t and hope I
never shall have another"
{ To Fight Tammany.
. He was expected to attack Tammany
hall sharply, politically, as soon as he
returned to the city. Before his de-
parture he issued a characteristic
statement levelled at Tammany hall
leaders and other political opponents
in which he referred to them as mis-
cradle scamps, and asserted that they
were seeking his moral assassina-
ftion.' i ",
The bullet that lodged in his throat
three years ago had never been re-
moved. It was the mayors plan to
remain abroad less than week. He
expected to sail from Liverpool to New
York on September IS, and to reach
this city week later.
"Flshhook" 10 Fatal.
Lacking details Of the manner OF the
mayors death, his friends here be.
|l;eved that. the hart attack spoken cf
lin Rufus Gaynor's cablegram was
brought on by return of the coughing
sft that had reoccurred at intervals
since he was sho-.
{ Although the mavor had no personal
knowledge that his trip would end
fatally he had at different times within
the last year or two told his secretary
that the violence Of these attacks were
a great strain on his heart and he
feared that at some time or other one
Of them might result seriously
The mayor used to speak of the ir.
,ritation in his throat as "fishhook. ;"
It was this ''fishhook" probably that
caused his death.
Just before he received notification
Of his nomination by the popular de-
monstration at the city hall the mayor
had been in bed off and on for abou. a
week at his summer home at st. James
Mrs. Gaynor with one of her unmar-
ried daughters is at boarding school
up the Hudson. The mayors other
son Is at the mayors Brooklyn home.
The mayor had two married daugh-
tiers, Mrs w. Seward Webb and Mrs.
Harry X. Vingut. At II a. M, Green
witch time, the wireless said the Baltic
was $50 miles west of Queenstown.
She was due at Queenstown about 2
"a m. Friday.
Politics I'M Turmoil.
Mayor Gaynor's sudden death com.
pletely overturns the municipal politi-
cal situation. 1t removed from the
field a candidate for mayor who was
expected to cut heavily into the vote
of the fusion nominee, John Purroy
Nit, he'll. and leaves only the tickets
nominated by the democrats and the
fusionists. The former is headed by
Edward e. Mccall former chairman
OF the public service commission Of