The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-09-11
MAYOR GAYNOR DIED IN
MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN

WOlk Wuiio 6Iuuylu ldW. WHEN uo
was admitted to the bar he abandon
ed newspaper work. His rise in the
law was rapid. He gained his first
prominence by putting John Y. Nc
Kane, boss of Coney Island, in prison.
McKane was the chief of police OF
Gravesend and controlled about all
the votes down that way. Besides he
had a padded list of several thousand
and when Gaynor was elected to the
supreme court he placed the facts
about McKane's fraudulent voting in
the hands of the governor McKane
and eighteen Of his henchmen were
sent to states prison and that ended
boss rule at Coney Island. Mayor
Gaynor was homely In his tastes and
for the most part lived at st. James,
L. l., where the Gaynors have a
yeritable farm. He was fond of dogs
and always half dozen or more were
about, while the mayors pigs and
chickens were his great delight. He
walked much about the countryside
of Long Island and talked to people
whenever he found them At other
times he drove about the country in
a buggy. He had keen sense of
humor and quaint mode Of thought and
expression. He wrote many letters
to officials and citizens and all sorts
of people and for the most part they
were filled with humor and with ref
erences to the classics in literature
and music. Some times write a
lletter-just for fun" is a Gaynor
quotation appearing on the fly leaf of
a book Of his letters and speeches
published few days ago.
This constant coughing and itching
| in my throat is terribly weakening ana
wearing on me-" Mayor Gaynor told
| his private secretary, Robert Adam
| son, the day he sailed abroad. II
! cough so much | am afraid that 1t is
weakening my heart; / feel as If my
heart would simply burst, sometimes.
! Mayor Gaynor felt the strain and no
/ tification of his nomination which took
place at noon Wednesday, September
3. The mayor had been confined to his
abed for week or ten days prior te
| this event and was not in any condi
ton for the exertion his physicians
told him. The next day he suddenly
/ decided to go abroad and with his SOL
Rufus Gaynor, and young nurse board
ed the Baltic believing that the sea all
would ease the increasing irritation II
/ his throat
! .The message was first telephonee
to me at my home said Secretary
4 Adamson, "but couldn't believe 1t.
4 hurried down to the Office and had The
4 cable company send over the origina
before | made the announcement.
then had the painful duty of telephon
ing Mrs Gaynor who is at the famil.
home at ST. James, Long Island will
4 one of her daughters. The latest re
4 ports say she collapsed but Is bear
= ing up well On the day of his Motif
cation the mayor came back into th'
lioffice and dropped down into his chai
saying: I'm tired out. all tired out.
i Adamson said that arrangement woult
4 be made to have the body brough
! back as quickly as possible He sait
Il if 1t could be arranged it might bt
trans shipped to the Cedric at Queens
i town this evening. Otherwise it nigh
be taken aboard the Lusitania which
sails from Liverpool on Saturday.
"The mayor did not intend to re
main abroad more than few days
said Adamson. "He thought that NJ
might return on the Baltic. His onl.
object was to get little rest and tE'
benefit of the sea air He was anxious
to get into the campaign"
Before he sailed Gaynor prepared
the following public announcement
which was issued from the city hall af
ter his departure: Murphy and tn
chaps that sat down with him at Del
: monico's and guzzled and abused M
until their faces were red. were read.
to eat me up I am told and yet nev
er did anything to them except VIVA
. tended to make them look respectable
: Their hungry and grating leader
wished control of the "city depart
[ments." They want mayor who VII
Il fCon.inued on page ~
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