The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-09-27

Former Justices Advocacy of Lads
Cause Reused a Clamor of Public
Sentiment That Resulted In His
Nomination and Election to the
Mayoralty.
Many anecdotes are told of the late
William j. Gaynor, mayor of New
York, whose sudden death while on the
way to Europe to recuperate his failing
energies on the eve of a municipal
election has added somewhat to the
complexities of the political situation
In that city
The story of how he became conspic
uous for the mayoralty nomination
four years ago well illustrates the
character of the man and casts
strong side light on his peculiar fidel-
ity, often in the face of precedent and
| adverse public opinion, to what he be-
lieved was right Twice before he had
| been offered the mayoralty nomination
and twice he had refused it, and once
he was strongly put forward for the
gubernatorial nomination of his state.
His independence of thought and ut
/ terance had won him Il strong follow
i ing among the better class of citizens
/ and his decisions on the bench had
/ gained him much distinction and pop
/ ularity, yet it is probable that he would
never have been mayor of New York
/ had it not been for the Duffy case and
the notoriety that attended it.
The Duffy Case.
The story is so familiar as hardly to
need repetition at length On May %,
1908, he wrote to George b. Mcclellan
then mayor of New York city, and told
how a Brooklyn boy named George b.
Duffy had been arrested. photographed
by the police and branded as a felon
by having his name entered in the in
deX of bad characters. This happened
on June Il, 1907. Duffy was discharg
ed by magistrate. as no complaint
had been made against him. After
that Duffy was, according to GaynOr
arrested again and again on sight and
without warrant or cause, except that
he was in the Rogues' gallery and
therefore to be hunted"
a lengthy discussion in the newspapers
of the police practice of photographing
all prisoners indiscriminately and uld-
mateIy TO radical changes in New
York 5 police methods. Public opinion
demanded his nomination, and his cleo
ton followed
The late mayor of New York had a
great fondness for long. lonely tramps
and many a fact he learned at first
hand about the workings of the city
departments which the chief executive
of Il big city seldom learns, even by
hearsay.
One winter morning soon after his
Inauguration long line of wagons
We're drawn up in a New York street
waiting TO be loaded with snow which
had fallen during the night. While
the street cleaners We're Shoveling the
snow into the wagons the drivers were
standing around gossiping. sharp
eyed, inQuisitive pedestrian stepped VI
TO one of the drivers and inquired in
an apparently casual way, Don't you
men shovel snow too?"
Not when the city removes it." re
piled the man, with 4 merry laugh
but when it is removed by contrac
tors we do, you bet"
Commissioner Gets Instructions.
Within an hour the commissioner OF
streets received a letter from Mayor
Gaynor who, as it happened, was til,
curious citizen, directing that all driv
ers employed by the city be forthwith
ordered to shovel snow.
Always a great lover of dumb ami
mails, on another occasion on a no
July day as the mayor was walking
about the city he noticed that man,
horses We're suffering from overload
ing. He at once notified the polic'
commissioner to instruct the force t.
be more vigilant in enforcing the Law
against cruelty to animals and to Civ
the horse the benefit of every doubt.
His unique originality as n lette
writer gained him a fame that wa
almost international in extent and hi
quaint usage of little known words ant
apt references to the classics gaine'
him renown distinct from that eve