Evening star., 1914-04-18
Man Who Fired at Mayor
Mitchell May Go to
Madh0uSe.
SODDEN TYPE OF HOBO,
SAYS DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Frank L. Polk, injured Official, Ex-
pected to Recover Soon-Attack
Not Believed Part of Conspiracy.


Mahoney. whose name yesterday was
supposed to be Rose. the gray-haired
crank who yesterday attempted to as
sassinate Mayor Mitchell and in so do
ing wounded Frank l.. Polk, corpora
tion counsel, was arraigned in the
Tombs police court today on a charge
of attempted murder in the first degree.
He was held in $4,000 bail for the ac-
ton Of the grand Jury. When the
amount of the bail was announced by
Magistrate Simms Mahoney smiled broad
ly and said:
why not boost 1t q little? The more
the msrrier."
Mr.. Polk was resting quietly at the
New York Hospital today. Surgeons
expect he will recover rapidly. If no
complications develop He spent a COM
Portable night and seemed to be great
ly refreshed today.
Before his arraignment Mahoney was
taken to police headquarters, where 80
detectives, all masked, looked him
over" None of them was positive he
had ever seen the man before.
Given Third Degree.
Mahoney was awakened at s am.
after being allowed four hours sleep
Until o'clock this morning he was
closeted with detectives who put him
through a rigid third degree" He ex-
planned that when he bought the re-
volver he fired yesterday he told the
man who sold it to him IN Jersey City
that he wanted to kill rat"
Monday Mr.. Whitman will present the
case to the grand jury and an imme-
diate indictment is expected TO be re-
honey before a supremer court justice for
trial at an early date.
Mahoney faces a possible prison SEN
tence of twenty years, but should he be
adjudged insane. he will be committed
TO an asylum for the criminal insane.
"Sodden Type of Hobo
From the many incoherent letters writ
ten by Mahoney. in which he attacked
the official acts of Mayor Mitchell of this
city. OF Mayor Armstrong of Pittsburgh,
of Col. Goethals. Governor OF Panama
Canal Zone. and after a two hours study
OF the aged man. District Attorney Whit
man expressed the opinion that Mahoney
was OF the "embittered and sodden type
OF hobo. This statement forecasted
the probable action of the district at
torney; that he. would not oppose action
10 have the prisoner adjudged insane
Mr.. Whitman said that while the best
course might be to have Mahoney CON
lined In an asylum, the mayor and Mr.
decision is reached
The attempted assassination by Ma
honey caused Police Commissioner
Arthur Woods today to assign a secret
servi1e squad of eight men under COM
mand OF a police captain to guard Mayor
Mitchell The commissioner has ordered
that the mayor be guarded night and
day, and members of the squad will
from his home and city hall, and go with
him on trips about the city and out of
town
Mitchell Resumes Duties.
Mayor Mitchell. after seeing that Mr..
Polk was made as comfortable as possi-
bic at the New York Hospital, returned
to his office and finished the day there as
customary. Last night he attended a
dinner at the New York Press Club,
where he told the members Of that or
ganization that he expected some such
happening as the act of Mahoney but
that 1T does seem unfair that any one
else should have to take the consequence
or the hazard that properly belongs to
me-
The mayor went on to say that he did
not believe the attack on him was due
to the concerted action of a group of
agitators. He believed confidently. he
said. that I'VE have not come to that
point in this city or in this country.
and that we never will, where things of
that kind are the result of concerted
action bp any group. We have not
plots: we have not nihilism in this coun-
try. When such thing as that does
happen it is the product of the disorder
ed brain OF somes unfortunate individual
the man who does not think straight,
who warps the facts that he partly gath
ers from the daily press in recording the
action of government"
Whitman Agrees With Idea.
District Attorney Whitman conceded in
the views expressed by Mayor Mitchell
in his press club talk. Mr.. Whitman
said that he was reasonably satisfied
that the attack on the mayor was not
the outgrowth of a conspiracy. Ma
honey's action. he said. was probably
due to the weakening of his mind under
influences of a derelict life.
The injured corporation counsel had
been In the hospital but a few minutes
when he was Joined by Mrs. Polk, who
remained with him until an early houl
this morning. She then retired to an ad
Joining room TO that occupied by the pa
tient. Mr.. Polk's father. DR.. William NJ
Polk. dean of the Cornell University Med
ical School, also visited the hospital soor
after his son arrived there.
To Police Capt. Thomas Tunpey tbs
mayors would assassin told the story
of his life. story that was confirmed by
entries IN HIS ana WHICH gave nttlt
ground for a belief that Mahoney acted
under commands from another or in e
concerted move to kill the mayor. Ht
told Capt Tunney that he had called a
the city hall to demonstrate with Mayor
Mitchell and had been "insulted'' there
Il then decided to kill him. he said. &c
went down to the city hall Wednesda,
with the intention of killing him then
but ] cooled off. Today G'riday) 1 wen
down there again with the intention o
finishing the job
Prisoner Expresses Regret.
The prisoner then told of waiting from
10 O'Clock until the mayor and his part.
started TO enter their automobile shortl
after o'clock and how he stood barrel
five feet from the object of his fancie
hatred when he fired lie expressed re
gret that he had attempted to take May
or Mitchens life and was particularly
sorry that the bullet had hit Mr.. Polk.
Last Wednesday Mahoney left his roor
in East J0th street. which he had occu
pied since last November. He told hi
landlady that he had a chance for jo
as a carpenter In Pittsburgh. Instead h
went to a Bowery lodging house. wher
he registered under the name of jaime
Mahan.
Mahoney as born March Il, 1872 nea
Cork, Ireland. He came TO this countr,
ABOUT sixty years ago. but could not re
call the exact date His wandering
about the country began. he said sool
After he lost a suit for damages agains
man who sold him a farm in Kentuck,
rtf.aty