Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-04-23
CRANK SHOOTS At
GOTHAM'S MAYOR
Mitchell Escapes Assassln's Bull
Iet-kid Is Hit.
CORPORATION COUNCIL SHOT
Frank L. Polk Seriously Wounded by
Man Who Sought to Kill New
York's Executive-Occurs in
Front of City Hall.
CORPORATION COUNCIL SHOT

New York, April 20.-Mayor John
Purroy Mitchell narrowly escaped be-
ing assassinated here Friday when he
was about to enter an automobile in
front OF the city hall.
A bullet aimed at the mayors head
by Michael P. Mahoney, a crazed black
smith, missed its mark and hit Frank
L. Polk, the corporation counsel, in
the chin inflicting a serious but not
fatal injury. The missile grazed the
cheek OF George V. Mullan, tax com
missioner and the mayors former law
partner, and scorched the left side of
Mayor Mitchel's cheek.
Mahoney shot at the mayor, he de-
clared in the course of a disjointed
statement extrated from him, because
he felt aggrieyed at the city execu-
tive's 'extravagant expenditures and
because he was incensed at being
turned back from the door of the
mayors room in the city hall on two
occasions this week when he went to
apply for municipal job.
During one of his outbursts at po-
lice headquarters Mahoney alluded to
the shooting of Mayor Gaynor by
James ]. Gallagher on board a steam
ship at Hoboken in 1910 Mahoney
said Gallagher had a just grievance
against the late mayor because of his
conduct Of the city government and
likened his own case to that of Gal
lagher in this respect.
The shooting took place at ia in
City Hall park. The mayor and Polk
and Mullan had just taken seats in an
automobile on their way to the White
Hall club for a conference and lunch
con. Arthur Woods, the police com
missioner, was waiting on the pave
ment to step into the car, when Ma
honey, aged and bent, ran stealthily
up behind the machine and fired at the
mayor
Commissioner Woods and George J.
Neun, the chauffeur, leaped on Ma
honey with one bound and hurled him
to the ground as he was preparing to
fire a second shot
What did you do that for?" Neun
0hOoCCO III oSC do AS OO1I IllO ploIOl
against the aged mans breast and
knocked him to the pavement. A groan
and curse were the only answer.
Maheney's eyesight, dimmed with
age, and his shaking hand probably
saved the life of the mayor.
To bystanders the sound of the re-
volver shot and the sight of the aged
man who did the shooting sprawled |
upon the pavement as he was borne |
down seemed almost simultaneous. |
The sight of Mayor Mitchell steady |
ing the swaying figure of Mr. Polk |
then detached itself from the picture |
Within thirty seconds the city hall |
plaza and Park row were flooded with |
a surging crowd and the police re !
serves were called out.
By the time the prisoner was taken
to the police station in the city hall
some of the crowd had begun crying:
Where is the assassin? Lynch him.
AS Mahoney was led out of the station
to the ambulance that took him to po-
lice headquarters the crowd lunged
toward him, menacing and lOud-voiced, |
but it was driven back by the police.
The mayor drew big revolver after
the shooting and for the first time it |
became known that Mayor Mitchell is
going armed.