Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-20
MAH0NEY HELD
IN $4,000 BAIL
FOR ATTACK ON
MAYOR mitchell

New York, April 19.-Michael P Ma
honey, who Friday attempted to as
sassinate Mayor Mitchell and in so do
ing wounded Frank L. Polk, corpora
ton counsel, was arraigned in the
Tombs police court Saturday on
charge of attempted murder in the
first degree.
He was held in $4,000 bail for the
action OF the grand jury. When the
amount of the bail was announced by
Magistrate Simm Mahoney smiled
broadly and said;
the merrier."
Mr.. Polk was resting quietly at the
New York hospital Saturday. Sur
geons expect he will recover rapidly
if no complications develop. He pass
ed a comfortable night and seemed to
be greatly refreshed Saturday.
Before his arraignment Mahoney
was taken to police headquarters,
where $50 detectives, all masked, look
ed him over None of them was pos
tive he had ever seen the man be-
fore.
Mahoney was awakened at s A. NJ,
after being allowed four hours sleep.
Until 4 this morning he was question
ed by detectives. He explained that
when he bought the revolver he fired
Friday he told the man who sold it
to him in Jersey City that he want
ed to kill a rat
To Present Case Monday
On Monday Mr.. Whitman will pre-
sent the case to the grand jury, and
an immediate indictment is expected
to be returned, making it possible to
bring Mahoney before a supreme court
justice for trial at an early date.
Mahoney faces a possible prison
sentence Of 20 years, but should he be
adjudged insane he will be commit
ted to an asylum for the criminal in
sane.
Frank L. Polk, corporation counsel,
who was struck in the jaw by the bull
let intended for the mayor, spent a
restless night and suffered much pain.
The bullet was removed early last
night, and his physicians announced
today that the patient would be able
to leave the hospital within two days,
and after rest of two weeks be fit
to resume his official duties
written by Mahoney, in which he at
tackled the official acts on Mayor Nit
ohel of this city. Mayor Armstrong of
Pittsburg and Col. Goethals, Governor
OF the Panama Canal Zone, and after
a two-hours study of the aged man,
Dist. Atty. Whitman expressed the
opinion that Mahoney was Of the EN-
Filtered and sodden type of hobo.
This statement indicated that the dis
trict attorney would not oppose action
to have the prisoner adjudged insane.
Mr.. Whitman said that while the
best course might be TO have Mahoney
confined in an asylum, the mayor and
Mr.. Polk must be consulted before
final decision is reached.
The attempted assassination by Ma
honey caused Police Commissioner Ar
thur Woods today to assign secret
service squad of eight men under COM
mand of a police captain to guard
Mayor Mitchell.
Expected Some Such Happening
Mayor Mitchell, after seeing that Mr..
Polk was made as comfortable as pos
sible at the New York hospital, re-
turned 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 mem
bers of that organization that he had
expected some such happening as the
act of Mahoney, but that lit does seem
unfair that any one else should have
to take the consequences of the haz-
ard 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. when such a thing as
that happens he said, sit is the pro-
duct of the disorderly brain of some
unfortunate indivfdual-the man who
does not think straight, who warps
the facts that he partly gathers from
the, daily press IN recording the action
CT government"
To Police Capt Thomas Tunney,
the mayors would-be assassin said he
had called at the City hall to remon-
strate with Mayor Mitchell and had