New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-12
I ak Of
City Hall

forks most picturesque public men,
young man still, with n mind OF ms
own; n judge with a punch, and as
much at home with the criminals NJ the
bar as with the highbrows who like to
class him as a reformer. Not since the
classic days Of william Taryers Jerome
has any onc his equal as a popular per
sonality even threatened TO run Tor
District Attorney.
But that is not 20 say that Joe Corr
gan will be elected District Attorney
Il he persists in making his independ-
eDt canvass. Conditions political and
social sre not what they we're IN 1911
or 1905. when jerome, ~ an indeperd-
ont, swept the town for the job. 1t IS
the consensus of shrcwd opinion that
Magistrate Joe not only cannot win
himself, but that be will make inevi-
table the defeat Of William L. Ransom,
the Fusion candidate, and the reelection
Of Judge Swami.
There is just enough in common be-
tween the career Of Magistrate CorrI-
gan to date and that of jerome before
1901 to give special point to the con-
trasts which their personalities and
the circumst stances confronting them
present. In 1901 jerome was forty
two years old, which is approximately
the age of Joe Corrigan to-day. A dec
AIDE before that he had been Assistant
District Attorney for three years. Cor
rigan ten years ago finished four years
in this office. jerome IN the interval
was a Justice Of the Court Of Special
Sessions. Corrigan has been pol ice
magistrate, and 20 some degree nc has
been. like Jerome. both a popular and
a spectacular judge.
Even in this changeful community
there must be few who fail to recall
those gambling raids Of the late nine
ties in which William Trayers, at the
head of his squad, welded the axe him
self against the halls of chance. lie
did it 20 prevent the police from TIP
ping off the proprietors and ehecting
fake raids. But his axe made greater
dent in public consciousness than u
ever did in professional gambling and
before II rusted il elected him District
Attorney.
Corrigan, one remembers, achieved
the greatest distinction Of his brlei
career when, in 1911, he told the late
Mayor Gaynor just how atroclous was
his police administration. Il took cour-
age. then TO beard the resourcetul
Gaynor. But later revelations con
ijrmed all the magistrate had ever SAID.
lie could have made a strong run for
District Attorney IN 1913 against any
one but Whitman.
About the same time his forceful-
ness and originality on the oench
were bringing him favorable notice.
There was the case, for example, wn.
came before him i'm the night court at
Jefferson Market. in which 1t was
charged that q young girl, a minor. mad
been abducted and was being held
against her will IN disorderly house.
! This house enjoyed the protection OF
certain influential politicians. Judge
Corrigan acted on the instant in cauS-
; ING the doors Of the courthouse TO be
/ locked. so that no one might enter or
{ leave the building. and in having every
l telephonc connection IN the bulldlng
cut out. Having in this way prevented
! the possibility of "leak' from the
courthouse TO the proprietor OF the
resort or the latter's influential polt-
cal friends, he had the house ralded by
squad of policemen whom he knew
he could trust.
Brought before him, the judge SEN
fenced twenty Of the inmates OF the
house 70 the Workhouse without the
option of fine. turned over the yornG
girl who had been abducted to Miss
Miner the probation officer. with a
view 20 her restoration 10 her family.
and held the proprietor for the grand
Jury, which indicted him on several
counts. Altogether, il was good
nights work in every sense.
But not so good for the purposes of
advertisement aS If he had led the raid
himself. as Jerome might have done;
and today il is ancient history. The
sppctacle OF the knight refcrmer,
whether from bench or pulpit or Dis
trict Attorneys Office, fitting against
police corruption has made an exceed
ingly mild appeal 20 this community
since Commissioner Woods took ofhce.
Not only have the police been on their
good behavior. but the political protec-
ton Of vice is a thing OF the past.
Where the savage and cunning Jerome
found foe worthy Of his mettle the
mi'der Corrigan finds none.
The magistrate has been explaining
his candidacy as an attempt to take
the office Of District Attorney out of
politics. Here again he would fol.
low in the footsteps Of his former chief
and mentor. jerome. But non-partisan-
shin is too familiar thing in these
davs to single man out for martyr
dom or reward, as il did when Jerome
defcd the party machines. And IN Joe
Corrigan's case the force OF II IS fur
Their weakened by the recollection that
i'm 1915. when Swami was elected 70 NIL
the vacancy left by Whitman, the mag
istrate cOurtcd the Tamany nomination
with all his responsiveness.
Magistrate Corrigan would like 20 be
a second Jerome, the best District
Attorney we have ever had as he
calls him i'm a letter he recently wrote
TO The Globe" This is patiently. per-
haps. too patiently. the role in which he
fancies himself. Ii Is an ambition with
an element Of usefulness about II when
one considers the personal loyalty IN
volved and also its lmpossIbihty of at
tainment. For the judges best friends
sill not deny that with all his magnet
ism, be is not of the Jerome calibre. And
the tates have stacked the cards against
him.