New-York tribune., 1918-07-07
Life of Mitchell Dominated
By the Real F lighting Spirit
In Making Supreme Sacrifice for His Country the End
Came Just as He Had Wished, Except That
1t Came Too Soon

AL hAahAtS tut SuPlcbC caSii itiNo ANA
his country, Major John Purroy Mitchell
died as he wished, except that the end
came too soon. His one ambition since
he retired from the Mayors Office was
to see actual service in France. That
was the great desire he expressed to in
innate friends when he laid down the
burden of the city government work.
He wanted to get "over there" He
lost no time in shaping his plans toward
that end. Soon after Election Day.
when the returns counted him out and
Mayor Hylap in, he took the matter up
with the Federal authorities. He was
anxious to serve in the infantry, count
ing on his training for the officers re-
serve corps at Plattsburg to win him a
commission.
Failing in this, he tried to obtain ad-
mission again to training camp for
officers of the reserve corps. Mean
time, Major General SQuier, chief sig
nal officer of the army, offered him a
commission in the aviation service and
he accepted.
Commissioned Last January
He was commissioned by the War De-
partment major in the aviation sec
tion of the Signal Reserve Corps on
January IL, 1918. The former Mayor
issued the following statement from
the Ritz-Carlton that night:
Immediately following Election Day
l proceeded to carry out the plans 1
had in mind before accepting the nom
vice with the army in France, prefer
ably with the infantry, in which branch
of the service my Plattsburg expert
ence lay.
"In the mean time, on November 16,
Major General SQuier, chief signal off,
Ger of the army wrote, Offering me a
commission in the aviation service. 1t
appearing, after conference with the
Secretary of War, that the rules of the
War Department, adopted since the
declaration of war, made it impossible
at this time to commission me in the
infantry, | have accepted General
Squiers offer of a commission as major
IN the United States army aviation ser
vice. 1t is my understanding that |
will be sent to training camp for a
period of instruction and then to
France for such duty as may be as
signed"
His Chief Worry
Major Mitchels greatest source of
worry at that time was the uncertainty
whether he would eventually get to the
front. He felt that even should he
qualify as reserve aviator in train
ing camp, the one road left open to
him for active service cover there"
political animosity might stand in his
way. He expressed determination,
however, of overcoming all obstacles
and getting across the sea as soon as
possible. He didn't want to be rele-
gated to ground service in the aviation
corps.
Early in February he quietly started,
under orders, for the aviation camp at
San Diego, Cal. There was no public
announcement Of his departure at the
time. He proved an adept pupil, and
It wasn't long before reports began to
come back of his success in the air In
the first week of March he handled the
controls of an airplane in a flight
through strong wind and rain storm,
and proved his ability to take care of
himself under dangerous conditions.
After that the former Mayor began
to make flights alone, and completed
his final tests in remarkably short
time. His final test was flight of
forty-five minutes at height of 1000
feet on May d, on which day he was
graduated and received the official in
sigma Of the American air service, the
double wings of a reserve military
aviator. From that time Major Mitchell
took up the work which ended in his
death.
Always Fought Fair
1t was characteristic of John Purroy
Mitchell that he wanted to get into the
big fight. He displayed the real Amer
ican spirit for a good scrap early in
his boyhood Those who knew him as
Z kid" on the "hill" at the home of his
uncle, John Purroy, in Fordham, were
loath to mix it up with the youngster
Some of them who did we're sorry
to handle himself when decks were
cleared for fair fight. He always
fought fair, according to his early as.
sociates, and despised the boy who
would not stand up to some one his
size.
The fighting spirit coupled with {
brilliant mind, carried the young mar
along through college and law schoo
with unusual rapidity and into the
maelstrom Of politics at an early age
He was the youngest Mayor ever elect
ed in New York City. At that time he
was in his thirty-fourth year. His po
litlcal career for several years pre-
vlously had been spectacular.
The young Mayor came from Scotch
Irish stock. John Mitchell, the Irisl
patriot, was his grandfather Ant
every Irishman knows that Johr
Mitchell was one of the fiery leaders o
the Young Ireland movement. In hi
early manhood this John Mitche
talked and wrote for Irish freedom
and when still young man, in 1S4S
was convicted of treason as editor O.
"The United Irishman" and sentenced
to fourteen years banishment to Aus
tralia. He escaped in 1854 from Var
Dieman's Land, and with his thre,
sons, John, William and James. cam.
to this country and settled in Vir
ginia.
Two Killed in Battle
The Irish Nationalist and his sons
John and William, joined the Confed
crate army, and the two young mer
were killed in battle. William was il
command of Fort Sumter. Jane
served on the staff of Stonewall Jack
son. The elder Mitchell returned t.
Ireland after the war, and in 1875 wa
elected to Parliament from Tipperary
but he was declared to be ineligible t.
take his seat. Then he wrote "Th
Last Conquest of Ireland"
James Mitchell, Major Mitchell
father, went into politics here. HI
held the office of Fire Marshal an,
made an aggressive record in tina