The New York herald., 1920-12-29
KENNEL, PROTECTOR
OF MAYORS, MOVES
For Quarter of a Century at
City Hall He Has Met Not
ables and Cranks.
GOES TO LAHEY'S STAFF
Chief Regret Is Not Having
Had Chance to Prevent
Shooting Of Gaynor.

Lieut.. William Kennel, for more than
twenty-five years the official guard r:
the gates OF the Mayors office in City
Hall. who has protected eight Mayors
from harm and cranks, has been trans.
ferred. The announcement was contained
In Commissioner Enright's order to he
department yesterday. Kennel goes tc
the Chief Inspectors office at head.
quarters. with no specific task assigned
to him.
Lieut.. "Bin." as he long was known to
the habitues OF City Hall, has been off
post there for nearly a year. due to III
ness. This necessitated a serious opera
tion last February in Mount Sinai Hospi-
tai. He recovered sufficiently to go to
his homo at 81 Grove street. Brooklyn
Five weeks ago. however. Lieut.
Kennel had to 60 back TO Mount Sinai
Hospital and n week later he was
again operated on. His condition is still
weak, according to his wife. Mrs. Ken
mel had not heard Of her husband s
transfer until n NEW YORK HERALD re-
porter called. She was dumfounded
at the thought that "Bilr' was to be
away from the Mayors Office. She
hardly thought, she said, that the trans
fer was merely to provide a berth for
some other lieutenant. since her hus-
band and the Mayor have grown so
his long continued illness, she said.
Lieut.. Kennel was the first man ev IT
picked to be police guard at City Hall.
The idsa OF such a guardian was con-
ceived by Mayor Strong. In 1895. Ken
mel served for every Mayor thenceforth,
but after Mayor Hylan was elected he
sought TO resign. His friends led him
to retract his decision. however. and sub
sequently he and Mayor Hylan became
good friends
Lieut.. Kennel speaks English, German.
Yiddish, Italian and French. which made
him a valuable man to have at the door
Of the Mayors chambers. His knowledge
of the languages was put to n severe test
during the war years, when every few
weeks saw the visit OF some foreign dig
nitary TO tho building, but he talked
with them all and won their compliments
for his versatility.
Lieut.. Kennel is Sc years old. Before
joining the force in 1890 lie was a
butcher. His first assignment as a pa
trolnan carried him on East Side beats
for four years. IN 1891 ne was made a
detective sergeant. Inspector Byrnes in
1895 sent him with rore TO Mayor
Strong. The Mayor read It, looked over
the powerful form of its bearer and sent
word TO Police Headquarters that he
promoted to Lieutenant In 1907.
The one regret OF Bits life, ne once
said. was that Mayor Gaynor did not
take him along the day he went aboard
German liner at Hoboken and was
shot by a former city employee. For
his duties usually required him 70 be on
hand wherever the Mayor appeared in
public--at dinners. parades and the like.
The records of the Police Department do
not show the thousands OF cranks. harm
less or otherwise. whom he had TO shoe
away from the Mayors work place, nor
his never failing tact in handling visitors
OF high and low degree.
They mention, however, how he had
10 subdue one man by force. who later
died in tho psychopath!o ward at Belle
vue Hospital. And they record that In
addition to many splendid arrests while
he was on patrol duty he saved the lives
of 200 persons In the old Florence Build
ing, Second avenue and First street, In
1894 A court was in session then In
an upper story when he noticed the floor
sag. He quickly made everybody leave
the building Inspectors who examined
1t found the supports had given away
and It might have fallen down any
minute.