New-York tribune., 1920-06-06
Frank Moss.
Former Jerome
Assistant, Dies
Prominent Lawyer and
Politician Has Been in
Poor Health Since All
Operation i'm December
Was Head of n. Y. Police
Appointed in April, 1897,
to Succeed Roosevelt
in Commissioners Office

Frank Moss, Assistant District At
torney under William Travers jerome,
who was Police Commiss ioncr for a
period in succession to the late Theo-
dorc Roosevelt and who was for MANY
years a leading lawyer and politician
OF New York, died last night at his
home, 23 East l27th Street Mr.. Moss.
who was sixty years old, had been in
poor health for several months. He
was operated on at the Roosevelt Hos
plta! in December last and he never
1uIly recovered from that illness.
Mr.. Moss was born March 16. 1860.
at Cold Springs, N. Y. He was edu,
Gated IN the New York schools and first
Decame prominent outside his private
iegal practice when he was APPOINTED
IN Aprl, 1897, to succeed Theodore
Roosevelt as Police Commissioner
Prlor to that time he had been in
terested in the work of the Society
TOR the Prevention of Crime, which was
better known in the days when it
hourished as the "Parkhurst Society. -
His Life Threatened
Previous to this time Mr.. Moss had
not been prominent in politics. al
though he had appeared in a hearing
IN 1885, OF charges of neglect of duty
against Inspector Williams. Later, he
became we'll known in connection with
the LeXow investigation and he prose
cutcd several policemen on charges
growing out Of that inquiry. One of
those prosecuted threatened in the
courtroom that he would kill Moss
when the trials were over.
IN 1899 Mr. Moss wa, +
counsel for the famous Mazet CON-
mittee, which investigated allegations
OF corruption in the Tanimany admin
lstratlon of the city, and it was durino
that inquiry that he drew from Richard
croker, then boss, the famous aduis-
sions of Tammany policy -"To the
party belongs the spols" and "T work
for my own pocket all the time" In
hls report to Senator Mazct Mr.. Mosa
recommended a single chamber munioi.
tal assembly the abolition of the Of
flce of borough president and the
shortening of the mayoralty term to
two years
Mr.. Moss also was Assistant District
AVtorney IN 1909 under District Attor-
ney Charles S. Whitman, and NE
held that office until 1914. In 1915 he
ran for District Attorney and was de.
ieated by Edward Swami, the presen,
holder of the Office.
While Assistant District Attornc,
Mr. Moss prosecuted Albert Wolter
the murderer of Ruth Wheeler and
ne also was prominent in the famous
Becker case.
Prosecuted Lamar
More recently Mr. Moss was promi.
nent IN the prosecution of Captair
franz Klntelcn and David Lamar. "the
wolf of Wall Street." in connection
with the activities of Labor's Natjona
Peace Council and as counsel for Scna.
tor George f. Thompson in the Alban,
slush fund inquiry of last year. II
1917 he was mentioned as a candidate
for the MayoraIty.
Mr.. Moss was senior partner in the
firm of Moss, Marcus G. Weiss, Of 23s
broadway He was the author of :
history Of New York, under the title
The American Metropolis" and sew.
eral articles and pamphlets on civic
matters. He was a Methodist. a mem.
Der of the Bar Association, the New
York Law Institute, the New York His.
torical Association and the Unior
League and Republican clubs.
he is survived by his wife, who was
Eva A. Bruce; son, the Rev. Arthu,
Moss, and a daughter, Miss Elizabeth
j. Moss, as we'll as by his mother. two
Drothers and three sisters.