New-York tribune., 1922-02-10
Peter Butler Olnev
Dies at His Family
Home i'm Lawrence
Noted Lawyer Led Revolt Of
Democrats Against Cor
ruption of Tweed Ring;
Active i'm Civic Affairs

Peter Butler Oincy, generation ago
one Of the foremost lawyers and Demo
cratic politicians OF this city and one
of the last survivors Of those who re-
voltcd against and ovcrthrcw the
Tweed ring. died early yesterday morn
ing at Lawrence. l.. L., where he long
had made his home.
He was born al Oxford. Mass, on
July 81, 1ss3 and was graduated from
Harvard, A. b.. IN 1854, and L. b. in
1866. In the latter year he came to
New York and entered the practice Of
law, IN which hc continued for fifty
six years. HIS first work was done in
the office Of the famous firm Of Evarts.
Southmayd & Choate. In 1869 he
formed a ng-lhsting partnership with
General Peter G. Barlow, who Was at
one time Attorney General of the state,
and in 1897 he organized the firm Of
Omcy e. Comstock, OF which he re-
manned the senior member until yea
tcrday.
Like his brother and his father, Mr.
Olncy was stalWnrt Democrat, and
on coming to New York he became
affiliated with Tammany Hall. But he
was prompt to revolt against the cor
ruption Of William NJ. Tweed and his
INK, was IcuuSI III tUc movement
for reform, and was associated with
ham in prosecuting the criminals He
was a member of the famous Commit
tee of Seventy which compassed the
overthrow Of the ring and the indict-
ment aNd conviction Of Tweed. This
activity led to his nomination for Dis
trct Attorney in 1879, but he was de-
featcd. Again in 1878 he was nomi-
mated for the same Office, but was
beaten by Benz njamin X. Phelps. A lit
tie later he withdrew from Tnmmany
Hall, which he believed was ,everting
to the corrupt practices from which
he had helped to purge it, and joined
the County Democracy. In 1875 and
again in 1880 he WAS a delegate to the
Democratic National Convention.
Mr.. Olncy was appointed in 1879
1880. commissioner, under an act of
the Legislature. to compile and revise
York City, hia colleagues being William
c. Whitney and George Bliss. The re-
suit of his and their labor was adopted
by the Legislature as the New York
consolidation act of 1882. He was ap
pointed by Grover Cleveland in De-
cember, 1888, to succeed Wheeler H.
Pcckham as District Attorney of New
York County. He was q candidate for
election to succeed himself, but was
defeated
In March. 1907, Mr.. Olney was ap-
pointed by Justice Fitzgerald a mem
Der OF a commission to inquire into
the sanity of Harry X. Thaw.
Mr.. Olney was trustee of Teachers
College and member of the Century
Association and the Lawyers, Harvard
and other clubs. He was married in
1879 to Miss Mary Sigourney Butler,
Of Quincy, Mass. His sons are Peter
Butler Olney I'd. Of Cedarhurst, L. l.,
ROBERT FORSYTH
Robert Forsyth. an actor, seventy
six years old died last night in
Bellevue Hospital. He had been re-
moved there from his home, at 253 West
Forty-fourth Street, suffering from a
general breakdown.
Mr.. Forsyth was born in Belfast,
Ireland, in 1S46. His first stage ap-
pearance was at Woods Opera House
Cincinnati, in across the Continent
He appeared with numerous stars. in
cuding Edwin Booth, Lawrence Barrett
u. l.. Davenport. Adelaide Nelson and
Charlotte Cushman. He went to Eng
land in 1882 and returned to this
country in 1913. Since then he ap-
peared in "Come Out of the Kitchen y
"Hndle Wakes" Peg o My Heart
Opportunity" and finally with Madge
Kennedy in "Corncred." He is survived
by his wife and two sons.
JAMES 2. PINKER
James 8. Pinker, we'll known literary
Of Tolhct HONSn
Arundel Street, London, died Wednes-
day night of influenza at the Hotel
Biltmore. Mr.. Pinker was taken i'll on
his way here last Friday on the Aqui-
tania He was ffty-eight years old
and had acted for many years as the
literary agent in this country Of such
writer's as Conrad, Walpole, Galswor-
thy and Mackenzie. His daughter
Economic, seventeen years DID, who had
accompanied him to this country, was
with him when he died. Besides Miss
Pinker, he is survived by his wife and
two sons, Eric and Ralph.
MISS LAURA S. HEILNER
Miss Laura Sylvina Heilner died at
her home, II East Seventy-seventt
Street, yesterday, after an illness OF
six weeks. Miss Heilner was for sew
cral years vice-president of the Society
of the Daughters of the Cincinnati and
was member of the Colonial Danes
of New York and of the Colony Club
The funeral will be held tomorrow
from her late residence, with inter.
ment at Woodlawn Cemetery. She is
survived by two brothers, George C
and Walter s. Heilner.
HENRY A. HARMAN
RUTLAND, Vt, Feb. g. Henry A
Harman, seventy-seven years old, for
merly one Of Vermonts leading attor.
neys and writer on Jurisprudence
died here to-day He was graduate
of Williams College and Of tho Harvar re
Law School.
MISS KATE CROMMELIN
Miss Kate Crommelin, for more thar
forty years an active worker in The
West Fifty-third Street center of the
Children's Aid Society, died yesterday
at her home after a brief illness. Flu
neral services will be held in thu
chapel of Greenwood Cemetery Satur
day afternoon at 3 o'clock.
MRS. HAZEL CH1LDS DE MOTT
Mrs. Hazel ChiIds De Mott, wife o.
Richard H. De Mott, died yesterday a
her home, in TenaAy, N. ]. She was
the daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. william
H. Chids, of 301 West End Avenue
ard was married to Mr.. De Mott OF
April "a, 1916. Funeral services viii
be held at 3:45 p. m. Sunday at Tenaf.