New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-04-30
Richard Croker
Dies i'm Ireland
At Seventy-Nine
CONTINUES fpM sass snN


leagues Florence Scanned, Thomas F.
Gilroy and other rising politicians.
Then. when o'Brien was elected Sheriff
and thus had 10 vacate his place as
alderman. he had Croker elected to sue
coed him. Croker took his seat in the
board in December, 1859, and was that
fall elected FOR another term. but the
Tweed charter lcgi.lsted him out in
1870
Signed Tanmany Pledge
While alderman, IN 1870 he wax one
Of she eight members OF thu board who
entered into sworn pledge not to vote
for the confirmation o? any officer I'M
der the charter OR state law, or vote
Tor any ordinance or resolution affect
Ing the powers, duties and interests of
any department of the city or county
government. without first consulting
and obtaining the consent Of Ave Tam
many leaders whose names were given
in this written pledge. the foremost OF
them being the notorious prince
| Harry" Genet.
After he was legslated out Of his
taken care Of" by "Slipp.ry Dick"
/ Connolly, then Conn troller Of the city.
ard WAS made Superintendent Of Mar
ket Rents and Fees. He held that place
until the downfall Of the Tweed Ring.
! when he discreetly disappeared for =
time from the public Vision. Meantim.
lie cultivated the friendship of 'Hon-
est John Kelly, the new leader OF
Iammany Hall. and under his patron
age was elected Coroner in 1879, sorv-
ing for three years. 1t was while he
] hot rs =.
with murder Early on the morning Of
Election Day, November 3, 1874. Croker
and his Old patron. OBrien, with some
/ o. their followers, got into & dispute,
ana then hght, al Second Avenue and
h,sty- fourth Street. In the midst Of
thS scrImnage q shot was fred and
one Of BYien's men, John Mchenna
tel mortslly wounded. With his diving
words Mckenns declared positively that
Croker had shot him. Croker was ar
rested, and, though the Coron.r's in
Guest threw no suspicion upon him, the
grand jury indicted him. He was
brought to trial. but the Jury DISAGREED
and noNe pro5equi was afterward en-
tered.
lie wss reelected Coroner in 1876,
but was defeated when he ran FOR !.
thlrd time IN 1879. His next once wa.
that of Fire Comm ssioner. to which
he was appointed by Mayor Edison in
SS5: and resppointed by Mayor Hewitt
! IN leo1 He was elected an alderman
J IN 1917. but declined the ice in favor
vi tho Fire Cotnmissionershp. He was
appointed City Chamberlain by Mayor
|'rant IN 1889, but resigned the place
inc next year and thus ended his hold
ms Of public Office.
Faasett Investigation
When the F2ssett committee Of the
state legls lature IN 1890 investisated
the polltlca! affairs Of New York City
Croker's brother-in-law, Patrick n. Ne
Csnn, testified that in 1884 Croker had
had and presumably had used s. large
snn OF money to secure tho confirna-
ton Of Hugh J, Grant az missioner
Of Pubic Works by bribing aldermen.
! ana that Grant had in return given
Croker 1000 in the form of pres
'ents' OF cash to Cookers little dsueh-
Ter. Grant explained that he was the
chiid's godfather and had made her a
! pom oons noe present Of $4,000. He did
this, he said, partly because he under
stood that Croker wa. very POOR at
that time and he knew he had a large
tstnily to support. Crohsr's version Of
The incident exactly agreed with
Grants They both, Of course IN
disnantly denied the bribery fund
story.
The most important chapters in
,fokers history began In 1885, when
! lie succeeded John Kelly "a leader or
. boss Of Tsmmang Hall He retained
mat place until the end Of 1902 and
WAS probably on the whole the most
1ofcetul and successful leader in the
! whole career of that unique political
! orgahization Hts rule over Tammany
was absolute and during much of that
! Nme lammany's control Of the city
government WAS also absolute 1t was
! fhen that graft Aourished as never
before or since and that vice Of vsri-
+ Gus kinds, particularly prostitution
was commercA allied and made an ad-
Junct OF the Police Department for the
enrichment Of politicians. lnvestira-
Uons- by the Legislature disclosed in
, descrlbably shocking and corrupt con
dlttons, for which, however, technical
and legal respons bihty could never be
fixed upon Mr.. Croker
Defeat Of Tammany
William r. Grace, an anti-Taumauv
democrat, was Mayor when Mr.. Croker
/ became boss. and he was succeeded
ny Aoram S. Hewitt, also al anti
1ammsny Democrat. By 1883, how
| ever, Croker had rehabilitated Tam
many sufficiently 80 secure ~ election
: OF his close friend. Hugh j. Grant az
Mayor, largely upon the strength Of
Grants negative virtue OF not having
accepted bride when many of nix
fellow aldermen Of the notorious
"Boodle Board did SO. Again. in 1892.
re put his old friend Fat" Gilroy into
the mayors!ty. In consequence OF the
corruption and scandals of these adj
mlAlstrations an anti-Tammany com
blnaton vas formed in 1894, which was
successful in electing William l.
Strong. Then Brooklyn and other
municipalities were consolidated with
New York into one great city, and
desperate campaign was waged for its
political control. Croker put forward
Robert A. Van Wyck for Mayor, AMI
elected him. thus giving tn. CON
solidated city for its first adm!nistra-
ton one of the most unworthy Mayors
that ever held Office in it or in any Of
its divisions
The scandals and degradation Of the
city government during this admins
tration caused the defeat Of Tsmmanv
at the next election, when Seth Low was
elected Mayor. Thi. completed the
political discontinue Of Croker, who
had badly compromised himself By sun.
porting William J. Bryan for President
in 1900. and he did not venture again
20 put forward candidate. Instead
shortly after Mr.. Lows election. In