New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-15
O'Rourke Nav
Be Elected to
Cahill's Office
Van Name Also Mentioned
to Succeed Staten Island
Borough President, Who
Died After a Dinner
Body to Lie i'm State
Funeral To Be Held on
Monday: All Public Bust
ness Will BE Suspended

City Hall gossip had it yesterday
that either John J. O'Rourke, Deputy
Superintendent of Public Works, or
former Borough President Calvin D..
Van Name would be elected to succeed
Matthew Cahill, Borough President Of
Staten Island, who died early yester-
day of acute Indigestion at his home
at Fourth Street and Lafayette Avenue,
New Brighton.
Mr.. Cahill returned about midnight
to his home from dinner, apparently
in good health. Five hours later, as
Mr.. Cahill began to lose consciousness,
DR.. John F. MCGOWAN was called. Mr..
Cahill died at 7:15.
Mr.. CahilPs death came as shock
to his friends and political associates.
He had been prominent in Staten Is
land politics for more than a quarter
of a century, and was the Democratic
leader of the county at the time of
fifty-one years ago.
Drove Home from Dinner
The first symptoms of any ailment
developed about two hours after Mr..
Cahill retired. He would not permit
his wife to call physician, insisting
that he would quickly recover. AS he
the dinner, where he made a speech,
Mrs. Cahill was not alarmed at first. 1t
was not until he began to show signs
of inconsistencies, after he failed to
respond to home remedies, that medical
aid was summoned.
Under the charter, the Superintend-
ent of Public Works acts as Borough
President in the event of a vacancy I'M
til a successor is chosen. This Office,
however, has been vacant on Staten
Island since January /. Mr.. O'Rourke,
who is Deputy superintendent of Pub
lie Works, by appointment, is regarded
by some as the Acting Borough Pres
ident. This is also Mr.. O'Rourke's
opinion. Others hold that Robert
Bailey, who is Acting Superintendent
of Public Works, should serve as
Borough President until new one is
chosen. The question will be sub
mitted to-day to Corporation Counsel
O'Brien for an opinion.
Aldermen to Elect
Under the law the Aldermen from q
borough must meet forthwith and elect
successor. There are three-all Dem
ocrats. At this meeting the Mayor will
preside, but he shall have no voice eX-
cept in the event of tie, when he casts
the deciding vote.
Before becoming prominently identi-
fed with politics Mr.. Cahill conducted
butcher business on the Island. He
is survived by his wife. He will be
buried Monday after funeral services
at St. Peters Church, where Monsignor
Charles A. Cassidy will otficiate. The
body will lie in state at Borough Hall
from q. m. to 1880 a. m. Monday,
and all public business will be sus-
pended until after the burial in St.
Peters cemetery. The flag flew at half
mast on all public buildings yesterday.
Mayor Hylan and other associates
of Mr.. Cahill on the Board Of Estimate
will attend the funeral in body. The
regular meeting of the board, which
was to have been held yesterday, was
postponed in memory of Staten Islands
borough president.
Mr.. Cahill was frequently mistaken
for Mayor Hylan, and resembled him
not only in features, but in complexion
and build. Mr.. Cahill was very popu-
lar on Staten Island and with politi-
clans throughout the state.