New-York tribune., 1922-03-17
HyEass Builds
Secret Stairs
To Cellar Suite
Searcl, fer Dave Reveals
Clio G, Door Hides Passage
From Office u Nayor :
-'Apartneul of Solitude
Shower Bath There. Too
Ordered !, Constructed SO
He Could Escape From
the Crowds and Think

search yesterday for David Hirsh-
the Mayor. historian, birth control eN-
pert and possible art critic, resulted in
The discovery Of secret spiral stair
way leading from the basement of City
Iial 20 the Mayors cf'lce, on the hoov
above. At the base Of the stairway. in
re department. o. solitude" recently
issed NJ for the Mayor during his ah-
seuce at Palm Beach. is a shower bath
for Mr.. HJlan's exclusive use.
The Commissioner or Accounts fig
ured in the discovery unintentionally.
Inquiries at his Office had met the re-
sponse that he probably had gone over
to City Hall to see the Mayor, no doubt
TO confer with him about Civic Nir-
tue" as symboized in the monnies
tatuo 10 he erected on the fountain
base In City Hall Park in regard to
the symbolism OF which complaints
iers.ood that the commissioner felt
hat n little investigation of his own
IN the field of sculpture and art might
be in order before the Mayor fixed q
date fer public hearing on the mat
ter as he announced he would do.
The Mayor Has the Keys
No ore could be found at City Hail.
however, who had seen the commits
, sioner go into the Mayors Office,
'th ough attaches declared he was there.
They didn't know how he got in. 1t
sounded spoohy until some one volun-
teered that he might have gone up by
tie spiral Stairway That diverted
the trail from Dave 30 the basement.
The new apartment directly under the
Mayors office. in the rooms formerly
occupied by the Board of Child Wei
fare, was found locked. John f. SIN
nott, secretary 10 the Mayor, was asked
or the keys.
THE Mayor has the keys" he said,
and YOU can gain admission only
through him
The Mayor was not available. 1t was
denied that any mystery was intended
about the secret Stairway 1t was
quite appropriate, it was said, that the
Mayor should have access from his pr-
Vatc Office TO the extra compartments,
where he could ind rest and solitude
20 better concentrate on important
matters and avoid the crowds OF job
hunters and reporters Who sometimes
hung about the reception rooms and
tho lobbies Of the hail.
And why shouldn't the Mayor have
private shower bath? Comptroller
Craig had ono, all tiled and nickelcd,
which he inherited from former Comp
troller Prendereast, in the suite OF the
Finance Department head in the Mu
nicipal building Furthermore, the
Mayor worked long hours. from early
MORNING until late at night, summer as
we'll as winter. aud the people surely
would not object to their Chief hxecu-
,iVe taking a refreshing shower bath
II the end of d hard days labor in
their behalf, particularly during the
not weather Palm Beach was all right
N the winter, but handy shower bath
sas the next best thing in the summer,
II was explained
Entrance Through Closet
The entrance from the spiral stair
Way TO the Mayors Office is through an
innocent looking closet door, which IS
only a coupe of steps from the Mayors
de,k. lie can make q quick getaway
+ too hard pressed with callers. Car
penters had been doing a rush job on
-he renovation Of the basement apart
nent while the Mayor was IN Florida.
No mention was made. however, OF the
spiral stairway or the bath, The whole
project was put through quietly, pur
suant to tho Mayors orders, it was said.
Even members Of the Sinking Fund
Commission, which usually has the al
lotmcnt of space in the City Hall and
other city buildings, knew nothing Of it.
40 formal action or approval in the mat
ter was taken by that body. Tho Mayor
assumed all esponsibility-an got
away with it, No objection is expect
cd now.
The trail Of Commissioner Dave was
lost in the excitement of these Disco
cries. The report vas verified that he
had conferred with the Mayor. Dill