The Bismarck tribune., 1934-02-14
NOTED PROSECUTOR
DIES OF PNEUMONIA
IN new YORK CITY
William Travers Jerome, Who
Gained Fame in ThaW Case,
Succumbs at ~

New York, Feb. 14.-lP-William
Travers Jerome, who as district attor-
rey Of New York twice prosecuted
Harry K. Thaw for the murder Of
Stanford White, is dead. He was a
years old.
M two weeks with pneumonia, the
famous prosecutor, who held office
from 1902 to 1910, died Tuesday at his
town house. With him were his son,
William Travers Jerome. Jr., and his
oaughter-ila ila-law. His widow Is III at
the Jerome country house at Yonkers.
Jerome took the roar out OF Man.
hattan's rearing forties." As dis
tr,ct attorney Of New York county
from 1902 to 1910, he cleaned up
gambling ard vice by . series OF sen
sational raids and ''on-the-spot'
courts. Chief trophy Of hts war was
the gambling house Of Dick" Can
field, q twenty-year -old establish
rnent frequented by millionaires.
Through hts latter years Jerome
led the retired life Of a man Of wealth.
The stormy. fighting period OF his
p1blic life was seemingly forgotten
alike by public and himself. after
Jerome acquire q fortune through =
color process for motion pictures.
Raids Made Him Famous
~Jerome raids" as New York called
the sudden swoops on gambling
houses Of the district attorney and his
committee Of fifteen private citizens,
we're almost nightly occurrences In
1901 and 1902. The Committee Of FIJI
teen replaced police when the district
attorney found that his every attempt
With regular officers Of the law was
clipped off, In advance to the gamb-
lers.
Running for the district attorney
ship as an independent, Jerome domi-
lated two municipal elections between
1901 and 1909. His first term ended
in 1905 and he was triumphantly re-
elected In the face Of strong Tam
many opposition, although the anti
Tammany vote was split three ways
that year. He had been urged to run
for mayor rather than seek re-elec-
ton as district attorney. but he re-
fused. protesting that he was not Z
politician. but = lawyer with q jot
to do.
When he felt that this job had beer
finished, he returned to the private
practice Of law.
Family of Lawyers
Jerome was born In New York OF
April l8, 1859. one Of q family Of law
ycrs. His father, Lawrence Jerome
-vas an attorney and his brother, wht
died about the time Jerome was I'd.
mitted to the bar, was an assistant
district attorney.
Il was natural for Jerome to turr
aiso to the legal profession and he die
iris soon after graduating from Am
nerst College. He WAS admitted K
tne bar In 1884 and started practicl
with Daniel Mason rs his partner
Jerome was an assistant district at'
torney, les8-90, and q justice Of spe'
cial sessions, l8o5-l90l.
He married Lavinia Howe Of Eliza
beth, N. J., in 1858. They had on
son, william Travers Jerome, Jr.
Throughout his career as refcrmel
and raider. Jerome retained . toler
ant personal attitude toward gamb
ling and drinking. He fought uncom
promisingly, however, against publi
gambling and the alliance Of uquo
with vice ana corrupt politics.
He was dubbed Mr.. Carrie Nation
by his advcrsaries but the title dil
not worry the husky crusader. Nor
TRAN once he told intervieWers:
\ like to gamble = bit myself. bu
any man may get al the gambling h
needs IN 4 social game With friends.
i He also liked . drink when h
'vanted It, but he showed no mercy {
predatory liquor interests.