Evening star., 1951-11-07
HaI|ey's Upset Victory
Is Stunning Blow 10
Forces Of Tammany
BY the Associated Press

NEW YORK. Nov. 7.-Scrappy
Rudolph HALEY, cunning for
crooks in Government. won New
York Eity's second highest Office
last night in a startling upset of
mighty Tammany Hall.
BY smashing 1863 ,492-vote mar
gin. he was elected City Council
president, beating the acting
Democratic incumbent, Joseph T.
Sharkey. He did with only splin-
ter-party support-and on his first
try for public Office.
It was a stunning blow to the
ruling Democratic organization,
and the second year in a row that
Tammany has floundered in de-
feat.
1t also was a great victory for
the Liberal Party. Mr.. Halley's
chief sponsor. The Liberals had
more than 581, 900 votes on their
voting machine line, almost 10000
more than the second-place Dem
ocrats. Mr.. Halley's total was
built up with additional independ-
ent and fusion party votes.
Democrats Change Story.
Democrats had predicted the
light "off year" registration would
work in their favor, but a party
spokesman said last night that
"off year" indifference was the
cause of defeat. The registration,
lowest in eight years, was 1,909.-
016 persons. Only 1,690,734 cast
ballots.
Mr.. HALEY said in a post-elec-
ton statement that a victory
has been won by all citizens for
decency in Government"
The winner. pledged to war on
what he calls corruption and
gangster domination" in politics.
rose to national renown as the
adept, quick-minded chief coun-
sci of the Senate Crime Com
mittee's dramatice investigation
here.
Seen as Public Outcry.
AS in 1888 when the late Mayor
Fiorello H. LaGuardia was swept
into Office on the heels of the Sea-
bury Investigations. Mr.. Halley'S
victory was seen as a public out
cry against the official dirt he eX-
posed.
But his triumph was even more
spectacular than that of Mayor
LaGuardia, who had Republican
support in a fusion movement.
Mr.. HALEY, rebel Democrat,
ran on the whipped-up Fusion
Liberal-Independent ticket for the
$25 ,000-a-year post.
Last fall Mayor Vincent r. I'M
pellitteri administered the same
kind of lone-wolf drubbing to
Tammany, but this year he moved
back into the Democratic fold and
supported Mr.. Sharkey, 81, long
time party leader.
Representative Henry j. Lath-
am, the Republican, trailed in
third place
Final tabulations at the city'sI
$500 voting places showed these
totals:
Mr.. Haley, 657,15s; Mr.. shar-
key, 493 ,666; Mr.. Latham, 435, ,744:
Clifford T. McAvoy, ALP, 04,166.
The 38-year-old Mr.. Haley be-
came virtual television hero"
during last springs crime COM
mittee grilling of underworld
kingpins and political bigshots. |
Millions, in homes and bars,
stayed glued to TV sets as HALEY
barred dirty official linen. He
turned up links between official
dom and racketeers, revealed
Gambler Frank Costello as pal
Of Tammany bigwigs, and cracked
police-graft and fire department
scandals.
Until then. Mr.. HALEY was a
lawyer who had
worked for the wartime Truman
investigating committee.
Official scandals had reverbera-
tions in other local elections in
New York State.
Strong Upstate Republican
gains also were noted. Twelve
cities replaced Democratic Mayors
with Republicans, while Demo-
Gratis captured the Office from the
COP in nine cities.