Curry Out

John Francis Curry was not the worst leader Tammany Hall ever had since its founding as a patriotic society 145 years ago. But he was afflicted with such stubbornly bad judgment that last week he had the distinction of being the first Tammany boss to be booted out of his job by his disgruntled followers.

When turtle-beaked Boss Curry became leader of Manhattan's Democracy five years ago, Tammany was the unchallenged political power in the nation's No. 1 city, a controlling factor in the State. Soon thereafter began a string of monotonous mistakes. Tammany stood by Mayor "Jimmy" Walker long after the dirt in the municipal nest foredoomed his Administration. Tammany put its bets on Al Smith instead of Franklin Roosevelt at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Tammany bucked the nomination of honest Herbert Henry Lehman for Governor of the State. Tammany foisted bumbling old John Patrick O'Brien on the city as a stop-gap mayor. Tammany lost last year's municipal election to a Fusion-Republican ticket. For this accumulation of political sins Boss Curry last week paid with his head.

Down to Union Square went 70 Tammany district leaders, half of them women. Into the neat Georgian Wigwam they marched and upstairs to the executive committee room. Old John Curry was permitted to speak before his execution. He recalled his lifelong services in the Hall (in return for which, for 23 years, he never held a city sinecure which paid less than $6,000, while he developed a profitable insurance brokerage business on the side). He blamed James Aloysius Farley with fomenting revolt against him. "Now, I don't want to make any accusation against President Roosevelt," he continued, "but he tried to break Tammany Hall 20 years ago and he is trying to do it now."

Relentlessly the resolution to depose Leader Curry was read, and the vote taken. The clerk was almost half way down the list before a Curry vote was heard. When the outcome was inevitable, one tearful lady leader bawled: "I can't vote against Mr. Curry! He's been so good to me!" Her male chief released her.

Even after the votes were in, tellers withheld the count 15 min. to give Boss Curry a chance to resign. But over his friends' protests, John Curry chose to become the first Leader voted out of office in Tammany history. Dazed, the old man looked from face to face about him. "I am at a loss to know why some of you voted against me. . . . Didn't I call you up Monday to tell you I was making you a Sachem. . . . Why, only 15 minutes of 5 today I did a favor for you. ... I hope you have as much success with your new leader as with me. ..." The vote that ended the Curry rule: 14 1/3-to-10 1/5

Just who was to be Tammany's new leader, nobody knew. There was talk of a triumvirate or committee of leaders.

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