USA > New York > Westchester County > Westchester county in history; manual and civil list, past and present. County history: towns, hamlets, villages and cities, Volume II > Part 27
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He failed to be re-elected Assem- blyman in 1911. At the organization of the Legislature in 1912 he was: chosen Sergeant-at-Arms of the As- sembly.
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Mr. Haines has served five suc- cessive terms as president of the Yonkers Typographical Union; has served as trustee and vice-president of the Yonkers Federation of Labor; is a member of Rising Star Lodge, F. and A. M .; of Yonkers Tent, Knights of Maccabees; of Chamber of Commerce of Yonkers; of West- chester County Society for the Pre- vention of Cruelty to Children; of Yonkers Lodge of Elks; of Modern Woodmen of America; of Yonkers Yacht Club; of Yonkers Historical and Library Association; of Mer- cury Athletic Club; of Lowerre Hose Company, and of the St. Andrew's Memorial Church.
He is not a married man, but he is young yet, and the chance will come.
Isaac H. Smith, of Peekskill, rep- resented the Third District in the Assembly in 1908. (See biography elsewhere in this volume, under Registers.)
FRANK L. YOUNG.
Frank L. Young, of Ossining, lawyer, Assemblyman, Corporation Counsel, etc., was born on October 31, 1860, at Port Byron, Cayuga County, N. Y., a son of Levi W. and Margaret (Lane) Young.
He was educated in the public schools, at Oakwood Seminary at Union Springs, N. Y., Haverford Col- lege and Cornell University, from which last institution he was gradu- ated in 1888, with the degree of A. B.
He came to Ossining, in this coun- ty, in the year 1888. While en- gaged as an instructor at the Mount Pleasant Military Academy (in Os- sining), he took a full course of study at the New York Law School. He was admitted to practice at the bar in May, 1892, and has since been licensed to practice in Federal Courts.
He has served the village of Ossin- ing as Corporation Counsel for five years; and been associated as coun- sel with many important litigations. He has served as referee in impor- tant cases, appointed by the Supreme Court.
He was first elected Member of Assembly, to represent the Third District, in 1908, and re-elected in 1909-10-11. At the organization of
the Assembly in 1912 he was named as leader on the floor of the Re- publican majority, a position of great responsibility which he filled with great credit to the State as well as to himself.
In 1910 he was the popular choice of the rank and file of his political party for nomination for State Sen- ator, and it was generally believed that he would be the candidate for that office, but to please constituents, who did not want to lose his valu- able services in the Assembly, he de- cided to again be a candidate for Member of Assembly. He was elected by a handsome majority. He was once more a successful candidate in 1911, and his majority was then greater than before.
As a part and just recognition of his valued services to the county, Assemblyman Young was given a banquet at the Republican Club, in New York city, in February, 1912, by residents of Westchester County. His services to the county entitles him to a reward even more substan- tial than this.
In 1912 he was appointed one of the Legislative members of the New York Commission to represent the State at the Panama Pacific Exposi- tion held in San Francisco.
Mr. Young is a member of the Westchester County Bar Association and has been a vice-president of that organization several years, a member of the Society of Medical Jurispru- dence of the city of New York, of the Cornell Club of the city of New York, of the Republican Club of the city of New York, of the Royal Ar- canum, of Radium Lodge, 844, F. and A. M., of Shattemuc Yacht and Canoe Club, and of the Board of Trustees of Mount Pleasant Acad- emy.
Mr. Young was married July 11, 1900, to Miss Mary Lee Lockwood, daughter of Rodney S. Lockwood, cashier of the First National Bank of Ossining. Of this union there are three children, Frank L., Jr., aged 11 years; Margaret Louise, aged nine years, and John Alexander, aged three years. Mrs. Young died April 5, 1912.
WILLIAM S. COFFEY.
William S. Coffey, member of As- sembly, representing the Second As- sembly District, was born in East- chester, in this. County, on October
WILLIAM S. COFFEY
JOHN A. GOODWIN
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27, 1883, a son of Rev. William S. Coffey, for one-half a century the honored rector of St. Paul's Epis- copal Church, at Eastchester, the church so often referred to in the history of the County.
Mr. Coffey received his early edu- cation at Trinity School in New York city, and later attended the Mount Vernon High School, gradu- ating in 1902. He is now president of the Alumni Association of that school.
He graduated from the New York University in 1906, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. In 1907 he graduated from the New York Uni- versity Law School with a degree of Bachelor of Laws. ' The same year he was admitted to practice at the bar in the State of New York, and in the next year was admitted as a solicitor and advocate of the United States District Courts. He estab- lished an office in Mount Vernon, where he resides.
In 1908 was clerk to an important committee of the State Senate. In 1909 he acted as private secretary to State Senator Wainwright.
In 1910 he served his first term as an Assemblyman; was returned and served in 1911, and was again re- elected for the Legislature of 1912.
During his legislative career Mr. Coffey has served on many impor- tant committees, and caused to be enacted many desired laws affecting this County.
He is a member of the Saturday Night Debating Club; the local Militia Company; of the Mount Ver- non Turn Verein; of the Westches- ter County Wheelmen; of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity; Men's Club of the Church of the Ascension; of the Men's Club of Trinity Church; vestryman of St. Paul's Church, Eastchester; treasurer of the Mount Vernon Public School Athletic League; member of Republican County Committee; secretary of the Mount Vernon Republican City Com- mittee.
JOHN A. GOODWIN.
John Ambrose Goodwin, former Member of Assembly, representing the Fourth Assembly District of Westchester County, was born in the town of Harrison, in this county, on May 27th, 1879, a son of John A. and Anna M. J. (Crotty) Goodwin. His parents became residents of
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White Plains when he was an in- fant-in-arms.
Mr. Goodwin was educated at St. John's School in White Plains, and in White Plains High School, and later took up the study of law at the New York Law School; gradu- ating from the latter school in 1900. He has been connected with the: Lawyers' Title Insurance and Trust Company of New York for eight years past and is at present head of their Law Department and is a recognized authority on real estate law and procedure.
Mr. Goodwin has been a member of the Republican Town Committee of White Plains for eight years and a member of the Republican County Committee for four years and has. served for four years as Overseer of the Poor. He has been a member of the National Board of Speakers of the Republican party in the last two Presidential campaigns.
Nominated for the Assembly in 1909, Mr. Goodwin received 5,716 votes to 4,453 votes cast for John R. Bushong, Democrat.
Speaker Wadsworth, in 1910, ap- pointed Mr. Goodwin a member of the following Assembly Committees : Codes, Villages, and Printed and Engrossed Bills.
Renominated in 1910, Mr. Good- win received 5,156 votes to 4,325 votes cast for Oscar Le Roy War- ren, Democrat.
Speaker Frisbie, in 1911, ap- pointed Mr. Goodwin a member of the following Asembly Committees : On Privileges and Elections, and on Printed and Engrossed Bills.
In January, 1912, he retired from public office holding to devote his full time to a more lucrative occupa- tion, that of practicing his profes- sion-in which he had become prom- inent.
Mr. Goodwin was married on June 17th, 1911, to Miss Emma Rosalie Buermeyer, daughter of Mr. Charles H. Buermeyer of Brooklyn, N. Y.
He is a member of Fort Orange Club, Albany Club, Albany Country Club, White Plains Club, National Arts Club, New York Law School Alumni, B. P. O. Elks, Royal Ar- canum, Knights of Columbus.
He is practicing law, with offices in White Plains, and New York City.
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GEORGE A. SLATER.
George Atwood Slater, lawyer, Assemblyman, former Town Coun- sel, former Village Trustee, Commis- sioner, etc., was born in Greenwich, Conn., on September 2, 1867, a son of Atwood and Julia E. Slater.
He was educated in the public schools of Greenwich and the Green- wich Academy, after which he en- tered Columbia Law School.
He studied law in the office of Colonel H. W. R. Hoyt, in Green- wich, where he completed his prac- tical education in the profession, and also practiced with the firm of Carter & Ledyard, of New York city.
He became a resident of Port Chester, in this County in 1891, where he opened a law office and became successful at the start. He at the same time continued in a position in the law department of the Title Guarantee and Trust Com- pany of New York city.
It was while still a very young man that Mr. Slater entered into the politics of his home town, as a Republican. His hard work and honest efforts on behalf of the party were recognized, and he was given his first reward in an appointment to the position of Town Counsel, which he held for six years.
In 1902, he was elected a member of the Board of Trustees of Port Chester, and he at once began active work to improve the public streets. He was the father of the local good streets movement, and organized the Committee of One Hundred, to take up the permanent improvement of streets throughout the village. As a result of his work at this time, Port Chester now has miles of paved and macadamized streets.
Mr. Slater was also the organizer of the police department, being chairman of the police committee of the Board when the department came into being, and to his efforts in laying a good foundation, the present excellent force is due. He also was instrumental in having the act creating the office of police jus- tice in the Village of Port Chester passed. When the police justice took office, the tramp evil, which had been one of the greatest thorns in the side of the people of Port
Chester for years, was effectually wiped out.
Mr. Slater served for six years in the Board of Trustees, and his terms were marked with progressive policies, and many great improve- ments throughout the village, in ad- dition to the ones mentioned.
But possibly the thing to which Mr. Slater can point with most pride in his career in Port Chester and the Town of Rye, and certainly the thing which the people of that town have most cause to be grateful for, is that priceless legacy to future genera- tions-the Town Park. He drew up the park bill, and with the support of the Town Board, secured its passage. Instead of the noisy and distasteful amusement park that resi- dents objected to, the Town of Rye now has one of the most magnificent public parks along the shore from Boston to New York. For all this the people of the Town of Rye owe thanks to George A. Slater.
He was one of the Commissioners in the condemnation proceedings in connection with the Kensico Lake dam.
On behalf of the Town of Rye, he fought a grant of land that would have taken in a part of Port Chester Harbor, and won out, point- ing out to the Commissioners of the Land Office that a deed of the State to the Town of Rye in pre-Revolu- tionary times. gave to the town com- plete ownership of the lands under water in Port Chester Harbor.
He was elected an Assemblyman in November, 1911, to represent the Fourth district, by an unprecedented large majority.
He has had much experience in appearing before legislative bodies, in the passage of bills, etc., and that experience has given him a peculiar fitness for the office of Assemblyman.
Mr. Slater is a member of Acacia Lodge, F. and A. M., of Greenwich, Conn., and the Port Chester Lodge of Elks and a member of its build- ing committee; director of the Abendroth Brothers' Corporation, the large stove and pipe industry located here.
Mr. Slater was married on June 2, 1891, to Miss Eva Sours, daughter of Charles H. and Camilla (Lyon) Sours, of Port Chester. They have no children.
GEORGE A. SLATER
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COUNTY OFFICIALS.
DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.
J. ADDISON YOUNG.
James Addison Young, lawyer, former District-Attorney, etc., was born on September 14, 1866, in River- head, the county-seat of Suffolk County, on Long Island, a son of James Halsey and Lucy J. (Young) Young.
The subject of this sketch is the son of a hard-working farmer, and he spent his early years on the old homestead. He was an amiable, friendly boy, and a general favorite among his associates. His parents were able to give him a liberal edu- cation, catering to his fondness for study.
He improved his opportunities for acquiring an education. After leav- ing the local public school, he en- tered the Franklinville Academy pre- paratory to entering Williams Col- lege. After graduating from college with honorary degree, he took the regular course in the Columbia Law School.
In the year 1888, he came to New Rochelle and began the practice of law, forming a partnership with his cousin, Charles M. Young, under the firm name of C. M. & J. A. Young, with offices in New York city and New Rochelle; this firm still con- tinues.
Mr. J. A. Young served as Cor- poration Counsel of the village of New Rochelle several years, and as Corporation Counsel of the city of New Rochelle; was member of the Board of Education of New Rochelle for six years; was elected District- Attorney and served six years, from 1902 to 1908.
In 1908 he was nominated by the Republican party as its candidate for County Judge. Owing to a strong feeling among both Republicans and Democrats, holding that Judge Platt should have been renominated by both the Democratic and Republican parties, Mr. Young failed to secure the election, through no fault of his own.
tion does not interfere with his con- ducting his large legal practice.
In 1906 an act passed by Congress provided for the appointment of an additional United States District Court Justice, for the Southern Dis- trict of New York, in which the County of Westchester is included. Members of the Westchester County Bar thought it advisable to make an attempt at this time to have ap- pointed to this important position a lawyer resident of this County. In the one hundred and more years, dur- ing the existence of this Court, West- chester County had been ignored in the selection of Justices. It was deemed full time that our County legal fraternity exerted itself, to get what justly belonged to it.
To settle upon the proper man, one who measured up to the require- ments, and at the same time proved satisfactory to the greater number of his fellow members of the County Bar, was no easy task. The County contains many lawyers who possess the required qualifications and who would prove useful in any position in the public service. Therefore it was difficult to settle upon any particular one to recommend for appointment by the President of the United States. It was finally decided to ac- cept, as the choice of the majority, J. Addison Young, of New Rochelle, who was then District-Attorney of the County. Petitions asking for his appointment were signed by law- yers of the County, by Supreme Court Justices and by Justices of the Ap- pellate Division. But our County's efforts proved fruitless. It was a repetition of the old story; another fellow, from elsewhere, got the job.
Mr. Young was in 1910 elected president of the Westchester County Bar Association, being advanced from the position of vice-president, an office he had long held; in 1911 he was again elected president of the association.
He is a member of the Masonic order, connected with the local Huguenot Lodge, No. 46, F. and A. M .; is a trustee of the First Presby- terian Church of New Rochelle; a
In 1909 Mr. Young was appointed by a Justice of the Supreme Court as Receiver of the Westchester Elec- tric Railway Company, whose cars traverse the County; this latter posi- | member of local Historical Societies,
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and a trustee of the County Law Library, appointed by the Governor of the State.
Mr. Young was married on Decem- ber 18, 1890, to Miss Ada H. Hud- son, daughter of S. Terry and Mary E. Hudson, of Riverhead, N. Y. Of this union there are two children, Walter H. Young, age 19 years, now a student of Williams College, and Alice H. Young, aged 12 years.
FRANCIS A. WINSLOW.
Francis Asbury Winslow, District- Attorney, was born in Briercliff, this County on October 13, 1866, a son of William and Mary (Scott) Winslow. While he was yet quite young his parents removed to New York city, where the subject of this sketch attended the public school, and in due course of time entered the College of the City of New York, from which institution he graduated in the class of '87, receiving the de- gree of B. S. He then entered Co- lumbia University, graduating from Columbia with the class of '89, re- ceived the degree of LL. B. He was admitted to the bar of this State the same year. Three years later he was admitted to practice in the Courts of the United States.
For over fifteen years Mr. Winslow has made his home in the city of Yonkers, where he now resides with his family. He is a member of St. Andrew's Memorial Church of that city. During his residence in the city of Yonkers he has been a fam- liar figure in the Courts of this County, and of New York city; also in the Federal Courts.
In 1901 Mr. Winslow held the posi- tion of Corporation Counsel of the city of Yonkers, and again in 1903 to 1905, filled the same office. His administration of the latter office was marked by a succession of vic- tories for the City of Yonkers in a mass of cases which came on to trial during that period.
Mr. Winslow's ancestor on his mother's side was an officer of the Connecticut troops in the war of the Revolution, and on his father's side his parental ancestors also fought in the war for Independence.
Prior to Mr. Winslow beginning his term of office as District-At- torney in 1908, there had been a large accumulation of business due l
to the increase in population of the County, and the easy means of access to the southern tier from the city of New York. Mr. Winslow and his able staff immediately set about the disposal of the work, so that at the present time the' criminal calen- dar is up-to-date. Some idea of the amount of work of the office is con- veyed by the fact that over 20,000 subpænas have been issued in the District Attorney's office during Mr. Winslow's incumbency. Upwards of 1,000 convictions have been had, and of these convictions not one case has been reversed on appeal up to the present time.
The administration of the District Attorney's office has been the sub- ject of favorable comment on many occasions by both bench and bar, and Grand Juries from time to time have passed resolutions of commen- dation which have been spread upon the Court records.
In January of this year at the convention of District Attorneys of this State, Mr. Winslow was elected president of the District Attorneys' Association, succeeding Mr. Jerome in that office.
He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the city of Yonkers; Dunwoodie Country Club; the Repub- lican Club of New York, and vari- ous benevolent ana fraternal orders. He is also a member of the Bar As- sociation of this County, and of the Bar Association of the city of New York.
In January, 1910, the District At- torneys' Association of this State unanimously elected Mr. Winslow President of that association to suc- ceed Wm. Travers Jerome. This as- sociation is composed of all the Dis- trict Attorneys of the State.
At the general election held in November, 1910, Mr. Winslow was re-elected District-Attorney by a handsome majority, running well in advance of the general vote.
FREDERICK E. WEEKS.
Frederick Eugene Weeks, First As- sistant District-Attorney of the County, was born in Sleepy Hollow, that historic spot made famous by the writings of Washington Irving, in the town of Mount Pleasant, on October 4, 1870, a son of Abel and Elmira F. (Miller) Weeks. He was
J. ADDISON YOUNG
1
FRANCIS A. WINSLOW
FREDERICK E. WEEKS -
LEE P. DAVIS
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educated in the local public schools, and later entered the New York Uni- versity Law School, from which he graduated with the degree of LL. B. He removed with his parents to the adjoining village of Tarrytown, in 1888, where his father yet resides. He at present being a resident of White Plains.
As a lawyer, he was successful from the beginning of his career. Of commanding presence, and being logical and convincing in argument, he made favorable impression with jurors and was not long in establish- ing for himself an enviable reputa- tion in his profession. Owing to the facts, it was considered quite the proper thing when his townsman, George C. Andrews, who had been elected District-Attorney, in 1896, se- lected Mr. Weeks as his assistant.
At that period the District-Attor- ney was allowed but one assistant, and to fill this office the incumbent had to be "a good all-around law- yer." That Mr. Weeks met the re- quirements, is "proven by the facts." He continued as the only assistant up to 1906, serving under District-Attorneys Andrews and Young. In 1906, when a law was passed by the Legislature pro- viding for more than one Assistant District-Attorney, Mr. Weeks was appointed by District-Attorney Young as his First Assistant; this position he continues to hold under District-Attorney Winslow.
That Mr. Weeks has for so long a time held an office of so great im- portance and responsibility, is con- vincing evidence to prove that he possesses that special ability de- manded for this official position.
Mr. Weeks' predecessor held the office of Assistant District-Attorney many years, which was considered an unusually long time, but Mr. Weeks may even surpass him by lengthening the record, as he has al- ready fourteen years to his credit, with a fair prospect of adding more years, if he so desires. Relative to him, a former District-Attorney once remarked: '' Weeks is a 'book of in- struction for new beginners' enter- ing service as District-Attorneys."
Assistant District-Attorney Weeks, as well as being learned in the law, has an enviable military record, as a veteran of the Spanish-American
War. In 1898, when his country is- sued "a call to arms," he got ex- cused from official duties and re- sponded promptly; he joined his regi- ment, the 71st, N. Y. S. N. G., and marched for the "firing line." This he did in spite of remonstrances of friends who urged that his health, then not the best, would prevent his serving out the term of enlistment. Nevertheless, he went, accompanied by a younger brother, likewise charged with the valiant spirit. The lawyer-soldier left as a private, when mustered in the United States ser- vice was made a corporal of Com- pany C, and at the end of the war was notified from Albany that he should appear at State Military Headquarters there and qualify as Assistant Adjutant-General with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, in the militia service, this mark of distinc- tion being given him on account of good record made during the war just closed.
Colonel Weeks soon after his re- turn resumed his place in the District- Attorney's office, more popular even than ever before. In fact, his popu- larity came near securing for him the Republican nomination for District- Attorney in 1899. His personal ef- forts to prevent the nomination from coming to him, was the one thing that explains why he was not elected, and his serving the County as District- Attorney the next three years, in- stead of being the Assistant; his loyalty to a friend influenced him to refuse the prize.
Mr. Weeks is prominent as a Ma- son, having been Past-Master of Solomon Lodge, No. 196, F. and A. M., and Past High Priest of Irving Chapter, No. 268, R. A. M., of Tarrytown. He is a member of the Sons of the Revolution, and a member of the Society of the Army of Santiago De Cuba.
He was married on January 20, 1902, to Miss Katharine A. Halpin, daughter of John and Margaret Hal- pin, of Yonkers. One child, Fred- erick E., Jr., is of this union.
LEE P. DAVIS.
Lee Parsons Davis, Second Assis- tant District-Attorney of the County, was born on April 7, 1882, at Colo- rado Springs, Col., a son of Albert
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Dudley and Mary Ella (Parsons) Davis.
He was educated at private schools and at the New York Military Academy at Cornwall-on-the-Hudson. After completing the necessary course in the Columbia Law School, in New York city, he was admitted as a member of the bar, and began practice of law in 1903, commenc- ing August 1, in the New York city law offices of the Coudert Brothers, lawyers distinguished in several countries, and with a large foreign as well as home clientage.
Valuable experience gained through association with so noted a firm, combined with natural clever- ness and love for his profession, as- sisted him to rise, at an early age, to a position that could not do else than attract attention. His employ- ment by the New York City Railway Company as a trial lawyer, when he was scarcely more than of age, was a fitting recognition of his ability. He remained in the trial department of that railway corporation, trying causes in the various courts of New York City and Westchester County, up to January, 1908, when he was called to a new field of usefulness. His success as a trial lawyer sug- gested the securing of his services as an Assistant District-Attorney of this County. District-Attorney Wins- low, on assuming office, offered the post to him and was pleased when the offer was accepted.
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