John Goff
Encyclopedia
John William Goff was an American lawyer and politician from New York
.
, Goff emigrated with his family to the United States
while still a child. The family settled in New York City
, where Goff worked for ten years as a clerk in a dry goods store while attending night classes at Cooper Union
. In 1865, he took a job as a junior clerk in an attorney's office and eventually was admitted to the bar.
Goff was a committed Irish nationalist and in 1875 he played a prominent part in arranging for the rescue of six Fenian rebels imprisoned in a British penal colony in Western Australia
. The seaborne expedition, which successfully evaded Royal Navy
patrols, involving the New Bedford
whaler
Catalpa, was popularly known as 'Goff's Irish Rescue Party'.
In 1888, Goff was appointed as Assistant New York County District Attorney
by D.A. John R. Fellows
. In November 1890, Goff ran on the County Democracy (the Anti-Tammany Democrats at the time) ticket to succeed Fellows, but was defeated by Tammany
man De Lancey Nicoll
.
Goff became involved with work for the Society for the Prevention of Crime. There he made the acquaintance of the reforming clergyman Charles Henry Parkhurst
, and as a result became prominent among the ranks of those critical of vice and police corruption
in Manhattan
. When Republican boss Thomas Platt, seeking political advantage over his enemies at Tammany Hall
, arranged for the establishment of the Lexow Committee
to investigate corruption in the Police Department (NYPD), Goff was appointed Chief Counsel to the committee. He interrogated corrupt police Commissioner John McClave, the notoriously brutal Inspector Alexander S. Williams
and Superintendent Thomas F. Byrnes, the former head of the New York City Detective Bureau noted for giving his prisoners the "Third Degree
."
This led to his nomination by several Anti-Tammany organizations for Mayor of New York City
in October 1894, but Goff declined to run for the office. He took the second place on the Anti-Tammany fusion ticket instead, and in November was elected Recorder of New York City
. In November 1906, Goff was elected to the New York Supreme Court
(1st D.) on the fusion ticket nominated jointly by Democrats and the Independence League, headed by Randolph Hearst for Governor. Goff remained on the bench until the end of 1918 when he reached the constitutional age limit.
In the course of his career on the New York bench, Goff presided over the first trial of Charles Becker
, a police lieutenant charged with arranging the murder of a gambler named Herman Rosenthal (gambler). The trial, held in October 1912, was notable for the extreme speed at which Goff ran the proceedings, both the prosecution and the defence being heard in less than two weeks. Becker was found guilty, but the verdict was later reversed on appeal on the grounds that Goff had heavily favoured the prosecution. The verdict of the Court of Appeals, one of the most strongly worded in New York's history, went 6 to 1 against Goff and charged that 'haste seemed to become the essence of the trial'. Goff was also reprimanded for repeatedly denying the defence's requests for adjournments.
In retirement, Goff lived on a farm in upstate New York, where he raised heron
s. He was never a learned man - his politely-worded entry in the Dictionary of American Biography
admits that "he could never be described as a scholar" - but was widely regarded, among his contemporaries, as the great terror of the New York City Bar Association. The criminal lawyer and Assistant District Attorney Newman Levy described him as "the cruelest, most sadistic judge we have had in New York this century" and, according to Andy Logan, the chronicler of the Becker case, "distinguished members of the bar at the height of their careers confessed to waking up in their beds in a cold sweat, having heard in nightmares the sound of that low, sibilant voice saying 'Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, guilty!' - a verdict he pronounced, it seemed to them, with joy."
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Biography
Born in County WexfordCounty Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
, Goff emigrated with his family to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
while still a child. The family settled in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where Goff worked for ten years as a clerk in a dry goods store while attending night classes at Cooper Union
Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly referred to simply as Cooper Union, is a privately funded college in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States, located at Cooper Square and Astor Place...
. In 1865, he took a job as a junior clerk in an attorney's office and eventually was admitted to the bar.
Goff was a committed Irish nationalist and in 1875 he played a prominent part in arranging for the rescue of six Fenian rebels imprisoned in a British penal colony in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. The seaborne expedition, which successfully evaded Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
patrols, involving the New Bedford
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
Catalpa, was popularly known as 'Goff's Irish Rescue Party'.
In 1888, Goff was appointed as Assistant New York County District Attorney
New York County District Attorney
The New York County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for New York County , New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws....
by D.A. John R. Fellows
John R. Fellows
John R. Fellows was an American lawyer and politician from Arkansas and New York.-Life:...
. In November 1890, Goff ran on the County Democracy (the Anti-Tammany Democrats at the time) ticket to succeed Fellows, but was defeated by Tammany
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
man De Lancey Nicoll
De Lancey Nicoll
De Lancey Nicoll was a New York County District Attorney.-Life:...
.
Goff became involved with work for the Society for the Prevention of Crime. There he made the acquaintance of the reforming clergyman Charles Henry Parkhurst
Charles Henry Parkhurst
Charles Henry Parkhurst was an American clergyman and social reformer, born in Framingham, Massachusetts. Although scholarly and reserved, he preached two sermons in 1892 in which he attacked the political corruption of New York City government...
, and as a result became prominent among the ranks of those critical of vice and police corruption
Police corruption
Police corruption is a specific form of police misconduct designed to obtain financial benefits, other personal gain, or career advancement for a police officer or officers in exchange for not pursuing, or selectively pursuing, an investigation or arrest....
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. When Republican boss Thomas Platt, seeking political advantage over his enemies at Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
, arranged for the establishment of the Lexow Committee
Lexow Committee
Lexow Committee . The name given to a major New York State Senate probe into police corruption in New York City. The Lexow Committee inquiry, which took its name from the Committee's chairman, State Senator Clarence Lexow, was the widest-ranging of several such commissions empaneled during the...
to investigate corruption in the Police Department (NYPD), Goff was appointed Chief Counsel to the committee. He interrogated corrupt police Commissioner John McClave, the notoriously brutal Inspector Alexander S. Williams
Alexander S. Williams
Alexander S. Williams was an American law enforcement officer and police inspector for the New York City Police Department...
and Superintendent Thomas F. Byrnes, the former head of the New York City Detective Bureau noted for giving his prisoners the "Third Degree
Third Degree
- Track listing :#"Mojo Boogie"#"Love, Life and Money"#"Evil on my Mind"#"See See Baby"#"Tin Pan Alley"#"I'm Good"#"Third Degree"#"Shake your Moneymaker"#"Bad Girl Blues"#"Broke and Lonely"- Personnel :...
."
This led to his nomination by several Anti-Tammany organizations for Mayor of New York City
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
in October 1894, but Goff declined to run for the office. He took the second place on the Anti-Tammany fusion ticket instead, and in November was elected Recorder of New York City
Recorder of New York City
The Recorder of New York City was a municipal officer of New York City from 1683 until the early 20th century. He was at times a judge of the Court of General Sessions, of the Court of Special Sessions, and the New York Court of Common Pleas; Vice-President of the Board of Supervisors of New York...
. In November 1906, Goff was elected to the New York Supreme Court
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
(1st D.) on the fusion ticket nominated jointly by Democrats and the Independence League, headed by Randolph Hearst for Governor. Goff remained on the bench until the end of 1918 when he reached the constitutional age limit.
In the course of his career on the New York bench, Goff presided over the first trial of Charles Becker
Charles Becker
Charles Becker was a New York City police officer in the 1890s-1910s and who was tried, convicted and executed for ordering the murder of a Manhattan gambler, Herman Rosenthal in the Becker-Rosenthal trial. Becker was the first American police officer to receive the death penalty for murder...
, a police lieutenant charged with arranging the murder of a gambler named Herman Rosenthal (gambler). The trial, held in October 1912, was notable for the extreme speed at which Goff ran the proceedings, both the prosecution and the defence being heard in less than two weeks. Becker was found guilty, but the verdict was later reversed on appeal on the grounds that Goff had heavily favoured the prosecution. The verdict of the Court of Appeals, one of the most strongly worded in New York's history, went 6 to 1 against Goff and charged that 'haste seemed to become the essence of the trial'. Goff was also reprimanded for repeatedly denying the defence's requests for adjournments.
In retirement, Goff lived on a farm in upstate New York, where he raised heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s. He was never a learned man - his politely-worded entry in the Dictionary of American Biography
Dictionary of American Biography
The Dictionary of American Biography was published in New York City by Charles Scribner's Sons under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies. The first edition was published in 20 volumes from 1928 to 1936. These 20 volumes contained 15,000 biographies...
admits that "he could never be described as a scholar" - but was widely regarded, among his contemporaries, as the great terror of the New York City Bar Association. The criminal lawyer and Assistant District Attorney Newman Levy described him as "the cruelest, most sadistic judge we have had in New York this century" and, according to Andy Logan, the chronicler of the Becker case, "distinguished members of the bar at the height of their careers confessed to waking up in their beds in a cold sweat, having heard in nightmares the sound of that low, sibilant voice saying 'Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, guilty!' - a verdict he pronounced, it seemed to them, with joy."
Sources
- FAVOR J. W. GOFF FOR MAYOR in NYT on October 4, 1894
- MR. OTTENDORFER RESIGNS in NYT on October 4, 1894
- WILLIAM L. STRONG FOR MAYOR in NYT on October 6, 1894
- STRONG!; TAMMANY OVERWHELMED BY A PLURALITY OF ABOUT 50,000 in NYT on November 7, 1894
- CAREER OF THE RECORDER-ELECT in NYT on November 7, 1894
- JUDICIARY TICKET NAMED BY TAMMANY in NYT on October 11, 1906
Further reading
- "Mr McClave's Ordeal Over". (May 25, 1894). New York Times, p. 1.
- "Williams Denies All". (December 27, 1894). New York Times, p. 1.
- "Williams At The Wall". (December 28, 1894). New York Times, p. 1.