January 24: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

January 24, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1909, Brooklyn Daily Eagle columnist Frederick Boyd Stevenson wrote, “Robert Watchorn, who for nearly four years has been commissioner of the Ellis Island Immigration Station, through whose gates 85 percent of the total number of newcomers to America pass, has, during the term of his incumbency, revolutionized the system of conducting that institution. From the very first day that he entered upon the discharge of his duties, he inaugurated a series of reforms that has made Ellis Island a model station. Through his knowledge of the needs of the immigrant, he began at once to improve the service. Against a storm of protests he changed the existing order of things so that the immigrant got his due. Certain politicians fought him — that was natural. But Watchorn did not care for such politicians. He had just two things in view: One was to serve the best interests of his country, and the other was to protect the stranger who came to that country.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1932, the Eagle reported, “ALBANY — Governor [Franklin] Roosevelt’s presidential ambitions became a matter of record here today when he made an open declaration of his candidacy. In a letter to the North Dakota Democrats, he ‘willingly’ gave his consent to the use of his name in the preferential primaries to be held in that state on March 15. He declared it is ‘the simple duty’ of a public-spirited citizen ‘to serve in public office if called upon,’ and added that anyone interested in ‘new standards of government for meeting new problems’ would ‘welcome a chance’ to aid in that cause. Concluding his letter, addressed to F.W. McLean, secretary of the Democratic State Committee, Roosevelt said he is ‘at this time obligated to a still higher duty,’ which he described as the transaction of the state’s business.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1934, the Eagle reported, “Commissioner of Correction Austin H. MacCormick, with a detail of police and a staff of assistants, paid a surprise visit to the Welfare Island penitentiary today, relieved Warden Joseph A. McCann of duty, placed Deputy Warden Daniel Sheehan ‘under military arrest,’ and after an inspection declared: ‘Of all the prisons I have visited throughout the country, this is the worst. It is bad physically and from every other standpoint.’ The commissioner found, he said, that the penitentiary was practically under the control of a crew of favored racketeers, who occupied special cells in ‘Politicians Row,’ in the hospital of the Administration Building, and compelled other prisoners to wait on them. A search of one wing of the prison disclosed the presence of drugs, hypodermics, knives, nicked razors, razor blades and special foods — all contraband under the regulations. As the raiding group, headed by Commissioner MacCormick, entered the so-called ‘flats’ or central corridor of the main floor of the west wing, there was a shower of missiles from the cells on the three overlooking tiers and from cells on the ground floor. Several of them, including bits of stray metal, narrowly missed the commissioner, and as he reached the end of the corridor to turn into the north wing section, an empty milk bottle hurled from a cell fell at his side.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1955, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — President [Dwight] Eisenhower today asked Congress for specific authority to use United States armed forces ‘if necessary’ to defend Formosa [Taiwan] and the nearby Pescadores Islands against the threat of Red Chinese attack. Mr. Eisenhower said that as commander in chief he has the authority for some of the actions which might be required, but that he wants a congressional resolution to provide clear and public authority for the prompt employment of the armed forces if in his judgment it becomes necessary. The chief executive did not spell out the precise measures he might take. But he said the United States must be prepared to fight should the Chinese Communist forces obviously undertake a move threatening to overrun Formosa. He said his request was based on ‘a series of provocative political and military actions’ by Communist China with the announced aim of capturing Formosa.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include comic book artist John Romita Sr., who was born in Brooklyn in 1930; Songwriters Hall of Famer Neil Diamond, who was born in Brooklyn in 1941; “Tell It Like It Is” singer Aaron Neville, who was born in 1941; science fiction writer David Gerrold, who was born in 1944; “Twin Peaks” star Michael Ontkean, who was born in 1946; comedian and actor Yakov Smirnoff, who was born in 1951; “Cat People” star Nastassja Kinski, who was born in 1961; gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton, who was born in 1968; “The Hangover” star Ed Helms, who was born in 1974; actress and writer Kristen Schaal, who was born in 1978; “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star Tatyana Ali, who was born in 1979; San Francisco Giants pitcher Scott Kazimir, who was born in 1984; and “The O.C.” star Mischa Barton, who was born in 1986.

Mary Lou Retton
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

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ELEMENT OF SURPRISE: On this day in 1848, James W. Marshall, an employee of pioneer John Sutter, accidentally discovered gold while building a sawmill near Coloma, California. Efforts to keep the discovery a secret failed and the California Gold Rush was soon under way.

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COMEDY AND TRAGEDY: John Belushi was born on this day in 1949. The Chicago native was an original cast member of “Saturday Night Live” (1975-79), and starred in the hit films “Animal House” (1978) and “The Blues Brothers” (1980). He died of a drug overdose in 1982.

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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.

Quotable:

“Brooklyn is not the easiest place to grow up in, although I wouldn’t change that experience for anything.

— singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, who was born on this day in 1941