100 YEARSAGO IN THERECORD

Thursday, Jan. 2, 1919

State attorney general Charles D. Newton has appointed A. A. Armitage of Troy as one of his deputies, local papers report.

New York State has a Democratic governor and a Republican attorney general thanks to a split decision at the polls last November. Alfred E. Smith narrowly beat incumbent governor Charles S. Whitman, while Newton defeated Democratic rival Charles Morschauser by more than 100,000 votes.

Armitage succeeds another Trojan, Frank B. Valentine, as deputy attorney general. He’s a former commissioner of deeds and currently represents Troy’s Fifteenth Ward on the Rensselaer County Republican committee.

“Mr. Armitage is one of the popular younger members of the Rensselaer County Bar,” the Troy Times reports, “As a speaker he has been heard by many large audiences on various occasions and has been a tireless worker politically and in civic matters, especially in his home ward.” Another Trojan Superintendent

A Troy man and former Record reporter now holds, if only briefly, the statewide position formally head by longtime Rensselaer County Republican boss Cornelius V. Collins.

George W. Franklin is the ad interim superintendent of prisons until Governor Smith appoints a successor to Frank E. Wade. Wade and Franklin were appointed by Governor Whitman, Franklin starting out as chief clerk of the department of prisons. A 1918 law promoted the chief clerk to deputy, leaving Franklin in charge of the department upon Wade’s departure until Smith chooses a Democrat to succeed him.

Cohoes Man Drowned

A drowned man whose body is found at the foot of Eleventh Street in Lansingburgh this morning is identified later today as Joseph LeFebvre of Park Avenue in Cohoes.

LeFebvre’s body is found by William Lumley, who lives in “a little fishing hut at the foot of Eleventh Street.” He sees the body floating in the river while he’s filling a pail with water, and brings it to shore with a grappling iron.

A Cohoes policeman identifies LeFebvre, who worked at Madden’s Lumber Yard in Lansingburgh. He was last seen leaving home for work early this morning. Investigators believe that he fell into the river while trying to walk across the 112th Street bridge, which is currently undergoing repairs. Steppin’ Out

Comic songwriter Seymour Brown headlines the vaudeville bill at Proctor’s Theatre this weekend in a one-act musical comedy, “When There’s a Will.” Also appearing on stage are Joe Bennett in “The Telephone Tangle,” Sue Creighton and Company in a singing specialty, The Four Musical Lunds and the movie, “Heart of the Wild.”

“It is a picture that will make one smell the evergreen pines and feel the thrill of adventure,” a reporter promises.

— Kevin Gilbert