The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-18
Moro Evidence Developing tMe Scenes at
the Row dY Syracuse COMx Anfinn.

the city and county Of New York; beng duy sworn doth
aspose and say am resident Of the Thirteenth ward
ally with Fernando Wood aaS. Thomas III Ferris with
both OF whom have had p,tical and other associations
Tor many years un me evening Of the 10th Of Septem
Der, 1855 was sitting III company with sad Ferris IN ,ha
oarroom Of The Essex House. corner Of Grand and Essex
then and there of ed Conversation with me relative to
the prospects of Fernando Wood and friends
~ "o Ssss Convention, to Do held at syria
cuse On tho l4h of last month; adding that Cor
menus W9oda and crowd Of boys were going, and ask
mig 'has snould join the party and go with them
asked hey, about expenses for what object were
wanteds--when Ferris replied that he had been given
20 pay our expenses there and back, od that our
cout1 not then explain the object wanted for bat
t We must all keep quiet until got TO Syracuse, and
no. let be known round New York that We were going
Wsre. Though this ooh Seppmber) was the first direct
FSoposi,ion made to me ON the subject, had been
hcarng the matter talked OF for more than
House, and II was wcil Understood among the party
from the relations Of Ferris with Fernando WOOD, that
Fernando Wood was 70 furnish the through Ferris,
10 pay all expenses, and that when got up rAre
We were TO sustain Fernando Wood in everything he
wanted done ia :hs Convention, and that we're 20 be
under the cemniasd OF John Heenan, otherwise known
the Benicia Bay, who 80 up with for ne pur
pose Of carrying out what Wood wanted. With this
this understanding We separated on thss night,
place at four O'clock r N. for farther arrangements
Next day sanlsy the lith Of seember at fur O'Clock,
met at the Essex House, the party then there
consisting Of T. H. Ferris, csSnelius Woods, Charlie
Blake, Michael Smith ani myself aud frcm the Ess "A
Faulkner in Broone street, where Ferris sat would
meet the enicia Boy but al she Dexter House they cold
thai Aeenan had been there ana had gone up ~ the
house OF James Hughes he Boomingdale road where
ar perty organized, and That rnese with tho Be
Skiody, which was TO leave for Albany that evening.
We spent some muney AZ the Dexter House. and
then started for the Francis skiddy, and took pas
sage ia her FOR Albany, meeting ON board more OF
party, who pn, themselves in COMMUNICATION
with Ferris and amongst these recognized James
ofsrien John Sweetnan and man called Monncx alas
u not nv
nse, but their faces were very familiar me- ard they
al joined our party under Ferris the steamboat and
~e travelled round together for the night and their
ysrsason showed me chat their object the as
osr own On Monday afternoon arrived syracuse,
and puf up al q hotos near the canal kept by man
named Herrick where accommodations had been pro-
vded for beforehand On Tuesday afterneon the Be-
ed =. The honse. Of James Hughes, embracing William
OBrsen, Crow and others, and from hiatt the Be
nc BOY took charge Of US, receiving his orders from
Fernando Wood through Thomas Ferris and the BENZ
ca boy explained 10 es that he had board
the Francis Skiddy agreed upon because he had
peep aole 70 collect bis full party IN the first place. and
II was then explained 20 al. Of fully in the hotel kept
by Berrck by Thomas Ferrs that our object was 10
enter the state Convention and there assist Fernando
Wood IN orcbly taking possession Of the Convention If
necessary, and turning i TO his own use, which
city, and that then he would reward aud
that all TO place ourselves under the Benicia
Boy, sho would be our chief reliance when 10 came
ng and Ferris also cautioned not to be together
IN The streets of Syracuse and TO show ourselves round
should see crowd, they would suspect purpose aud
might telegraph u New York and bring up party sul
Gent IN numbers and strength to prevent from carry
ing outoaS designs upon the convention All these orders
were given to US by Ferris as coming from Fernando
Wood and as Ferris vas in constant attendance
upon, and association with Fernando both in Fer
nando,s rooms in the VOORHEES, House and in the
Streets and as they are intimate .acguaiutances in
se sity OF New York, aud rs Ferris held place
der Fernando when Wood Mayor considered these
orders and promises rs coming from Wood himself and
held ourselves in readiness watch events and do
saw proper At the door Of the Convention there seemed
" be understanding between the three doorkcepcrs
guard aid some members of our party Ferris standing
near me said aoorkeepers and telling each Of US as We
entered stay close together and keep eyes Hee
nan entered myself o. . yellow steamboa: ticket,
about the size and shape Of tue regular ticket issued
By the state Central Committee; but most OF our
party got in on tickets regularly issued 10 F Wood,
Ben Rae, Ferris and other contesting delegates,
which tickets, after admitting one set of men,
collected again. passed outside the door by Ferris
and used again for the admission Of composing our
party in patches. When We got into the hail. which was
twenty minutes before the time of the Convention we all
stood together on the right hand side OF the hail. close
The foot Of the pa'foa the Benca Boy and + II. Ferris
with him. and passing orders to us TO be ready 10 push
matters 10 any extremity which might be necessary to
IKE Ike Possession n, q ne eonTsnaon AZ TINS time ,
or State delegates in the hall, and such were
down The asee apparently awaiting the hour Of noon,
when would be N order TO proceed TO organize ihe
venton Suddenly al about quarter 10 IL NJ, person
standing beside Fernando Wood called out that Mr. Alvord
should take the chair and having been previously tod
TO by Ferris that Aivord would be man. we all
rased great shout and kept up shouting as to put
down any opposition While Mr. Alvord, who was upon
The Platform, ready for action, took the chair.
su suns a., a. Inc appointed hour for the
of the state Committee called the Convention order
and dominated Nr. sryker chairman, and after Mr.
Stryker had taken his place presiding officer Avord
still continuing pound the table with mallet rs if
chairman, saw Fernando Wood bcckon with his hand
10 lhos H. Ferris who thereupon went and whispered
with Fernando, and Immediately thereafter Ferris came
TO myself and Cornelius Woods, said $50 upon the
Gy4nA md ftrav SfrrEa ar TTYtp
Woods and went upon the stage directly behind Sryer
and Woods took hold Of stryker from behind threw
Wood u Thos n Ferris seen by the Be
| this time At the time when Sryker thrown Off
! the y nicia Bay, VIM. Ferris, Crow O'Brien Andrew
| Sbeehan, Mcmahon, ais Monnoy, and Ben Ray were
standing at the foot OF the PLATFORM close at hand
their assistance gave Us coun.enancc 10 do what we were
doing the orders Of Fernando Wood sent to us through
Thos H. Ferrs After Woods had thrown striker OF the
slsge Andie sheehan and James Hughes advised Car
neus Woods 10 leave Syracuse by the first trai as il
was ~ bad place 70 BE- arrested ID they knew from
the fact OF having been arrested there themselves on
come previcus occaEi5n Cornelius Woods took this
advice, and / went down with him TO the railroad
station, and saw bin, of in the first train for New York
further say tina. l am acquainted with Isaiah Ryn
ders for several years and cav him at the said state
Convention on the day referred TO, and had opportun
Lies Of obsers ing him. and Iswcar that said Rynders did
not in any manner by word action provoke a quar-
rel in the Hall Of the Convention and that when he
ard cried SHANE, for shame,'' on the throwing
over of strykcr, myself, Ben Ray, Thomas II Ferris
Andrew sheehan and o.hers made a rush for said
Rynders, nearly all Of them being armed with
deadly weapons, and with the intent TO do said
Rynders bodily injury-party because he was op
posing Fernando Wood and partly an old political
grudse Thos H. Ferris rushed Ia advance of us no 10
Ryndcrs and said brandishing his in Rynders face
"Ii knock your C. ID head off, 70 which Ryn,,
ders REPLIED "You dare not do it, No blow was
struck during this alteration with Rynders, chiefly
believe, because our attention then drawn of by
man who went up 70 Fernando Wood In q threatening
manner and sald, "fou have commenced this uuss and
you've got to stop II. II yor don't Won be the first
man taken have further 20 say that have read
with surprise the AFFIDAVIT Of Ccnelins Woods ia which
he says that he intended 10 throw Ayod instead OF S,rv
ker OF the stoge; because know that Ferris told both
myself and Cornelius Woods, when Aiyori first took
the chair that eve were all right and mad got orr an
and that when Stryker elected Chairman both Corne
hns Woods and myself mounted the platform with The
special design OF throwing Stryker off, There could be no
between Inc TWO ep AS they did not In the least
resemble each other and Av0rd had acting as our
sn man Tor some time before Sryker took the platform
further say that Cornelius Woods Is Of nv own know
l.lge. an Intimate fr:nd and ae