The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-04-09

me Faseor shs ses FORK lrsssss.
Correspondence of the einctnnsti Commercial. !.
the NOTORIOUS pIusDzRERs.
New YoaK, April Q, 1s72 Probably alf
the readers fsthel Commercial! 1--we not fOl-
lowed tho; course of things I'M New York
closely enough during the last few months to
know the exact standing before the law Mt
this time of the lending members of the fa-
mous Tammany Ring. Everybody Is ia
mlliar with their names-Tweed, Hall, Con-
molly, and Sweeney.
Tweed, the head of the plunderers, is I'M
der bail of n million dollars to appear when
called for trial. 1t is not known when his
trial can take place, but it will probably not
be until after HalPs case has been decided
one way or the other. 1t is some months
since Tweed resigned the office Of Commits
sioner of Public Works, where he had lat
terly been carrying out his gigantic schemes
of fraud. He now holds no public place,
unless he can be said to hold that of State
senator, to which he was elected last Noyem-
Der by the most degraded constituency in
the city. It was supposed that when the
Legislature met in January he would be ex-
PEELED from his seat in the Senate, but no
action in this direction has ever been taken.
Considering the Republicans and Reformers
havea majority of two-thirds in the Senate.
and could easily and peremptoriIy expel
the great coTuptionist from the body of
which he is nominally member say
nominally, for he has never taken his seat ut
the present session-it is rather remarkable
that the Senate has taken no steps to secure
his expulsion. The session will soon be
over, and when it adjourns Tweed will still,
to all appearances, he q senator of the State
Of New York. 1t is said he threatened TO
raise rumpus in the Legislature if he were
expelled, by making IN exposure Of the MEN,
bers, some of them Republicans, who had
taken his brides for doing bis work, at for
mer sessions; and probably this has some
thing to do with his retaining his member
ship. One Republican senator Wood was
recently proved to have taken bride Of
5000 from Tweed at the last session, be-
sides other brides from the Erie Ring, and
after the failure of al attempt to induce
him to resign, Il resolution for his eXpul-
sion was introduced; but the resolution,
which raised 4 cGmmotion, and which was
brought forward by IN g indiScreet" mem
Der, was laid TO one side, and nothing has
been heard of it for fortnight. This looks
bad for the Legislature. 1t looks as though
Tweed was still a power and terror there.
The Committee of Seventy have considered
it necessary that our corrupt judiciary should
be re0rganizcd before Tweed could be tried
in the courts for the criminal offences for
which he was indicted But it is feared the
Legislature have postponed this important
business till it is now too late to take proper
action upon it. 1t would not be surprising.
after all, if by one means OF another Tweed
should be able to escape trial or punishment.
Mayor Hall, who still retains his powcrlcss
place at the head of the city government, was
put on trial before a jury last month, after
geat deal OF argument us to the legal validity
of his Indictment. He is not charged with
stealing himself, but with mafeasance III
office i'll illegally signing the fraudulent bills
of the Ring, and thus enabling it to obtain the
money from the Treasury. After Halls trial
had been carried Oh for Il few days--his coiln-
sci employing every technical means to keep
out cvidcncc--onc ofthc jurors suddenly died.
1t was decided, after much argument, that
this involved new jury and rc0pcning
of the trial !; and just after this had been set
tied it was asccrtained that the court before
which he was being prosecuted had not, I'M
der existing circumstances, the legal power
to try him at this time. Thus his case has
been indefinitely postponed; but we are
| promised II resumption of the trial in course
! of time. Hall has always loudly proclaimed
| his irrcpressiblc anxiety for 4 trial, which nc
was sure would show him to he an immacll-
late and vigiant functiomry; but the con-
duct of his counsel in court showed his de-
termination to raise every technical barrier
to IN investigation.
Connolly, who was Ring Comptroller, Is
still held in bail of half million dollars to
stand his trial when called upon for nlalver-
satiou and corruption in office. Connolly
disappeared from the city about q month
ago, and his whereabouts are at present I'M
known. He was wanted few days since as
| Il witness in the case Of the "youchel
| thieves" but could not be found. ! pre-.
sumo, however, he could be discovered If the
prosecution were anxious to bring him to
trial; but perhaps, if ever called to appear
| he may consider it safer to forfeit his bal
bond, and make it good to the responsible
parties out Of his accumulated plumber.
Sweeney, the Ring Commissioner Of
Parks. has escaped Indictment or prosecll
ton. lie resigned his Office during the anti
ring excitement at the close Of last year, and
soon altcrward, being apprehensive OF ar.
rest, left for Canada but he has been in the
city during the last two or three months.
Of the other thieves connected with the
operations Of the Ring, but Il few words need
he said. We supposed at one time that some
scores of them would have been arrested and
convicted; but thus far have been diSap'
nointed. If Tweed and Connolly should cs
cane prosecution, the others will also escape
but if Tweed and Connolly lie ever brought
to Judgment there will doubtless be scores OF
other arrests and trials. Garyey, the plum
dering "pIasterer," suddenly appeared as 4
witness against Hall, while his trial was Ill
progress; but he was guaranteed against az
rest on condition of turning States evidence
1t is said that Woodward is also ready to al'
pear against the Ring on the same condition
The voucher thieves Haggcrty and Balch
who have been kept i'll prison for nearly hall
year waiting trial, were released few days
ago on giving each five thousand dollars bail
Mayor Hall is the only prominent member
of the plundering ring i'll office. IL was PR
yately reported some time ago That evidence
had been found showing that the police SUI
perintendent (kelso) and the principal police
Justice of the city Uowling) were involved
in some Of the worst rascaliIts OF the ring
but have not lately heard anything OF this
The corrupt judicial ring, OF WllIchJudScS
Barnard and Cardozo of the Supreme Court
are the most notorious members, Is now IL
the hands OF the Legislature. a leSslatlv,
committee has been in session i'll this city iol
the last five or six weeks taking evidence
concerning the fraudulent practices OF these
Judges. \ large number Of witnesses, law
against them, and gre;s mas of evidence
will presently be presented the Legislature
for its action. The judges may be impeachcd
or they may be removed from Office by q
Joint resolution of both branches of the
| LEGISLATURE. 1t is earnestly to be hoped that