New-York tribune., 1872-03-08
THE FLIGHT or CONNOLLY.

Another StrlkIngly dramatic chapter - ADDED
to the history of the redemption of this city
from its late rulers AT every shifting of the
scenes we see some new and unexpected dcve-
Opment of vice and crime among the vulgar
tyrantS who so long held the fortunes Of this
metropolis in their sOrdid hands. But none
have presented more startling points Of in
terest than the life and antecedents of the
slyest and shabbiest Of the gang of thieves
whose success was for time SO Overwhelm-
ing, and whose ruin we may now begin to re-
gard as complete. Richard b. Connolly is a
fugitive from justice. In the hope of escaping
the tolls which are closing around his assocl-
ates he has fled from the city, leaving his dis
honest accumulatiOns to satisfy, so far
as they may, the demands OF the
outraged law. But he exposes, as he
goes, seclet hitherto 40 carefully guarded
that it has been entirely unsuspected, and so
grOtes0uely scandalOus that it unites at once
the extravaganza of farce and the sinister Tas
caity of melOdrama. 1t is hard to say whether
the people of this great and gOOd-natured
community will be more ashamed or amused
at learning precisely what sort of monstrOus
fraud has been holding the keys of the public
treasury for the last few years.
In all tUc DlOpIdpult5 WDlCH udNt Dttn pun
lished of Controller Connolly he was reported
IA arriving in New York directly from Ireland
where he was the son, like Saint Patrick, of
"dacent people" But in fact he came here
from Philadelphia, where he had undergone
criminal prosecution and conviction,
and owed his release to the clemency
of the Governor The story of his
gradual rise and final enormous gains
is too well known to need repetition
here. Read in the light of the days revela-
tion, the whole history becomes consistent
and ineligible. This thief came out of Jail,
as many do, the enemy of society. BY that
curious process of reasoning into which oil
criminals fall during the progress of their
trial and conviction, and by which they as
sumo their own defense, and justify themselves
in their own eyes, this clever and shifty rogue
doubtless confused in his mind all moral con-
victions, and persuaded himself that doing
right was making money. and doing wrong
was getting caught. He found most favor
able field for the exercise of these principles i'll
New-YOrk politics. He was surrounded by men
dishonest as himself, and as shameessly con-
temptuOus of any moral restraint. 1t is no won
der that the confidence eDgcndered by this COM
panionship should be continued and increased
by impunity, and that every new theft and
division of spOils should have been for the ex-
convict new occasion for triumph over So
ciety, and for justification before his own
thoughts. He and his associates came at last
to consider New-YOrk as a mere placer, to be
worked by men OF genius and skill, such az they
regarded themselves. They began to have .
sort Of respect for their own knavery, to which
success had given sanction. They called their
thefts and fOrgeries politics" and prOfessed
1t as trade They considered any discussion
of their crimes AS an impcrtinent interference
with their rights citizens. Tweed said one
day, with genuine feeling "that the news
papers were SO free with their talk il was
enough to keep gentleman out of politics.
When at last the hour of serious trouble
came, there was something about the Con-
troller that marked him to the not very OBJ
serving eyes Of his fellow criminals as the
man who would most readily submit TO be
sacrificed for the interests of the gang.
But, to their astOnishment, he defcd them.
and went into open revolt Soon after th is they
discovered the ruinous secret Of his life, and
have held it In terrOrem over him, completely
paralyzing any efforts he might have been in
clIned 10 make TO save himself by cOnvicting
them. He was already completely unnamed
by his fears before the astounding apparitOn
Of Garyey on the witness stand reduced him