Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-12-18
THE STORY OF wM. NJ. TWEED.


Blackwell's Island and fine of Sl2, $50.
This was the penalty denounced against
VIM. NJ Tweed in the Cour, of Oyer and
Terminer. by Judge Noah Davis. At one
o'clock the prisoner was taken to the
Tombs, aud in that Egyptian pile Of more
than Egyptian misery he is now confined
The las, act of the drama is pleed The
man who. little while ago. was a Sena-
tor. a Supervisor. Commissioner-,he
chief power in the chief city Of the conti-
nent-is nus n condemned convict. If
any measure of success attends the efforts
Of his counsel to secure n mitigation Of
sentence. a stay Of proceedings or new
trial. il will not alter the essential fact
that Tweed's place heneeforsh is with the
outlaws Of snciety. 1t is time to consider
the mans life and character with the same
calm. dispassionate view that we should
take Of the dead; for Tweed is dead be-
yon1 the hope Of resurrection
William NJ Tweed was born in the city
Of New York fifty years ago last April =
His parents were poor people, and the boy
was early thrown upon his own resources
! He learned the trade of chairmaker and
worked at it for few years. He soon
became ambitious of political distinction.
and to increase his qual;ti .ations and i'm
prove his chances he entered the Uuiver-
si,y Law School. from which he gradua-
ted rs u member Of the bar His power
began in the old Volunteer Fire Depart
men' of the metropolis. He became fore
man Of 'Bix Six"--an engine company
+, famous in the lower part Of the city. His
! immense vital energy AMI his organizing
ability were here developed and exhibited
La that day popular fireman was posi-.
tive power in local politics. and Tweed
began to make himself felt
In 1851 he was elected Alderman from
the Seventh Ward, serving in the Com
mon Council through the years 1852 3.
ln the fall of 1852 he was elected to Con-
gress from the 9th district. which then en-
braced the Seventh and Thirteenth Wards
Of New York aud the village Of Williams
burgh. Long Island He took bis seat in
the House in Dec 1858, while his term
as Alderman was about expiring. He was
thirty years old at this time with the pro-
mise of a fair future before him. While
in Congress he was elected School Com
missioner of the Seventh Ward. The
year after his term as Representative ex-
pired he was chosen to the Board Of Su-
pervisors. and continued to hold a place
there until the day Of his overthrow.
Iu 1861 he was candidate for Sheriff on
the Tammany ticket. The Office was one
~ u
for it with his usual energy. He reck.
ened himself worth $50. 600 at tha, time.
and he had made the money honestly
He expended every dollar of it in the can
vass. led on by the hope and belief tha,
he would triumph. He was beaten. and
during the winter which followed he found
great difficulty in meeting the house ren,
and paying his butchers and grocer.
bills. Ii is probable that his career as q
public piunderer dates from the day of hi:
defeat as sheriff.
He was not fne-grained man mol
troubled with many conscientious scru.
pies. lie saw himself as the victim o.
what he looked upon as a conspiracy
He had distributed his money among va.
rious ward crgauisatirns in return for
their promised assistance. They divided
bis fortune and withheld their support. -
He resolved to "ge, even" with the pub
lie who had preferred another to him
and he set abou. the job with the eoolnes,
Of a great general aud the wickcdness o
a great robber. In lS62 he became Dep
uty Street Commissioner. aud while hold
ing that Office he got freely into the pub
tic purse for the first time. At about th,
same period he made himself the leadin.
! spirit in the Tammany organization.
. He showed socn ,ha, his power as al
organizer was very great. He drew met
around him usually by appeals to thei
selfish natures. To one be gave money
/ to another sOmc place of honor and trust
, He proceeded on the theory that erer,
; man had bis price. Ifa rival arose 4
. dispute his authority he crushed that ri
, vali il he could. and if he couldn't b
crushed the rivalry by supporting the ma
. for some Office, and thus making him hi
E ally. Ia this way he spiked the guns o
Z Fernando Wood and called truce viii
E his most popular enemy, the Big Judge
G Niehaei Connolly
In 1857 Richard B. Connolly. a tini
! man, plausible in manners, but exceed