Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-12-04

charged against you united in one Indictment. an
that verdict, in the opinion OF the Conr could no
nave oeen otherwise without violation of tn
oaths which the jury had taken, an Rtter disre
gard OF the obligations under which they rested 4
speak the truth and the whole truth
"Mlth all the opportunities you had-had yo'
faithfully performed your duties TO the public
10 win the honor and respect of the whole com
munity you saw fiji 10 pervert the opportunity yo,
possessed, and the powers with which you wer,
clothed IN manner more wicked, more Infamous
| ana more outrageous than any instance Of lik,
character which the whole history Of the civilized
| world contains. Instead of protecting the public
you plundered II; instead Of standing guard
where the law placed you over the treasury Of Won
county. you threw that treasury open, not merel,
| to your own rapacity, but also TO the avaree Of
your associates, under circumstances that make i
| transparent that you were engaged in concerted
conspiracy TO plumber the treasury Of this county
| III which both yourself and your associates in crime
were principally 10 be benefited
| The evidence on this subject can leave no man
nerof doubt in the mind of any. The commence
| ment of 1t all ne entering by you on those
| duties as President Of the Board of Audit on The
| 18th day of May. The very next day after that
| your career Of plumber began, and was followed
from that day forward consecutvely till the whole
| 100 accounts before that board had been audited
and certified and warrants issued and money
paid, The evidence is conclusive that the
| whole proceeding was instituted to carry
| out concerted plan TO enrich yourself
| and those associated with you If there was nc
other testimony that, in my Judgment, would be
coucusively established by the fact that each
OF these several claims as they passed and
ultimately paid, your share Of the plumber was
clearly fixed and prescribed AT twenty four per
cent, while the share of your associates has been
fixed by a somewhat similar standard OF plumber.
II is impossible to believe that in the distribution
of 1870 cases in which the moneys were received on
these warrants, just twenty -four per cent. OF each
sum should always be allotted to you without an
understanding in advance, by a concerted arrange
ment. Why this exact sum should be your fixed
proportion OF the moneys OF which the county
should be plundered, 1t is vain to suggest.
Your trial and conviction has not been the re-
suit o! any partisan feeling that this was after all,
as one of the jurors summoned on the panel sx-
pressed II, n struggle between the ins and the
outs No; the whole struggle has been struggle
between honesty and fraud; between virtue and
crime"
The Judge here. in vindication of the
non partisan nature of the prosecution,
alluded to the Times, in first giving the
figures the light, and to the great assist
ance rendered by Charles O'Conor and
Samuel }. Tilden in the preparation of the
legal proceedings, and continued:
st would be wrong and unjust to entertain for
a moment the idea that your conviction has been
the result of persecution at the hands of any per
son or party. 1t has been the result OF evidence
clear and plain that never have l seen case
where the evidence was so utterly overwhelming,
and where II was impossible for jury to fail to
come to Just and conclusive verdict Through
tnS W0Ole Ol tUs you nave up 10 tnS
moment of your conviction as calm and serene as
though you relied upon your innocence, when ii
was Overwhelmingly apparent that your serenity
was only that audacity that confidence in the ON
Impotence of corruption rather than reliance upon
your Innocence, gave you. The Judge emphasiz-
ed this sentence by bringing his clenched hand
down upon his desk,] The duty Of the court now
is to pronounce upon you the sentence--a SEN
tence that may be adequate to your crime "
The several counts on which Tweed was
found guilty were grouped, and fifty.one
distinct sentences imposed, making his
term twelve years Imprisonment in the
County Jail, and imposing fine of $12,-
$50.
The counsel then gave notice that they
would move for bill of exceptions, and
Judge Davis said the session of the court
would be prolonged to give the counsel
time for due preparation.
Tweed, who received his sentence calm
", was then removed bv Sheriff Brennan,
attended by a strong force of deputy
sheritfs
Tweed is now sixty-six years of age.
Curiously enough the name of VIM. Nj.
Tweed is already inscribed on the marble
slab in the main gateway of the Jail where
it was placed years ago, when the Board
of Supervisors, of which he was then a
member, erected the building.
When Tweed reached the Sheriff s of
fee he was terribly crestfallen, and sank
down in chair. Every effort was made
throughout the evening and until mid.
night by his counsel to obtain a stay OF
proceedings, but without avail Justices
Pratt and lngraham refused to interfere
The Sheriff then made arrangements tc
relieve himself of the responsibility fol
the safe custody of his prisoner, and a
10, Sunday morning, Tweed was taker
to the Tombs and the gates were closed
behind him.