Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-12-11

money plundered from the city. That
same year 1867 Tweed was elected to
the State Senate from the fourth dis :
trict by a large majority. In the
Senate he found a majority opposed
to him politically. How he used that
majority to effect his purposes is one
of the chronicles Of Albany which is
yet to be written. We may undertake
tue task hereafter.
In 1869 Tweed found a counsellor
far wiser and much more honest than
himself in the person of Peter B.
Sweeney. lie also found fippant
but brilliant advocate in A. Oakley
Hall, man free from corrupt motives.
bnt one willing to blind his ewes to II e
crimes committed around him as O. re-
ward for temporal power and pleasant
notoriety. When these four men
Tweed, Connolly, Sweeney, and Hall
joined their various forces and talents
the Iammany conspiracy was complete.
In 1879 the first revolt against this
concentrated power began. 1t was
badly planned and disreputably officer
ed. Norton, Genet, Crealner, Peter
Mitchell, Michael Murphy, and others
who led the movement in the Legis-
lature, were not the men through whor,
reform could come.
1t looked for time, however, as if
the movement would succeed. Tweed
was beaten in the preliminary skirmish
IN the Senate. He pretended to sur
render, and voted for the character of
the Young Democracy. But he had
secretly formed an alliance with the
Republican party in the Legislature.
and could afford to bide his time
Meantime his rivals had lost their
heads. in the flush Of temporary sue
cess they divided-on paper all the
oaicies in the city amongst themselves.
The charter under which this grand
distribution was to take place was
taken to the Assembly, where it was
understood that it would pass bv
general consent: but to the amaze,neni
OF maa,v, and to the dismay Of the
Young Democracy, it was defeated
weeds rivals surrendered at dis
erection. Dreamer, Norton, Mitchell
all out but Gent sued for terms Of
peace. The next week Tweed's charter
was introduced, and receiyinu the
support Of all the Republican senators
excepting Ehayar, 81 Rensselaer,, it
passed. This was followed by other
measures, which made the.power for
the ring well nigh absolute. It was
then hat the system OF p,under began
to work ont its alnrzing results. Bills
against the city were deliberately raised
from $4,000 to S5Jo,h0O, and the
enormous excess divided between
Connolly and Tweed, who in turn
shared part of the money with
subordinate strikers Hall looked on
and held his peace. Sweeney put
forth an effort to stop the stealing, but
was overborne. The accounts of the
controllers Office were secreted, and
the general public as well as the
Democratic party We're hoodwinked
and lnisied
Among those who sought to profit
in the general carnival of fraud was
James O'Brien, who as sheriff of New
\ TX had received upward Of $500,
900 for three years service. After re.
tlrlng from office he cooked up bogus
claim az re eating $200,0)0 and de
mlnded lis payment The board OF
Audit refused to consider 1t, although
Tweed espoused O'Brine's bad cause.
TO strengthen his chances OF getting
the money, O'Brien placed contiden
tial clerk in the controllers office and
secured transcripts of the fraudulent
vouci, ers therein contained Armed
with these evidences Of the guilt of his
former comrades, he again demanded
his plnDder. 1t was again refused
The rlng had crown so bold and they
felt that their lease OF power was so
long and strong that they could brave
any exposure.
Thereupon O'Brien turned his evi
dence over to the New York Times
and that paper printed it. The effect
was startling With one voice the
people demanded the punishment OF
these men who had betrayed so Great
a trust. They were thrust out of the
Democratic party, whose temple they
had detiled. Said Judge Davis in SEP
fencing Tweed: ''O'Conor, who has
been named here, and who holds tn,
foremost rank in his profession, am
who stands without a stain upon char
acter as pure and noble as any man,
in this great city, immediately from hi.
semi retirement came and aided in the
rescue of this city from its great colrup
ton. And 1'ilden, who stood as tb,
leading man at the head of the Dem