The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-07-28
A GREAT CRIMINAL.
PRISON LIFE OF BOSS TWEED.


BOSS SPENDS HIS TINE-THE FURNIsHISG,
OF HIS RooM-HIs MYSTERIOUS WRITING
AND CoRREsPoNDENcE-HIs FREEDoM AND
EASE OF EsCAPE-HIs VISITORS AND WHAT
THEY BRIsG HIM.
The New York Graphic contains the fol-
lowing interesting account of the prison life
of the great criminal, Boss Tweed: James
Donohue was discharged from Blackw wells
Island on Thursday last. He had been
sentenced 10 term of Is months for felonl-
Gus assault and battery, and while serving
out his sentence acted as ORDERLY in the
hospital In which William NJ. Tweed is as
sistant orderly. His story of the daily
prison life of the ex-Boss Is the first minute,
by channel which permits OF its publ
cation. That Mr.. Tweed was allowed
to wear his beard became known only
when he appeared in the witness
stand several weeks ago in suit brought
| by his private secretary, Mr.. Foster
Dewey. How he passes bis time. where he
takes his meals. who are his visitors, how
he dresses, and, in a word, what special
attentions are shown him by the prison
authorities have hitherto remained mys-
ter1es. Newspaper representatives have ire
quently visited the island, bearing passes
from President Laimbeer of the Board of
Commissioners of Charities and Correction,
as well as notes from that gentleman request
ing Warden Liscon1b to grant the bearers all
possible favors, but all was in vain. Mr..
Tweed invariably refused to be seen, and
when the visitor had pressed his way into
the hospital-room, If he was fortunate enough
to penetrate so far. he was always told that
Mr.. Tweed was on duty elsewhere, An as
sistant orderly's duties consist in waiting on
the physicians, administering medicines. ap-
plying Dandages, etc. In addition to this he
/ is TO keep small book in which a record of
I q Aorl ho
Mr.. Tweed, Donohue asserts, has
never yet waited on a patient, and
all stories of hls fatherly manner
in "binding the wounds of pa
tients and cooling their burning brows with
patient Applications OF water mus. be set
down to The imaginalions OF writers VINO
have had imperfect and unreliable s0urses of
Information. His duties are performed by
one of the convalescent inmates OF the
hospital. The record of medicines ordered
daily, however, is duly entered in bis little
book. He records them once every two
weeks from the docter's book, which is leff
| with him for that purpose. Sometimes this
/ duty becomes irksome and it is omitted.
As, for example, when the grand jury was
expected to make their lastvisit, Mr.. Tweed's
book had not been written up for tour or
] Eve weeks. Mr.. Donohues book, however,
was brought into requisitiou, and MIR
Tweed copied the curious characters of the
| spothecary's table from it, until he
had brought up his record to the date Of the
visit.
HOW HE PASSES TIE DAY.
Mr.. Tweed rises about z O'Clock 10 The
morning, and after reading the morning
newspapers. of.which he takes SIX, goes 20
breakfast. This involves pleasant Walk Of
a little less than a quarter off mile 70 the
Wardsn's house. After enjoying the socis-
bility of the warden's table until about Q
O'Clock he returns to his dungeon The
dungeon. meantime, has been carefully put
iI order by one of the prison chambermaids.
At $3.50 his private secretary reports to him,
and Mr.. Tweed transacts business with hin
and converses with other visitors who nav
call until l o'clock. Then he leaves his
dungeon and takes leisnrely promenade
to the warden's house again, where bis
midday meal is taken, followed by slesta
which lasts until or O'Clock. Els sup
J per is brought down in a basket, by a
prisoner employed in the warden's house,
about O'Clock anu given to the night.
, watchman of the prison, who sends it up
stairs to bis room. On neither Of the occs-
! sions of leaving the prison for his meals is
, he accompanied by keeper. The commits
sioners, MIR. Donobue says, evidently have
, perfect faith that he will not try TO escape.
+ There is nothing to prevent his escape to a
J tug-boat, scores of which are passing every
dav, and before the alarm would egive1 he
might be board some outward-boand
f steamer. Being conyitced only OF INSIDE
meanor he could not be extrsdited, and his
recapture would be impossible. Mr.. Tweed
is waited upon every day by his sons,
who bring him wines, liquors, and ali
the delicacies of the season, of which
, ne always has assortment. James
Carey, the hero of the bogus ex-
press company, who was sentenced a few
| months ago. performs the duties of valet
for him. He blacks his boots, keeps his
room in order, and in general makes him
7 comfortable. The furniture of the "dismal
cellv that overlooks the river to the east is
of French walnut. There is cabinet wash
stand, desk, and three or four chairs, all Of
2 the same handsome material. The ordinary
? prison bed consists OF a straw mattress
covered with one sheet. Mr.. Tweed is
. forced to lie on spring bed with two hair
mattresses, hair bolster and two feather
, pillows. There is PATCHWORK quilt and a
2 white counterpane. A green rep sofa, which
be taken into his room, stands just outside,
; and serves as convenient seat TO lounge
, upon, reminding his callers of the old eIe-
i, gance that met their eye while they were
cooling their heels In the ante-ro0m of the
! famous brown stone building On Broadway
, A selection of standard books sdorn the
, shelves of a commodious library, ard the
/ floor is nicely carpeted.
3 WHO VISIT HIM.
Among those who call upon him ia DR.
9 Mcdonald. 1t has been reported that his
visits are professional in character. MIR.
: Donobue says he is nottreating him for any
, disease. The elder Mr.. Bartlett, one OF the
. counsel, calls generally three times a week
: Coroner Kessler has been there three or -four
: times. DR. Shine has called half dozen
times. Alderman Lysaght has visited him
5 at least a dozen times. His sons, Richard
M. Tweed and William M. Tweed, Jr., cal
every day. They cross by the Sixty-frst
{ street skiff ferry about O'Clock, and stay
until the ''all night bell rings, at 6:20 p
M-seldom later The ladies of his family
call every Saturday afternoon, about
O'Clock. and leave him about 4:3O. He
, generally meets them at the boat-house, and
: occasionally at the Warden's house. They al
, ways cross by the Sixty-first street ferry