The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-02-04
BOSS TWEED IN HIS CELL.
visit OF the New York Grand Jury to VIM.
". Twecd's CcIl--IIow They Found the
Old Man.

visit OF the New York Grand Jury to VIM.
W. Twecd's CcIl--How They Found the
old Man.
The grand jury of New York recently
paid a visit to Blackwell's Island to look
after VIM. M. Tweed under the regula-
tions of the new officers 4 reporter
says:
Tweed's room, as the grand jury saw
it, was hardly calculated to excite the
envy of tenement house family. 1t
consisted OF small apartment eight feet
by ten, partioned off from the hospital
ward of the penitentiary 1t looked ont
from the top floor of the building on the
Astoria branch of the East river The
lee i'll the foreground and the leafless
trees in the Iii ,tance, the silence and the
absence of stirring life, made II dreary
picture.
"The commerce of the Sound i'll the
summer passing up and down, makes
the view little lively" remarked Mr..
Tweed, with tinge of sadness i'll. his
voice: "but now it's flat enough"
"The view from prison." observed
ju,yman, i" can never entirely entertain
ones mind.
"Well, never studied the subject
before" responded the prisoner; &c but
there is more i'll it than you think. In
different as that scene seems to you, it
is worth more than a thousand other
Injuries to one confined as | am. 1t is
good deal to be able to see the sky,
whether clear or cloudy, and the river
or the trees, either in winter or i'll sum-
mer.
" Nobody will deprive you of that
small comfort" said the juryman, sym
pathetically.
Well, 1 think not" replied Tweed.
4" for that would be making me an exeep-
ton to the rest of the prisoners"
He sat i'll -bOttomed armchair
which, along with small table, Il bed
stead, u few books and papers and steel
engraving of the death of Cardinal VOL
sey. constituted all the furniture that
could be detected. The prisoner. was
clad III sack coat Of the "misde-
meanor" quality, which is coarse
wooden fabric of reddish brown aud
white mixed. The trousers were of !,
dark slate color and WOODEN also. As he
sat in his chair. with his spectacles ON,
engaged in writing out the regular hos
pital entries of the morning, it was diff
cult to recognize the Tweed of former
days. The clothing was one great bar
rier To recognition, but the greatest of al
WAS the listless attitude of the man who
was wont to sit like q monarch on his
throne, with eye flashing and every fiber
of his frame strung to its utmost tension.
In his conversation it is correct to say
he won the sympathies of the jurymen
There was neither servility nor bravado
He made no complaint and he answered
every question with prompt and manly
frankness.
How do they treat YOU here, Nj
Tweed :" inquired a reporter.
"Well, pretty clever" said he, a.
ask for nothing, and leave them to do a'
they like. OF course there is nothing t(
boast Of, as you can see, but | was al
ways grateful even for small favors."
"You are looking well, Mr.. Tweed,
was the greeting given him by anothe
iuryman. And he did look well, to al
appearances, though he complained q
trouble i'll the kidneys. His beard
which is now all white, being cut close
gives the impression of his having
dwindled III flesh, but his color, o
bright healthy red, testities to the excel
lencc of the atmosphere III which IL
lives.
81 take four hours exercise day,
said he, "and that accounts for it. Onl
, for this old complaint | should be almos
, as strong as ever"
, "There is difference, Mr.. Tweed,
observed one Of the party, "betwecl
looking strong and feeling we'll.
"Yes," replied the lonely old man
turning his looks toward the dull, dar
river, while Il shadow of pain passe
over his face, " troubles come to til
strong as well as the weak. My last nj
Fiction is not the least, and it seems t
me these things never come alone.
I CThere was a reference III this to Il recel
sad domestic affiictiOn.)
He seemed willing to converse, bu
showed no inclination to court converse
tion. Whoever among the party of Wis
$ tors addressed him was courteousl
treated and spoken to with randor. an
atfability.
That Mr.. Tweed entertains hop
that his term of imprisonment will b
some day, not far distant, cut short
not doubted. This agreeable sentimel
sustains him, for otherwise one SO pres
nant of energy would collapse and di'
Il His duty is still that of orderly to ii
+ hospital, and nobody, according to IL
warden, makes a more faithful an
u Jealous attendant. He is a mod,
u prisoner, and sets an excellent example