The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-08
The New civil Suits Against the
Tammany Ring.

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favorable decision. While he has lately been
looking forward from day to day for a restora-
ton to personal liberty his vigilant and re-
entless pursuers have been engaged IN secret
but energetic preparations for disappointing
his hopes and causing the fair fruit to turn TO
dust and ashes in his mouth. If the Court OF
Appeals decides that he cannot be longer held
under the criminal sentence he is destined 10
find in his release beginning of new trou-
bles A favorable decision by that tribunal
will not bring him even temporary respite
from confinement but will merely result in
his transfer from the Penitentiary on the
Island to the County Jail in the city. BE will
remain in the firm clutches Of the law and
gain still more bitter experience that ''the
way of the transgressor is hard
This new stroke has fallen on him with the
suddenness of thunderbolt. He probably
had no suspicion Of it until the pardon of
Ingersoll was announced and its motive ex-
/ planned. At the very time when his counsel
were arguing, with great force and ability,
before the Court of Appeals, that he has al
ready suffered the full measure of punishment
of the State and his vigorous assistants were
silently weaving about him legal net from
which there is no chance of Escape. The par
| don Of Ingersoll, which has at length brought
out the secret, was deferred until the legal
trap was fully set into which Tweed will step
the moment he energies from his prison doors,
if the Court of Appeals should throw them
i he Re fnI1 u a1
and this great offender will not enjoy one
moment of freedom, let the court OF
last resort decide as IL may in abridging
his term under the criminal sentence.
He will leave the Island in custody
|. Of Sheriff and pass at once from
the cell of a felon to the cell of defrauder.
His case has something of the painful interest
of tragedy; but ''rigid law cries out It's
just and it is to he hoped that this example
of righteous retribution will serve as warn
ing and terror to evil-doers for generations
TO come. The atmosphere of official life
4 needs publication, and the sound, moral feel
\ ing of the community will strongly indorse
4 the faithful zeal of Governor Tllden and his
powerful coadjutor, Mr. O'Conor, in turning
the stream of justice into this foul Augean
stable and performing labor more worthy
4 Of renown than any of the feats of Hercules.
Nothing short of the full execution OF the
\ law against the abusers of public trusts can
render official life in this country again whole
some and pure after the long debauch which
has tainted it with infamy. The unsparing
execution Of justice upon men like Tweed has
become the most urgent Of public necessities,
and the public conscience will indorss all the
security which the new law authorizes and re-
quires.
The great mass of legal papers connected
with these new suits which we spread before
our readers this morning will put them in
possession OF all the information needed for
forming correct judgment OF the proceed
ings IN their present stage. II will be seen BY
the date Of most Of the afidavits March 20)
that not o day was lost after the passage of
the Civil Remedies acts in making proper
preparations for these new suits. A great
deal Of time and effort were necessary for get
ting the papers in a condition to be sworn to,
and it is only by marvellous diligence and
energy that they could have been completed
at so early date, which shows that the emil
nent movers Of these prosecutions are thor
oughly IN earnest, II will be perceived by a
perusal OF the documents that there is no loop
hole Of escape for Tweed, provided property
can be found now for satisfying the judgment
of the Court when 1t shalt be rendered. In
this view We call particular attention
to the affidavit Of Mr.. Wheeler H.
Peckham, one Of the lawyers employed
in the former abortive civil suits.
Mr. Peckham states on oath that, SO far as he
knows, none Of the defendants ID the former
civil suits ever attempted to dispute in court
the truth OF the facts on which the suits were
founded. Neither Tweed nor Ingersoll took
the stand 70 testify in bis own behalf, and not
witness was summoned nor a document
produced to prove that the alleged frauds
we're not actually committed. The defendants
in the former suits rested their whole case on
point OF law. The point Of law was that
suits for the recovery Of the money could not
be brought BY the State, but only by the
county, the State as a suing party having no
standing in court. The defendants stood on
this legal technicality, and they were well adj
vised by their counsel, as the Court az Appeals
sustained this plea and decided il their favor
on this purely technical ground. But the
Civil Remedies acts struck away this prop,
and il the members Of the Ring cannot sue
cessfully controvert the facts they have not an
inch OF ground to stand upon.
Tho facts are supported By imprognable
evidence. On this point We advise readers
who would understand the strength Of the
case against Tweed q examine The afidayits
of Governor Tilden and his clerk, Mr. Smith,
who assisted him in conducting his inyestiga-
ton Of the Broadway Bank accounts in 1871.
II any evidence was ever absolutely conclusive
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