The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-04
"BOSS" TWEED.
The Play Now Enacting on
BlackWell's Island.
A MOCKERY OF IMPRISONMENT.


bears a resemblance TO that kind OF q hybrid
drama which would be made by the conjunction OF
very mild uneventlul comedy, and pantomlme
of one act In which the harlequin has simply to
change, with stroke or his lath, handsomely
furnished apartment into one bleak, Dare ana I'M
inviting. One OF the actors in this strange per-
torrance, it hardly need be said Is, and since The
play inaugurated has been, MIR. william NJ.
Tweed, the former "Boss' OF the politicians OF
this city. He plays Protean part. In the panto-
mimic act he is the harlequin, and, as he strikes,
aguratively the side OF his room with his lath. 1t
is specify emptied OF nne furniture and he him.
sell Is Invested OF citizens clothing and CARRIED In
prison apparel. In the comedy portion OF the
play Mr.. Tweed assumes the part OF supernuous
hospital orderly, who Tolls at ease In his room,
consuming "the good things OF e," While an
Dther orderly does his work; that OF a saddened
convict, seated IN dreary apartment. which
looks out upon monotonous scene, and opens at
Its side into noisome hospital; and then Joyial
fellow, receiving pleasant friends, dressed In fine
clothing albeit he Is yet convict and the scene
OF his jovlaity is still with prison.
the otner actors In this continuous play are the
Commissioners OF Charities and Correction, the
Warden OF the Penitentiary, and, in small part,
one other inmate Of The hospital and Penitentiary,
who plays the part OF the working orderly" I'M
der MIR. Tweed.
Ever since the play began on Backwell's Island
the public In New YORK have been receiving ru-
mors OF it. 1t puzzled everybody, and very
lew persons gained a knowledge OF its
character. And the lew who did get TO
understand 1t kept their mouths very
tightly shut. Whenever report said anything
very near the truth some ofricias connected with
the Penitentiary reluted 1t, and with great show
pr Indignation, Tor the officials OF the Department
Of Charities and Correction are modest ana do
Sot wish TO be known
AS EXCELLENT ACTORS
and stage managers. But now it Is possible for
me to give them all the reputation they deserve
for their acting and it is the purpose OF this letter
TO tell exactly how they performed and what were
the incidents OF the play in which Mr..
Tweed was leading man aud they fine
support. The opportunity is given me BY
. change in the cast OF the play, caused
by the retirement OF MI. Thomas Burke from the
part OF ''tte working orderly and his arrival In
this city, from which he was absent nine months.
And now to the story Of the play. AS has been
said, the performance has been continuous for
more than year, and, within several periods
during that time, its incidents have REQUIRED. 1t
will satisfy the purposes OF this communication to
take the last period, occurring within month and
. hall, through which Mr.. Burke played the part
Of ''rne orderly" During that time the incidents
were more defined than ever before. This was
somewhat strange, because most OF the perform
ers were new to their parts. Commissioners
Bailey, Brennan and Cox had succeeded to the
places OF Messrs. Laimbeer, Stern and Bowen,
and warden Fox had superseded Warden LIS
comb. 1t may be that the Old actors re-
heaIsed with the new before the latter assume ed
their positions. TINS, however. Is bare possibl
tty IL VIII, perhaps be well 10 let Mr.. Thomas
Burke describe the play the writer merely making
lninqulry wnen ne molnentarily loses the sequence
OF Its incidents. ! am compe led to q. sumo part
something ike that OF the cnorls In old plays,
Will Try not TO 70 &c myself upon the attention Of
the reade OF This letter oitener thaa IL absolutely
necessary. met the man Burke on Monday last,
and he ;old me the story, IN part, which rehearse
here. When determined to write to the HERALD
said To him ::
..By the way, Mr.. Burke please describe, first, the
manner In winch the performance at the PeDiien-
tlary was interrupted Tor moment, when the old
Cvmmissiorers and Warden Lscomb we're thrown
out OF tneir engagements"
wei, the hrst Knew OF the change was one
day when, as was doing my part III the hospital
scene, strange man came up to me and sald,
WHERE'S THE ORDERLyr
1 SAID, I'm the orderly.' Wny,' the man said.
i Thought Mr. Tweed was the hospital orderly
cali him wneu Comm ssIoner or a friend
Or the doctor came H. The strange man
went away. and soon heard that ne was the new
Warden, Dir. Fox. lew days after MI. Fox
called me INTO his ONCE and told me to take good
care VI mir. rweed, and 10 look after everything
20 dine at the warden's nome. Afterward 1 had
20 bring his dinner from Mr.. Fox's house; some
L
MIR Burke. what was the comedy OF lie IN the
Penltentiary so far Mr.. Tweed, the ofr1clas
nionr Il OF your stay on Black well's Islandgv
.Aoout The same as during the days OF previous
months while was the orderly The first scene
was, every morning, III room on the first floor
OF the centre building OF the Penitentiary.
The room Is ABOUT ten feet by liLeen.
IL Is handsomely IurEished with CHAIRS bed
stead, a bureau, a WARDROBE and a dressing case
OF fine wood the hanglngs OF the room are OF
nne MATERIAL and 1T looks out upon a fIne piano.
dany scene About eight O'Clock In the morning
Mr. Tweed would rise rom the bed and alter
uresstng, ne would ring for me to bring hts
breakfast. TINS usually was OF egg, beei-
steak, biscuit, coffee ana brandy Al niLe O'Clock
he would leave MS room aud come up 10 the hos
pital He generally wore "A dark suit Of clothes, y
white shirt aud standing collar aud a silk cap; he
out oi sight After .siayiug Ia the hospital Tor
about hour he would go back TO ms room. lie
body VINO asked Ter MN that he had
lust goue down stairs and would soon be
back. He told NE always TO be sure 20 call him IL
any Of the doctors or commissioners were coming,
~ that ne could be III the hospital when they got
there- AT ten O'Clock In the morning he
would receive his trends IN his room. lie al
ways had plenty oil brandy. wine and ale at
hand. Ior those extras were sent to him
from New YORK. Sometimes In the morning
i would go to the CHARITY Hospital and
get quart OF lager rom the matron there
almost everybody would mink il was soup
tor some patient IN the hospital. Besides this,
whenever ne ran our OF any KIND or liquor
Charity Hospital. At Twelve O'Clock In the day
DR.. Kitchen, the chef OF the medical stan or
the Charity Hospital, would call on Mr. Tweed
In his private room. ana remain with him Tor
from one hal 70 a full hour. DR.. KItcEcn Is o
great friend OF Mr.. Tweed, and does u great deal
Tor MIN. II the warden wan ted to
SEND hin 10 THE QUARRIBs
the Doctor could prevent HIM from going
by simply saying that ne was SICK. Mr.
Tweeds dinner was always oil the best
food that the market arords-turkcy,
chicken, qualon-tOast, partridge, &c. In
tie afternoon he usually stayed In his
room, and about three O'clock he again received
visiting lriends. forgot 10 say that MS SONS
visited MIN every morning. During the day "a
Keeper always stood outside mis- door; but at
night there was no one TO watch hum. and he
could 70 Wherever be Wished even outside the
building. ! was ike him IN TINS, Tor I could 70
TO any place on the island. Whenever Mr.. Tweed
lett his room he locked the door and carried the
key In his pocket
dBut, Mr. Burke did not Mt Tweed perform the
duties OF a hospital orderly ~
ssSo, str; did al the work that he was said TO
do wonli write ~ the books aud bring them