New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-08
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
TIE TWEED CIVIL SUIT.


,,orr,rvrs or MR.. FIELD AND MR.. CARTER-THs
PROSECUTION ASKS FOR A VERDICT OF 9O9oh-
463 10.
The courtroom in which the suit against
william NJ Tweed for $4,000 900 is on trial was niieu
YESTERDAY by those attracted thther to hear he CLOSING
arguments OF the counsel In the case Immediately upon
the opening OF the court David Dudley Field began 10
sum up the case Tweed He said that rom the De
ginning Of the suit they had been hearing that thee va"
defense" and 1t had been repeated so oiten tha NJ
last the men who said It, through ignorance or naoe %
gan TO believe IL themselves But now theIe was 'ii
upon tho merits OF the case and already the pian's
were defeated as to onethrd Of the claim OF between
No 900 600 and Sc 600 OOO and the defendant comes
10 the Jury to see If the claim could not be still Ither e
Auced or altogether defeated.
"If" said Mr. Field, {" MIR. Tweed receives written
summons, he has right to answer IL; and .S t pbt
SO man TO defend himself in this country, mus td
counted anaye or fo9 Ole Of my
brethren. If the press were unanimous %heH II y 10
soncb noise but its influence silent and irresistible
Nr Willis once used the convenient expression, tne
Using the same expression applied to the society OF
lawyers venture to say that the opinion OF the upper
sooner or later become the opinion OF the whole
people" 1t was said, he continued that ne WAS
because there no defense. He did not know
whether the g ehl nc weed into giving him
the money, that he layished II on llp OUT Oh PLe
money from hands that were not cean-trom the lran
pleDt bankrupt, the dishonest trader, the emDelIDs
ashier the unfaithfu trustee; but now the separation
was fret 70 be made between the honest ana usIo9o
passed his comprehension, Who was 10 Jay aslue tlo
dishonest money SO hat R9Poy he eonid not saw
The service must be gratuitous and ne coud oy su
Eest that the service be undertaken ~ lHk tl9N u
Thai az formerly they had assze OF bread and an
Hssze Of meat, so he suggested an asslze OF tig
with THE TRIBUNE the advertising register, ana us
editors 70 handle the money. 49,, ,..,.
There wal Bothng unusual Mr. Field continued, 9g8g;
ahis except the prosecution There had Peeh four
suits brought of which the Court OF Appeals decided
they had no right 70 bring That there Tele frauds no
Que could deny but the defense OF Tweed was nor nece
CARLY the defense Of fraud These frauds were vac Ie
8ult Of the moral demOraza Tor WRcl we Wete an
he trusted that their testimony Mould not "elgbb
one feather with the jury Iney were d DoSn
Inc men who begged for contracts when Tweed
in power the dirty tools to DO the work, came dor
es and they enjoying II and living IN houses wch
sUoe o. I9 yS nt 90 900 S00 then thew were not en-
70 Mr. Tweed about 81 600, 600. The point was could
SIey recover any more than they had traced to him
Had they proved conspiracy HnOt then the, jugs
swopnt Tbey baa not shown any conspiracy existed be-
tween Watson and Tweed. They had not SHOWN lha'
Tweed had anything more to do with the frauds
Directly after the Mr. Garter began his address
IN reply 10 Mr.. Field lie SAID that any one who had
come into court the opening Of his adversary might
have thought that Mr.. Field was on trial instead OF
Tweed; that his professional integrity had been ques-
Honed. The prosecuting counsel had never questioned
ahe night OF pToprety Of defending Tweed or OF IWeed
nght TO be defended When the community saw a man
oness by admissions, confess by silence, confess by
Sight that be the criminal he was said to be- 1t was
Of the fullest Importance that the fullest criticism should
be allowed to the community. Ingerso was guilty ana
criminal and he had bitterly suffered it, but pardoned
cot Of prison to testify here lie told the whole story and
Dad not been contTadcted in single particular Gayey
testified the same 10 the agreement with Tweed, Con-
noiiy Watson, and all the rest whose cooperation Vas
80 n
ahgough al the 1Sure5 and calculating how muCa Naue
ION the evidence the city received on all the 100 irauo
At warrants, amounting TO S6,l9SSol 50, MI Iarte
aid tho prosecution, claiming dollar ron Lweed
Nhinh was not due willing TO deduct l7o,53s 20
md claim damage S5,6234l9 90, with interest nom
4SSo. He considered the interest ought 10 nc on ne
Ebole S6,l9S959 SO that the arm OF justice should az
nes not only be lifted but strike, and that there ought
70 DO punitOry damages in this way, but he knew his
4rasnd tMr O'CCnor) was opposed 70 this
Mr.. O'COnor laughed and said lie was
Mr. Carter said the interest would only be caculleu
en- tne amount claimed and 1884 0l6 54 making
. total OF $685. 43G 10, for which, OF larger sum- he
saSad a verdict. .,,,-
Iho court then adjourned. The Judge Will charge
sthe Jury this morning