The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-18
.T1WE]E1D.-.'
1.-The Boss'' Conviction Only Secured by I'm
mense Labor-The Way in Which
an Honest jury Was


mense Labor-The Way in Which
an Honest Jury Was
Secured. .sr@&
From the New York Tribune, Oct. n.E%sAf
The true story of the manner iii
which Tweed was convicted has never
been told, and probably never will be
in all its details. But it required not
only the strict rules of law, but
special legislation and the shrewdest
detective skill and the largest body of
detectives probably ever employed on
any case, to convict him finally of mis-
demeanor. even though he put, in no
defense whatever. After the failure
of the first and second trials, some of
the jurors having been corrupted in
each case. it became apparent to those
prosecuting the Ring that it was not
only necessary to watch every juror,
but to change by lay the method of Sc
Letting the jury. Previous to the third
trial the law made the first two jurors
selected by the Court the ''triers'' of
the others that is, the first two decid-
ed upon the the qualifications and i'm
Partially Of the others. A law was
rushed through the Legislature making
the Justice presiding the Judge of the
qualifications Of all the twelve Jurors,
and authorizing him to set aside any
juror: even though acceptable to both
sides. The Tweed case came before
Judge Davis, and he scrutinized the
the jury with such care that it was
made up only Of very intelligent men.
It was said at the time that it was one
of the most intelligent juries ever Sc
lected in the city by any other than
the s'struck" process.
But a system had to be organized
also by which the counsel could be in
formed concerning the persons called
for examination as jurors, the jury
when finally selected, and the court of.
fcers who had them in charge. This
was necessary to prevent the friends
of Tweed getting on the jury, and also
to prevent any approaches by his
agents in the corruption of the jurors.
A scheme was devised and it's details
entrusted to Henry L. Clinton, to car
ny it out, something like fifty or sixty
persous were employed, many of whom
were special detectives from the de-
partment at Washington, unknown to
New York ring men, and a majority of
whom were young lawyers of this city,
who. it is believed, volunteered their
services as detectives.
At any rate, fully fifty detectives
watched the jury and the court-otii-
GERS in charge of them from the begin
ming to the end of the long trial.
Whenever at the beginning Of the
trial panel of jurors was drawn by
the sheriff and county clerk, lists
were Immediately furnished by Mr..
Clinton, who set the detectives under
his direction upon the work Of learn
ing before the opening of court next
day all that it was possible to obtain
of the antecedents OF those called. All
facts discovered were reported to Mr..
Clinton, by whose clerks they were
entered in a book, alphabetically ar.
ranged. This book figured in court as
the ''Black Book, and the use made
of it was great mystery and source
of much trouble to Tweed and his
counsel who frequently alluded to it.
The prosecuting counsel consulted it
every time a new man was called. and
the acquaintance which it gave them
with the juror enabled them to exam
inc him in such way as to justify the
court in rejecting him if thong hit unfit.
In this way several of TWeed's numer.
Gus friends were disposed of without
resort to the ''peremptory challenger"
In collecting this information the
Washington and the amateur detec-
tives used every means possible, max
ing inquiry of friends and neighbors
of the jurors summoned, and even of
their families. At times they pre-
tended to be agents of Tweed and sug-
gested to the jurors that they might
snake good thing by getting on the
Tweed jury.' In many instances the
telegraph was used. Among others
called was an old gentleman who will
be remembered rs having created
great amusement by reference to him.
His history from childhood in Cleve-
land and in this city was Investigated,
the telegraph being used freely. He
was found perfectly unexceptionable
in all respects but one !: On visit to
Greenwich one summer he had dined
with Tweed at the Americas Club. He
was rejected on that account alone
From this fact it can be seen that the
examination was Of the strictest. In
fact, the main effort of the prosecu.
tion was directed to the selection of a
perfectly honest jury.
The experience of the first trials that
Tweed would put in no evidence in de-
Tense, and hence it was claimed by tt e
prosecution at the time that conviction
was sure to follow if true jury was
obtained. During the rest of tile trial,
after the jury was selected, the detec.
tives alluded to watched the jurors and
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