Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-10-19
TWEED.
Tile Boss Conviction Only Secured by I'M
n,cnse Labor-The Way in Which
an Honest Jury Was

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.
lecting 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.
1t 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 ''struck" process.
But 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
persons we're employed, many of whom
were special detectives from the de-
partment at Washington, unknown to
New York ring men, and 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-otli.
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 AZ.
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 4 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 thought unfit.
In this way several of Tweed's numer-
Gus friends were disposed of without
resort to the ''peremptory challenge
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 a 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.
self as ''the great American juror. -
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-
ton was directed to the selection of a
perfectly honest jury.
The experience of tho first trials that
Tweed would put in no evidence in de-
Tense, and hence it was claimed by the
prosecution at the time that conviction
was sure to follow if true jury was
obtained. During the rest of the trial,
after the jury was selected, the detec.
tives alluded to watched the jurors and
court officers in their movements to
and from the courtroom, and effect
ually prevented any communication
between them and Tweed agents. The
manner of the escape of Tweed from
the hands of the Sheriff is still a mystic.
ry outside the State Department. at
Washington and the American Legation
at Madrid. The charge d'affairs at
Madrid, Alrey A. Adee, who by the
way is nephew of John Graham of
this city, Tweed s lawyer on the trial at
which he was convicted, took full par
ticulars of Tweed's movements from
the time when he left New York, and
has already forwarded his report to
Washington.