The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-10-20


deputy with full powers, and with the
comptroller Yet remaining nominally in
office, though in New York Here then,
WAS the key of the situation. The reform
erS must take puSSeSsiO of Connolly, aud
through him and in face of his coufederates
seize on the city treasury. That evening
Mr.. Tilden prepared the necessary papers,
and the next morning at 10 o'clock Mr.
Havemyer, Mr. Connolly. and that gentle
man lawyers appeared. On the way one
of these last stepped in to see 3Ir. u. 3.
SweeDy, who had at once been ready with
bis sug gestion. 1t was that Mr. Connolly
should resign, that q man OF sufficient
character to assume the whole work of iu-
vestigatiOn should succeed. aud that Con
molly should himself be protected This
course was strongly urged at the confer
ence; but Mr.. filoen objected to allowing
any voice to The ring IN the matter Of filing
the succession, and he carried his point.
Among those present at the interview was
Mr.. Andrew II. Green, and him Tilden
suddenly designated as Connollg's deputy.
\ reluctant assent 80 this arrangement was
At last extorted, the papers were speedily
executed, and Mr.. Connolly left the house
only to accompany Mir Green to the city
hail, there to install him in Office as deputy
comptroller. Thus Nr. Tilden had actually
appointed a city treasurer, and by so doing
seized the very stronghold of The ring.
1t was 4 veli,able coup q etat, and felt
10 be such by Mayor Hall. He at once
appointed General George E. Mcclellan
TO the vacant Office, and had th e pleasure
of seeing that gentleman promptly decline.
Nil. j ilden 3 services were again in active
requisItion. knowing fun well that free
dom from doubt as respects the law was
security at ali iii presence of the ring
judges, and not being So childish as to
share III Jbe lie wDOrn confidence III Judge
Barnard ardor for reform, he felt the ne
cessty of bringing every possible influence
To bear. lie accordingly sought cat Chas.
O'Conor, and obtained from him a vol
untcer opinion affirming the validity of Mr.
Green's possession. A carriage was kept
ia waiting ready to take Mr.. Tilden armed
with this document to Judge Brady, and
the plan Was TO get that magistrate TO
vacate the fraudulent orders of the ring
Judges AS fast as they could issue them.
Tue immediate publication of Mr.. O'Con-
or's opinion obviated The necessity of hav-
ing recourse TO This dangerous eXpedient
The qestIon of Mr.. Green's right to his
position had been referred by Hall to Mr..
. GoImaD, the corporation counsel I'm
scrupuiOua as he WAS, that official Gid not,
however, venture 10 dispute SO high All
authority as Mr. O'Couor, and thereto
advised the mayor TO acquieSce. Every in
veSti3 3at ION after" ards made was the fruit
of the possession of the comptroller Office
by the rUiOrmeTS, and out for this success
it Is safe 10 say Tweed and his fellows
might Stili he eAerting a paramount imfu-
ence III New York political affairs. Last
and most important result OF all, this move
in the game fairly blocked for the ring lis
most promising avenue of escdp PET finally
drove them Ia bay. Though the ring was
now fairly dislOdSed from the city treasury,
and the fact of enormous frauds having
!
question, yet no specific acts of pluudcr
had heeu traced TO any Individual, nor had
the system under which the members of
the ring divided their booty, If any such
existed. been discovered. While iuvesti-
eating certain warrants drawn in favor of
keysei & Co., the Endorsements TO which
were alleged 60 be olgeries, Dir. Tiideu
struck upon cicw which Induced hitn to
examine tie books ard papers OF the
Broadway bank. where Itot only The city
but the individual accounts OF several mem
bers Of the ring had been kept. Ga com
pairing the books, memoranda of deposits
aud city warrants, he speedily became con-
vIuced that some undiscovered rule Of pro
portion ran through them. lie then set
experts to work, and after some ten days
of patient puzZling was rewarded by the
whvle system of division. The accounts
of Tweed, Connolly, Sweeny, Watson and
Woodward III various banks showed that
on every warrant in favor Of certain poI-
solts, the first named received a bout 2- per
cent, tire second 26 per ceut., the third IL
per cent, and The last two per cent. each.
The propou ions, however, were nos abso-
lule!y exact; the variation, it is true. was
not great, being less than per cent, but
siill it existed. The perfect accuracy of
NJ. Tiiden' > conclusions were demonstrated
at last when, long subsequently, The ring
CONTRACTOR IngersOll, having turned states
evidence. explained this variation. 1t
seems that, not content with raising each
bill so that Tie original charge was reduced
to - per cent. of tie whole, these aOSO-
lutely Unsuitable thieves had also caused
the variants TO be aute-dated, III order that
interest might be charged from such date
~ The time Of payment. In this interest
Tweed, for some reason, did not share, nor
did it appear on the face Of the bills, being
computed subsequently, to their approval
aud Included in ihe warrant. It's presence,
therefore, Caused the greatest dlfiiculty IN
the invest ixation to Mr.. Tilden, and only
when it was accounied for was the accuracy
of his results absolutely verified. The sue
cess of this investigation was the most i'm
portant link in the whole chain of evidence
against the ring. 1t made 1t complete.
Al last the mask was completely torn from
the face of Peter b. Sweeny AID he stood
exposed with the rest l p to this time
the ring had through him maintained
sort of dubious fpUting IL: the possible mea-
suIes of reforuI and only few days be-
fore the Broadway bank discoveries the
ring organs had eagerly suggested that If
men like Mr.. Heeny and Me. IIden would
Only act together, all woEld yet be well.
This was over now. HIs share of the
piusder was directly traced into the hands
of each one OF the confederates, aud the
legal evidence op which the subsequent
actious for its recovery were based was
coalpiete.
Those in charge of the legal
proceedings against the members of the
ring were. meanwhile, pressing them for
ward rapidly was consistent with the
law S proyerbial delay. Swceny's case gave
them lile most trouble, for he had 50 skill
fully hidden his tracks that great difficulty
was found in getting sufficient proof upon
which Ia find a bin against him. Indeed,
il took Mr.. Tilden not less than six mouths