The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-05-04
TWEEDISM.


New York, May 3.-The Woodin in.
vestigation is refreshing Tweeds memory
and the prisoner at Ludlow street
promises TO supplement his confession
now in the hands OF the Attorney Gen.
eral Of the State, with additional reyeln.
tions showing how political battles were
won and legislative triumphs achieved by
one prominent politician whose name has
not heretofore been printed. He remem,
berS having paid $4,000, and be will be
prepared TO give names and details when
called upon to do 30. Carvolin 0'Brien
Bryant, who tried to pursuade Tweed
that he was acting as Charles 0'Conner's
messenger, induced Tweed 10 make state.
ment supported by afiidavits sworn to be.
fore VIM. D. Gardner, book keeper at the
Ludlow Street Jail, and accompanied by
thirty.two checks and four notes, signed
by Richard B. Connolly, aggregSting
S2G5,00O, and endorsed by Tweed. These
documents, Bryant said, were desired
by O'Conner, who had sent to him for
them, and upon which O'Conner had
promised that the prisoner should
be released. Seven Of the thirty.
two checks were given to Peter Sweeny,
Hugh Smith and Abram Vanvechter.
The checks to the Albany lobbyists,
aggregating over 100000, were dated
November, 1870. The legislation upon
the Tweed charter was.in March, 1870.
The remainder OF the checks were dated
in 1868. Nine were given to the persons
above named and 10 L. D. Barber, one
check TO the latter being for 100000.
The four Connolly notes were dated in
1870, and were negotiated through the
Tenth National Bank and the Central
National Bank. They were taken up by
Tweed on Connolly's failure to pay, and
will doubtless be turned over to the city
as part Of Tweeds assets, in case his
proposition is accepted, as it now ap.
pears it will be. The statement in the
hands OF the Attorney-General would
occupy not less than twelve columns Of
close type. It gives the exact narrative
oil how the ring was formed. The state
ment begins with the manner in which
Tweed, John T. Hoffman, George W.
MCLEAN and Connolly, back in 1865 or
1866, were accustomed to meet daily at
lunch in little room attached 10 the
kitchen Of the old Court House to discuss
political matters. This coterie finally
dissolved, and then the corrupt ring was
formed, consisting Of Tweed, Connolly,
Sweeny, Hall and Woodward, with other
minor allies, which also met daily in the
same room, and later in Tweed's office,
in Duane street. Hall, the statement de-
Clares, received II per cent Of all proceeds,
but when the receipts began to come in
not quite 80 briskly his share was cut
down 70 per cent, with which he was
much dissatisfied, and because OF which
he frequently y threatened TO break up the
combination. The statement also shows
in detail the manner in which bills were
doctored by the ring after coming from
the Board Of Supervisors, and afterwards
from the Board Of Audit, already iraudu.
lent. In MANY items new charges would
be interlined between the original items,
and the totals changed TO correspond, SO
that bill Of 100000, IA certified to by
the clerk Of the boards named, would be
sent to Auditor Watson raised to $780,.
600 or 100000, and thus duly certified
to by him. The statement also mentions
the member Of the Legislature, whose
rooms Tweed frequently visited. To him
Tweed never directly paid any money,
but opening Bible which lay on his ta-
BILE Tweed would place between the
leaves pile of bank bills and then 20 to
that person, who always voted for the
Tweed measures. Tweed said he kept
money in special safe in one of his
rooms, and that large amount was there.
That either he, his wife, or a trusted
friend was always on guard over it.