The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-18
TwEEED's CONFESSION.
The Story Of His Guilt-Who Shared It
Many Notable Names Implicated.

hASht VI ANCW 4Olh was ulutf itb dDbOlult
control, detailing its operations through
the state legislature by which the corrupt
charters of 20 and II were passed and pro-
ducing the checks and memoranda as proofs
Of the completely of various persons, here
tofore suspected of such completely or OH
erwise, in its various transactions.
The substance of the confession appeared
in the New York World of Tuesday. of
which the following is full summary:
The confession goes back as far as 1867,
when the fret ring hogan to assume form.
1t gives in detail the story of the various
conferences between the writer, Peter b.
Sweeney, Richard Connolly, Henry Genet,
A. Oakley Hall and others, by which
Tweed was elected 10 the state senate, Con-
molly comptroller in 1867, and Hall mayor
January 1, 1869. The steps which led to
the drafting of the charter of April 8, 1870,
by which the control of the city was finally
given over into the hands of the ring, are
then pointed out, but the sensational fea-
lures of the document are reserved for de-
tail of the methods by which the passage
OF that charter by the state legislature was
secured. IL was necessary, says the con-
fession, to obtain for the measure the SUM-
port of several influential republican men,
bers. The person whose influence was
most valuable MIR. Tweed considered to be
State Senator William d. Woodin, of Au-
burn. He therefore approached that gen.
tlemen through State Senator Winslow
L..
and after several interviews with
Winslow transferred to him in person the
fum of $500, 900, with the understanding
sage of the charter. 1t was his understand
ing with Winslow at the time that the
money was to be divided be-
tween Messrs, Woodin, Samuel H.
Frost, of Richmond Augustus
Il. Ellwood, of Chicago; VIM. II. Brand,
of Leonardsville Norris Winslow, of
Watertown James Wood, Of Geneseo
Isaiah Blood, of Saratoga; George Nor
gan, of Dutchess-all members of the state
senate and also with Messrs. Van Pelton,
Williams, Crowley, Merriam and Beama
for their influence in the Legislature. This
money, in various amounts, he has assur-
ances was afterwards paid to the parties
named in the compact with Wlnsow. He
was member of the state senate at the
time, and all the persons named voted for
his charter.
After the passage of the charter (Which
received the signature of Governor Hoff-
man the same night he arranged with
Mayor Hall for appointments to all the
offices. April 8 the list was
with Tweed as commissioner
Of public works, Peter B. Sweeney at the
lead of the department Of parks, Henry
Smith at the head of the police ard John
J. Bradley as chamberlain.
The confession then proceeds to give in
exhaustive detail the proceedings of the
BOARD of audit of May 8, 1870, when so
many millions in claims were passed upon,
ogether with the ratio of fraud to the real |
merit of the separate claims. 1t gives the |
of the division of the spoils |
between himself, oweeny, Hall, Connolly |
md Woodward, through whom the divi- |
lion was made, as well as of the particular |
amounts set apart for the various trades |
men and mechanics by whom the claims |
we're presented. 1t duplicates Garvey, In |
yersoll, Davidson, Watson and majority |
If the members of the board of supervisors |
among them John Fox, James Hayes,
Henry Smith and Isaac j. Oliver.
Mayor Halls proportion was 10 per cent.
de shared throughout in all the profits,
vas in full collision with the various de- |
ails of fraud, and was fully aware of the |
fraudulent nature of the contracts pre-
ented for his signature. He secured from |
he board Of police the John L. Brown |
treet-ceaning contract, and shared in its |
With reference to the document |
to be record of the proceed |
ngs of the board of audit of May 8, 1870, |
~ which Mr.. Hall on his trial secured an
lcquittal on the ground that he acted only
n ministerial character, Mr.. Tweed says
hat it was manufactured after the expos
Ire. Hall came to himself and Connolly
lfter the exposure with that document in |
lis own handwriting and already signed by |
himself, and asked them to sign 1t also |
Each of them did so, and then Mr.. Hall |
-ook it away. The resolution was never |
to the board of audit, and was of |
course never passed by it. The next that |
Mr. Tweed heard of it was when produced |
n court, purporting to have been found in |
he county auditors safe.
Among the various persons to whom he |
'aid money for their influence in the legis- |
AZURE, besides those already mentioned,
vas Mr.. Hugh Hastings, editor of the
Commercial AdUertiSer. He gave to MIR. |
Hastings a check for $4,000, dated three
'r four days after the passage Of the char |
er of 1870, with the understanding that |
he money was also to 60 to Senator Wood |
n. The check, however, afterwards came |
pack to him from his bank, where the
money was duly paid, Endorsed by Mr..
Hastings and sold by his broker, jenkins
Van Setback. Mr.. Tweed says that he
afterwards gave Mr.. Hastings, at various
lines, checks for smaller amounts than the
Ibove.
Mr.. Hugh Hastings brought Mr.. Jay
iould to him, continues Mr.. Tweed. The
of the arrangement between
himself, Gould and Fisk by which The Erie
classification bill was passed, which prac-
lcally enabled the Gould directory of the
Dad to continue indefinitely in power until
he bill was repealed, are we'll known. In
eturn for this the Erie influence, through
3ould and Fisk, was used in behalf of
Tweed and his associates.
The confession says that all the painting
md bookcases in Recorder Hacketts house
we're paid for by the city. Mr.. Tweedjpur-
biased the votes Of sufficient members of
he common council to secure maiority,and
he passage of any of his measures, and the
'ames of these various persons, as well as
IL many others, whose influence was OBJ
aimed by similar means, are given in the
together with the amounts paid
o each. He also obtained majority in
he board of supervisors by the same means,
md the names of the corrupt members are
siven, with the sums paid to each. Among
he members of the board of aldermen
mentioned are Morgan Jones and Thomas
Conan.
He gives the names of five persons who
he premises, If immunity Is given them,
will swear to the truth of all his state
nents. He has preserved all his checks
md kept memoranda of all his transactions
all of which will be placed at the disposal
L. aNA N