The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-06-21
BOSS TWEED.
The Story Of the Negotiations
for His Release.
Correspondence between Town.
send and FairChild.

send, counsel Of William, N. Tweed, makes
public to-day his story OF the neRotia.
tions with Attorney General Fairchili
for the release Of Tweed. He says: Or
the 23d OF February you (Fairchild) ant
Mr.. Blackburn, in my company, called il
the evening to see Mr.. Tweed at Ludlow
Street Jail. The object OF the visit was
that you might give Tweed TO understand
that nothing short Of q complete comics.
sion OF his crimes and accomplices would
be accepted by you. In contrast with
your subsequent actions that interview
stands out most creditably to you.
Tweed, remember, endeavored to in,
duce you to give him an idea on what
subjects you desired special information
Nearly six years had elapsed since he
had been associated with the Ring mat
tiers, and his memory Of some things con.
nected with them had become indistinct.
You declined, however, to suggest any
special matter, and you said to him in
effect that you desired that he should
consult with mo aud have me 10 make q
proposition to you, thus intimating that
in yeur position as prosecutor you did
not think it proper to hold direct com.
munication with him. In accordance
with this understanding prepared briel
statement in letter form on the 26th
day Of February and addressed it
TO you. ltcontained names Of members
OF the Legislature, with whom Tweed
had had corrupt dealings, and the names
Of few others, who had been benefited
by the ring practices, and was intended
only as asummary Of what he could do,
and 10 show his good faith. This letter
was addressed TO you, and handed it to
Peckham, who said he was going to AL.
bany the next day, and was not little
astonished 10 learn from you, on the 9th
Of March when Imet you at the rooms
Of the State Board Of Charaties, Of this
city, that you had not received it. From
about this time, believe, | neither
heard from nor saw anything Of you I'm.
Ill about the 4th OF April; you was with
your friend Catalan O'Brien Bryant
You seemed to work the matters TO suit
yourself. Your confidence in him, oil
course, induced Tweed to believe that he
was your mouth piece, and ! was in con.
sequence, to great extent, ignored SO
much so that seriously Y considered the
propriety OF Withdrawing from all
connection with the matter. The only
information l could get as 10 how
matters stood was throug gh Mr.. Bryant,
and l was informed by him that you did
not desire Peckham to have anything
further 10 do in the matter. Bryant
from my earliest connection with Tweed's
affairs, since his return had more or less
interested himself in them by pretending
to carry information to Tweed as we'll as
to omyself from O'Conner, who in fact had
had no connection, as he afterwards said
to Inc, with the Ring cases since DeCem-
Der 18th. He gained to n considerable
degree my confidence and also the conf.
dence OF Tweed, as early rs February. !
received letter from him, Of which the
followingis a copy, enclosing Fields let
ter 10 Tweed
GRAND UNION HOTEL, |
New YORK, Feb. 81, 1877. I
DEAR Mr.. TowNsEND--I presume you
have seen Dewey and heard Of his favor.
able hearing with the Attorney General.
| send you the enclosed letters ns l will
not be in town Tomorrow. Mr.. O'Conner
having redd them desired to have them
placed in Peckham's hands, with the sug.
gestian that the iron was now hot and il
was time TO strike. ! shall sec you to.
morrow evening and send you the letters.
In case you should meet Peckham to.
morrow and should have exact opportu
nifty to use them with him and the Attor.
ney General.
Yours truly,
(Signed) COB. BRYANT.
Mr.. Tweed has since informed me, while
] was impressing upon him the absolute
necessity Of making clean breast Of his
misdeeds in conformity with the tenor
and spirit OF his letter 10 O'Conner and
what l then believed 10 be your wishes,
Bryant was advising him it was moi
your desire that he should do 80 and
that my persistence was only the result
OF John Kelly's wish to make political
capital out OF it. This Tweed informs
me was the cause Of his temporary ca.
arrangement from nIe. This will explain
also the cause why Tweed's full state.
ment was not submitted until the 18th OF
April. Tweed we'll knew he must con.
form to your wishes II he expected 10 be
liberated under his proposition. He felt
that was comparatively an unlmportant
feature in his case, and he was inn
pressed fora long time that Bryant really
Represented you. During the month Of
March he had abundant reasons for think.
ing so and Of being confirmed in such
belief. For reasons which never
knew my interviews with Peckham
were suspended, and when at the
Buckingham Hotel one morning prior
to tho 17Lh Of April, l asked you, in or
der to make myself certain on the point,
whether it was your desire should not
consult with PeCkham, you stated that
yon wished me to bring all the informa.
tion 10 you personally. l cannot give the
exact date OF that interview, but it was on
one occasion, and only one, at that hotel
when l met you and PeCkham in the par.
lor. Peckham will probably remember
that ! walked with you aside after his in.
terview had closed; that left the hotel
with him, and then excused myself for
not having called upon him in reference
to the Tweed matter.
The following letter from Bryant, ad-
dressed to me, is, l believe, the first letter
l received from him after his association
with you.
New York, March Is, 1877.
MY DEAR Mr.. TowNsEND-I have inst
got in on the night train, having left AL.
bany at one o'clock. A deferred appoint.
ment with Fairchild was made for seven
o'clock last evening, at his office, with
closed doors; it lasted till 1880. l have
no hope Of presenting an interview in
scope Of this epistle, but the result was
most satisfactory. He has accepted Til
denis invitation for himself and wife, and
will be at Grammercy Park on Sunday
next. He expects to 60 to Fort Wash
ington on Sunday with Tilden, and for the
advantage Of our client Immediately,
the future conduct Of the affair will be
confined strictly TO the Attorney General
and O'Conor. l saw our happy client this
morning, and will see you further after
my return from Sleepy Hollow. l have
entered fully upon an extensive insur-
ance field with Mr.. Fairchild and
have established in that connection a
Il