The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-04-12
WIN. M. TWEED.
THE STORY OF HIS FLIGHT AND EXILE

HOPELESS NEGOTIATIONS FOR RELEASE
HIS PILGRIMAGEs AND EXPERIENCES
WHAT BECAME OF HIS IIL-aoTrEN
wEALTH-HIs CAPTURE AND RETURN TO
LUDLOW JAIL.
Ha,per's Weekly of the 4th inst. publishes
carefully compiled account of Tweed's
flight and exile, written from diary kept
by Tweed during his pilgrimages, at Ludlow
street Jail, in Florida, Cuba and Spain. The
following is resume of the romantic story,
which occupies several cages of tbe Weekly:
The unfounded announcement OF the death
OF Charles O'Connor about the beginning of
December, 1875, was read in the Ludlow
street Jail with feeling reverse of what
might be supposed. The anticipated event
which excited Sc much sorrow tn the COM
by anybody else.
NEGOT IATIoNs FOR RELEASE.
He was en- gagged at the time in negosia-
lions for his release. Propositions for resti-
tuition and settlement with the Stlte by him
self and hi Acknowledgements were favora-
bly, enterts .ined, one of the law partners Of
Edward T 'ierrepont having the matter in
hand. In the event of the decease of O'Con-
nor, Tive ed felt that there was no other per-
son with whom he could hope to settle. and
the tolls in which h. was left seemed so
hopeless an ENHANCEMENT that he fell into
utter despair. He had battled for years al
ready VI ithout result, except that he had
squande red his ill-gotten richcs upon law
yers ard on courts, suffered imprisonment
with the prospect of a life term In Ludlow
street Jail, in exchange for his previous places
in the penitentilry of Blackwell's Island
Worse than all else, he had sacrificed his
proper ty piece by piece, at ruinous prices,
under the cloud of legal attachments, to raise
the fe' es for carrying on his legal battles. This
had reduced his means so that, in view Of
DIsAs' TRoUs sHRINKAGE AND FoREcLos-
URES,
he found himself brought face to face with
actual bankruptcy. The approaching trial
Of the great six million suit against him,
threatened demand upon his cash rcsourc-
es for fees which he plainly saw he should
fail to answer. His remaining possessions
were not available to raise money, and cred
il, especially with the lawyers, was out OF
| the question. Money gone. his courage broke
down also, and he resolved on flight as the
RENE dy both for his bankruptcy and his hope
less imprisonment. Could he obtain his lib
erty, he might save some fragments of his es-
tate. His costly and numerous counsellors
had deserted him in batallions, and with his
shrinking purse came not only change of his
temper, but OF his advisers and followers. In
short, having lost the great judges and law
yers of the. courts he had created and con-
trolled, he. found himself forced to fall back
upon their clients, his fellow-prisoners of the
| Jail.
PR CARNATIONS FOR FLIGHT.
Tweed's messmate in Ludlow street Jail
was Char ley Lawrence, the silk smuggler,
| whose ext tradition led to the abrogation of
the treaty with England. He had previous
| ly chumm ed with Tweed in the more agree
| able sphere of the Americas Club. From
him Twee learned all the details of existing
| treaties an the laws on the subject, and hay
ing conclu ded on making his flight, resolved
to reach 81 ain as the most expedient shell
| ter.
Another of the inmates of the Ludlow
street Jail was Bliss, the engineer Of the
Northampton bank robbery, also engaged
in the sssa fe robbery at Washington. This
person was; the first to suggest to Tweed the
| feasibility of his escape. Tweed would not
listen to such Ia thing at first. But meeting his
PROFESSIONAL neighbors daily in the court
yard Of the Jail, where they took their eSer
ercise, the subject was more definitely dis
| cussed, and outside friends of the ''profes-
| sionals'' being called in, Tweed was per-
suaded Of the practicability of the plan which
they presented, and for the execution OF
which he engaged topay stipulated amount
of money. Flight, he had reasoned, must
be his only relief. His conferences with his
new advisers, peculiarly skilled in such mat
tiers, convinced him that this step, if enter
| tanned at all, must be taken with such abso-
| luteness as to have no confidants or knowl
edge of his plans exist among his own friends
I He must surrender himself exclusively to the
control of those who undertook the job, ant
accordingly no member of his family nor his
counsel nor any friend or person whatevei
of his previous connection knew of his sup
posed flight or had any part in its execution
Neither did they know OF his whereabouts at
e AMY time until it had become necessary to
communicate with them afte- his arrest in
Cuba by the Spanish officials. Tweed I'M
derstood that he was to be taken in charge
by a well organized body Of men, distributed
throughout the country, having every facili
ty, their connections and method being thor
oughly tested and well established. He wa;
furnished with u short key for tele graphic
communication and one for postal facility
The letter included system Of enclosures