The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-29

document when / sen, for il on the goth Of May.
pRoNsxs FEW FACTS
| decided when had read the document once that
OF itself II failed 10 disclose evidence sufficient TO
justify weeds release IL made many promises out
stated few facts Of legal value and those mostly un-
corroborated. IL Affected lev individuals OF any n-
portance, and as 10 them no testimony was shown
be considered by any court. could find alter the
most careful animation oil this statement no use
that could be made Of Tweed as witness IN any
action. prosecution proceeding which would not DO
barren Of practical results as 70 make the Admins
tratlon OF justice mere mJckery should he be re-
leased to give the testimony therein disclosed but
determ ned TO exhaust every means 10 make hin or
thinking that the uuskifuness Of Rxeed
and those who ussisied HIM III preparing
the document nigh, possibly acc9un. ior us
legal proceeding, an hoping tuat critical exanina-
skilled would develop facts which would be OF more
value but inc result was US Lave stated VI the
property he proposed TO surrender almost nothing
little real estate which the people would get ~ any
event. l became satisfied that Tweed nev.r intended
70 make iul Surrender Of ms property ana u dis
closure, as ne expressed Willingness 10 do both IN
letter to Mr. 0'Conor ana in what Is called the
preamble OF The document winch his counsel gave 10
TWEED coxrRADIcrs HMssLr
Tho only Improvement which the examination made
IN his testimony was the verbal contradiction by
Tweed OF his own deliberate written slatcmcn IN
important particular, which contradiction, IN my
judgment made botn the written and tho verbal state
In tho Sweeny there Was another circumstances
which, the result would havo Justified the use
OF Twsed witness, rendered the doing so ex-
iremeIy hazardous, or was Aslunshed to learn from
the counsel oil Tweed that while he was negotiating
for the release Of Tweed and urging ms use w.t.
ness against SweenY. he had himself accepted re-
tanner counsel tor Sweeny. Ater learned this
aud other things about this counsel feared that when
he had accomplished the release Ut has client Tweed
that his would thcn begin FOR his client Swecny.
TWEED UxRKLABLx.
From Tweed IL not TO be reasonably supposed at
the outset no would DO entirely iranx Education Is
required to enable such men TO tell the whole truth,
but there were so many contradictions. cvasons anu
concealments thu! suspicon and distrust we're cast
over the whole. For instance, Al one Of the inter-
views winch had with Tweed ne exhibited 10 mo GER
tam checks, not largo IN amount, but with them ne
coupled 4 verbal statement which important
When | read the written statement OF the 18th OF
Aprn iuied 10 frd Al aiusioa 10 tnat subject,
aud the checks we're list which profssssu 10
give all rweed's checks. i mentioned this to Mr..
Townsend SAID that he thought those checks W,
included ana expressed surprise that had MOI found
them. This omission or suppression was never cor
rected offered 10 be corrected Again, IN one OF my
interviews with Tweed he volunteered statement to
me, winch l knew must De false, but made no COM
ment upon II because then wished rather 70 learn
whether Tweed disposed TO tel the truth than 10
Townsend volunteered to say TO me that mis- client
had tasfed this particular, for while no supposed
that Mr.. OC0nor wished the fact 10 be one way. he
had been told that wished It TO the other way,
and that therefore he had stated what not
a man In weeds position, therefore / had pre-
pared careful test OF the man AZ l
have described herein before Had no been
both Tor the public ana himself but think II doubt
full II It be IN the mans power 70 give any testimony
which would make him oil much value 10 the public IN
legal proceedings, considering that the statute Of
limitations has against a crimes committed before
1879, and that the only legal proceeding which
could DO taken would DO by the people in an
action under the Laws Of 1875 by which the
statute OF limitations was extended 10 ten years
in in actions brought under Il. The oniei moral
good which at the outset hoped to accomplish bv the
Tweed the breaking up OF the corrupt lobby
ABOUT our Legislature. thought this might DO done
by bringing civil actions undcr the Law OF 1875 against
corrupt both in and OF the Legislature TO 70.
%~lAn A~tfun nj Aauv VApk
which they mad obtained from Tweed and his
cates tnat these men could be held TO bail 10 large
ment similar 10 that which had accomplished SO
much GOOD against Tweed himself and his atcs,
Of money large enough or as 10 any individual OF
importance enough to give nope OF much good Then,
TOO !. was fatally unoor5oDor.ssd and finally:
city Of Now York / thought il legislative
aud corrupted driven away that result would be OBJ
OF real value 70 the State, which would justify
the release OF Tweed and that then tho and
saving Of money tho city OF New York would DC also
Of Incidental advantage But this turned out 70 DO
A PRACTICAL SUGGESTION
Ono practical! suggestion was. however, made by
Tweed,s counsel MT Townsend, which was that
whose names were upon them, and the checks offered
TO them upon payment Of their faca Mr. Townsend
thought that many OF these persons would be gal ~
themselves from the modification OF having the
fact made public that they mad had weeds checks,
done with ali checks matter for what
purpose they had boon given. Mr.. Townsend
Sss collect tho money For this service :. sa
that he would charge only ten per cent upon The
amount collected, and the balance could go 10 the
treasury OF the city, rejected this proposition, of
course, only because OF It's manifest immortality,
but because Il would be violation OF the statute,
which says
printed communication threaten to another OF
Ssss S %
OF and punished hereinafter described
The punishu ent being one years Imprisonment and
$3.50 fine. believed that Mr.. Townseuds PROPOSE
Iion, II acted upon, would be sometimes violation OF
the letter OF that law and always Of It's spirit.
An ATTEMPTED SUPPRESSION
Tho last time that saw Mr. Townsend he came to
my Office, May IA. and stated to me, among other
statement should not be published, aiming one
illustration. told HIM that Attorney General,
ings but that anything all must be published
nothing suppressed. Mr. Townsend went away. The
second day thereafter received his letter from Mr.
Peckham, who then had the statement:-
NEW YORK, May Is, 1877.
Personal
and inter aia said thar were willing should extract
from the aSa osa 81
all the rest ssesp. sas r name you desire or
Yss ,,x hear nothing WIN yIq .na nj giassn
Hon CHARLES s. FAfRcHILp, Alto, ney General.
The name is left blank in tn above copy because
cannot puolsn any name contained in the statement
to lay IA, and was one % the lew cases IN
wmich weeds charge OF guilt was supported by
roborAtve evidence furnished ny Tweed Peck
ham has tod since that Mr.. Townsend alleged
personal motive oil his own as tho oil desire
10 sup the evidence In TINS particular In
reply 10 Mr.. Pecknam sent tue following telegram
ALBANY i. ", May LIS, 1877
WHEELER II. PrcxHAx Drexei ,uding. WALL t. New
ork city,
Have had connection with him the ubject and will
consent that anything whatever be omittel
CHARLES 3 FAIRCHILD.
While this document my own or the posses
sion OF my representatives no whatever was made
H. except u the basis Tor tho
OF Tweed. No promise or suggestion OF a promise
made by me- or by any one on my behal, that
Tweed should be released unless tho conditions made
by all satisfied
STORY
Other eubarrassnens surroa nded this disagrceable
business, chiei among which more less
curatc publ caton IN the New York World OF 4