The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-04-17
Hugh Hastings. leading Republican
Politician and Editor, and Thurlow
Weeds Friend, Shared in it.
Judge Folger, Republican Member
of Court of Appeals, Shared in it.
Jimmy c'srien Ribbed Him Urder Pretense
that He Gould Influence Tilden
to Stop Investigation.
BUT TILDEN COULDN'T BE STOPPED
The Guilty will Now be Exposed and the
Faithful and Honest Men Appreciated.

New YORK, April 17.-Wm. NJ. Tweed,
from his quarters in Ludlow ST. Jail, sends
the attorney general proposition reciting
that in return for the favor of liberty and
rest he will yield up all his property and be
faithful witness on behalf of the people
He says he has suffered much and suffered
long, in silence, and has borne the burden
of what others should have shared. AT
| tected with disease, feeble from age and
confinement, and Ill at ease in mind he
seeks for the rest and relief he so much
and so sorely needs. He adds that the
only basis upon which he has a right to
apply for leniency and pardon is that he
will make complete surrender of his
property and full disclosure of his crimi-
| nal companions.
| His proposition is long and exhaustive
document, and assumes the nature of a
confession which goes back as far as 1867,
when the ring first began 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 to the state senate,
/ Connolly comptroller in 1867, and Hall
mayor, Jan. /, 1869.
I Tweed, according to the story, trans
ferred to state senator Winslow in person
5000, 900 to secure the charter of 1870.
which gave the Ring control Of the city
by the support of several influential repub-
lcan members of the legislature. 1t was
Tweed understanding with Winslow, at
the time that the money was to be diylded
between Woodin, SamI II. Frost, Aug.
5 Pellwood. VIM. II. Brand. Morris Wins.
low, James Woody, Isaiah Blood, and
e George Morgan, all of the senate, and
also with Van Pelton, Williams, Crowley
s Merriam and Beaman for their influence
in the legislature.
The confession gives the circumstances
of the division of the spoils between him
self. Sweeney, Hall, Connolly, and Wood
! son. 1t duplicates Garyey, Ingersoll
Davidson, Watson, and majority of th,
. board of supervisors. Mayor Halls pro
= portion was 10 per cent. He shared
throughout in all profits and was in ful
: colusion with the various details of frauC
and was fully aware of the fraudulen
nature of the warrants presented for hi
= signature
The document purporting to be re
cord of proceedings of the board of audi
of May 5, 1870, by which Mr.. Hall in hi
trial secured acquittal on the ground tha
he acted only in ministerial character
Tweed says, was manufactured after th
exposure.
Hugh Hastings Republican editor an
= proprietor of the Commercial Advertise
is mentioned as having received a chec
for $40 900 and checks for smaller amoun
to at various times. Mr.. Hastings is al:
ic, credited with the diplomatic achievemel
le of having brought Jay Gould and Twee
nd together by which alliance the Tammar
ss, and Erie rings were operated to the
iln' mutual advantage.
u.s. The confession also, according to Il
- World says all the paintings and boz
cases in Recorder Hackett's house we
paid for by the city.
He gives the names of FIVE persons W
i he promises, if immunity is given thel
- will swear to the truth OF all his statement
He has preserved all checks and Ike
memoranda of all transactions, all
which will be placed at the disposal of I
state. Of the five persons named are
lid. Barber, Ex-senator James PierC
! Alexander Frear and William Kir
Tweed's former deputy commissioner
public works.
Gl ine Shortly after the publication of t
act "secret accounts, in July 1871, Tive
ties says rrancis N DiApy' anu eA-sneFln
-. then state senator James O'Brien, cal
to him and offered to secure him again
any further investigation of bis ba
accounts, his relations with city ,or. indet
from any further trouble IF he would D
$l50,O00 towards OsBrien's claim agail
the city for 1896, 900 for unpaid fees. I
two represented to him that they had ST
i. influence over Mr.. Tilden, Judge Barre
and VIM. G. Barrett as to immediat
Z quash any further steps 10 the pendi
Investigation Tweed says he paid th
a,+ 500, 900 in cash and mortgages which ii
!, all afterwards collected for tie rest and
war understands they afterwards secured
b same amount from Connolly upon
same representations. He says he d
rug not consider o Brien's claim has any r
Hugh Smith, Sweeneys particu
friend, attended to all the transactions "
Judge Cardoza by which judicial act
was taken in behalf of the ring
Tweed says the Navarro claim of
,e 00O,000 against the city for water meter
~ fraud.
ii He mentions Thurlow Weed Head
Republican by name but does not conr
) him with any equivocal transaction.
He mentions Judge Folger. [Repu
ELL canI of the court of appeals, and Gee
H. Purser. of New York, as persons
res. whom he paid money.
The confession concludes with pror
that the writer will be witness for
'le. city in any suit brought by the city for