The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-04-12
STAUNTON, VIRGINIA, APRIL IL, 1877.

es at removed points. He was to find occas-
ion to visit his home ip Madison Avenue,
near Fifty-ninth street, and deliver himself
over secretly and unattended at his own
| door.
THE EXECUTION OF THE AGREEMENT
including his landing in Spain or under the
Spanish flag. He made several such visits
to his house, until finally on the 4th OF De-
cember, 1875, on the evening OF which he
was driven in the customary hack, attended
by two keepers Of his house, ascending the
steps, lie saw the preconcerted sign, which
greatly excited him. Controlling himself,
he led the attendants to the usual FEAST
| Tweed says that the keepers ate heartily,
and he took good care that they drank. At
just at the right moment one of the keepers
rose and went to the washbasin in the room
to wash This hands to get ready for the luxu-
rious and usual cigar after dinner. Tweed
took the opportunity, rose also, and saying
he would wash in the adjoining room, passed
into the hall, closing the door as he left the
room. He quickly took the first hat and
coat and slipped out of the front door. He
was fugitive. He saw the hack before the
door with the driver, who also took advant-
age of the occasion in the kitchen. Not a
p,.rson or sound appeared to respond to his
ap continent. 1t was not quite one minute
past eight. The revulsion of his previous ex-
cite ment seemed to have set in, and began to
exp erience peculiar sensations. He had sto-
len forth from his house to place himself in
the bands and guidance Of a picked gang OF
desp eradoes. As he shrunk back under the
shad ow Of the stoop hessaw bridesmaids
wagon draw up, and . man inside signaled
20 him to get in, which he did, and the wag-
on was driven rapidly into Madison Avenue !;
but there it had to stop among lot of citi-
displaced car on the track. He describes
his feelings while here as terrible. Tweed
dates from this inception of his flight
A COMPLETE CHANGE
acter and his tone Of mind. Many hours and
days of like experience have since deepened
his emotions, and all who have seen him
since his return and knew him in his previ-
GUS pride having been struck with the revolut
ton of his mental condition. The wagon soon
started and drove zigzag across the city to
North river, where he was taken into row
boat and landed in a lonely part Of the Pail
sades, not far from the well known spot where
Aaron Burr killed Hamilton. After lone
ly ride of'three-quarters Of an hour. the wa
gon was stopped in front of a dilapidated old
homestead, where Tweed was met by another
OF his new found friends, who greeted him
quietly with much assurance of kindness and
safety. In this refuge Tweed continued from
his arrival, the 4th day of December, until
about the first day in March. After fitful
nights rest the fugitive rose the next morn-
ing to realize that he was an exile at his own
bluffs or hills he could see his hcme in the
city OF New York, which he dared not visit,
and where he was ssborn and raised" When
could he return to it again? His present
resting place was intended to last until it
was convenient for him to start for Spain,
after a little further delay for preparations.
But it was months before he set cut or could
tear himself away from New York. The first
care in the morning was to put on his dis
guise aud transform himself into
HIS ASSUMED PERSONALITY,
Mr.. john Secor, an s.invalid gentleman,
seeking merely little rest and fresh air, as
well as relief from business pressure" So
his whiskers being shayen off and his hair
clipped short, he put on wig. The remov-
al of the wiliskers gave his features, his jaws
and cheek bones, greater prominence, and
with the wig and pair of gold spectacles,
he was quite Transformed. The wig was Of
reddish yellow hair, crinkled, or curled in
appearance, cut square and quite we'll down
his neck.
The next anxiety OF the day was to
get the newspapers. It seems to have been
a most exciting sensation to him when
they were obtained. Nothing but Tweed,
column after column, and whole pages, on
his fiji ght, the search by the Sheriff and Ge-
tectives, the theories and conjectures of the
reporters, the proclamation of reward Off
cially, the communications and letters from
every quarter. The uproar seemed unplece-
dented, and at once it had its effect upon
him. 1t was during this opportunity of quiet
and meditation which his surrounding cir
cumstances, for the first time, afforded him
in so many years, that the striking change
began which was observed in him since his
return, and the scattered indications in the
brief diaries which he kept clearly indicated.
1t is important to note this here as key to
concluding events of his extraordinary sto-
ry. Tweed watched the proceedings against
him after his flight, and kept himself thor
oughly posted. He saw the defeat Of the
motion for the dismissal Of the proceedings,
and scanned with wonder the Unprecedented
and then novel proceedings of a 'sstruck ju-
ry." OF course he could know nothing of
the secret counsels held by the Juniors at the
sick bed of O'Conner. The latter at Fort
Washington, almost in a direct line across
the river, and quite in sight of
THE HIDING PLACE OF THE FUGITIVE,
had suddenly reused up from his long and
extraordinary lethargy He became conva-
Iescent, got out of bed, and rivalled Tweed
himself in his growing interest in the trial.
Tweed had certainly made definite plans for
his future in leaving his prison; but once at
| large, he fingered, intensely anxious that
| the result Of the trial might admit of his re-
turn. Hesaw by the reports that the adroit-
ness Of David Dudley Field, in the absence
of his old antagonist, Charles O'Conor, indi-
Gated an easy rout of the junior counsel, into
whose hands the case for the people had
dropped. The witnesses came on to the
stand from the public offices-from the city
banks. Carney and Ingersoll came. Mr..
Tilden, the subsequent candidate for the
Presidency, was put to the question. Tweed
watched it all. He was certain, from ap-
pearances, that the prosecution of the suit
was breaking down. Tweed had been in
exile here now three months, and Ills sus-
pense had become intense. He continued
under the control of the two men who had
managed his escape and contracted for his
safety. He did implicitly what they direct
|