New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-26
TwEED's COMPROMISE AND PARDON.

| TWEEDS COMPROMISE AND PARDON.
HE sURkENDERs A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND
| REALEsTATE, AND is TO GIVE EVIDENCE AGAINST
MANY PERSONS
While William NJ. Tweed was confined o
little year in Ludlow Street JAIL awaiting new
trials civil suits against bim there ono
day handed to him o copy Of a memorandum OF " In
dctments which had then lately been found against him.
e had been previously good spirits over his release
by the decision OF the Court Of Appeals from his IL
years sentence Backwes Island and the prospectof
q speedy termination OF all suits against him-a hope
| which his lawyer. David Dudley Field, had con-
| stantly held out to him. This MEMORANDUM OF
! new indictments opened his eyes TO the fact that
there was endless litigation before him. and with an oath
that startled his secretary who was his only companion
in his apartment the time he swore to pay no more
lawyers fees and fight the law longer, but find
peace elsewhere TO escape this endless litigation he
| fed Cuba. To escape the blackman Of the Cuban
authorities he fed to Spain, and was finally returned to
| New-York prisoner Nov. %, 1876 to tnd that
Woodward who he had so ferventy wished were dead,
had returned to New-York and offered TO compromise
and confess; and the prospect OF endless litigation was
then presented to Tweed in gloomy light than ever
His first act reaching his old prison was to write to
John ID. Townsend the lawyer OF Woodward ana also an
adviser of Tweed during his later trials. Mr. Townsend
called at Ludlow Jail at Tweeds request, and his
| advice was asked Pending retainer, which tweed
was not then prepared to pay, Townsend declined to
give any advice. but told Mr. Tweed story. THE TRB-
usE published the time was to the effect that
every ngat at the Francisco Mnstrels Mr. Tweed
he chose to CO. accompanied by sheriff could hear the
| MINISTRIES Birch and Backus, tell Of a man who was
much disturbed at night by the furious stamping
| and restless trampng OF neghbOr overhead.
Finally he dressed and knocked the neighbours door.
Invited ill., he found gentlemnn in evident distress,
wringng his hands, tearing his hair and stamping his
feet Inquiry elected the fact that pecuniary troubles
preyed upon his mind. " owe Brown $500 tomorrow,
and have not dollar to pay twth was the explana-
ton of much misery Is that all I" asked the other
Now SEQ here. my friend; you go to bed and sleep.
You have tramped long enough 1t is Browns turn to
| walk while"
Mr. Tweed accepted the Joke in lieu OF further advice
| Hcretaned Mr.. Townsend at once, and through him
| opened negotiations for settlement with Charles
OConor who then retained charge of the Ring suits
| assumed by the AttorneyGeneral Mr. OConor at that
| time was in great rage at certain members Of
| the Court Of Appeals whom he believed in
| strumental in securing the decision which had
! not only released Tweed from BlackwePs
Island but had cOntravened all Mr. DONORS argu
| mcnts and law in the criminal case against Tweed Mr.
OConor is understood by Tweeds friends replied
TO Tweeds for peace that he favorable to
the policy of abandoning the prosecution Of Tweed tho
latter would restore what he still held Of the Ring plum
der aid in the recovery of the stolen funds received by
others the county and State, aud help to dis
place from positions of power and honor those Of
his old confederaes who still in the Legislature and
on the benches OF the highest courts. Mr.. Tweed
mdisposcd to give evidence against any person. When
| was finally required condition that Mr.. Tweed
should furnish evidence that Charles J. FOlGer
elected Judge of the Court Of Appeals by fraud the
ballot boxes in this city, Tweed declined to 20 with
the negotiations, and for time they dropped
| In the mean time Tweed had dismissed David Dudley
Field as counsel and had employed John d. Townsend,
VINO was also Woodward's lawyer, and through whom
| woodward had made restitution and obtained his lib
laar that tl,a
of fraud i'll the election alluded to, If any evidence existed
| or any frauds had been committed, would be
| furnished by Woodward. He also found that Woodward
had delivered to his counsel and to the prose ution
trunk filled with cancel checks, showing the dsribu-
ton Of the corruption fund" of Tammany in courts,
Assembly, departments and newspaper offices all over
the state and in various parts of the couE:ry These
were tabulated by the accountants who made up tho
famous table showing the division Of the spoils Of the
| $6,000,00O robbery, and 1t was found that they
| involved 40 or 80 persons, most OF whom werc
| alive aud of whom it not previously known that
they had any the stolen funds. Tweed cav at once
that the information asked Of him was already In tho
hands OF the prosecutions and finally seeing how hope
less resistance was he acceded to the terms, and
began the Of restoration. IL has be known and
stated frequently in THE TRIBUNE that this work was
nearly completed the intention being have Tweed FREQ
before the date fixed for Sweeny's trial.
1t will be finished during the present week,
| and Tweed's release will at once take place.
OF course after his release he would be sub
ject subpoena like any other citizen, and would be
called In Sweenys trial TO corroborae the testimony Of
Ingersol and Woodward that sweeny and Hail knew all
about the frauds the County Treasury and that they
received their percentage OF the plumber in bills instead
of te-tae checks Tweed has been averse TO being
put this position Of testiying against old associates
but there is alternative except that OF lifelong
prisoument and escape other than that which pre-
sens itself by settlement OF the Sweeny case and the
flight Oakley Hall to Europe, OF the latter which
there longer much doubt in the minds
Of his friends although they still assert that the
Ring plumber can be traced concusvey to Halls hands,
| Tie amount which Tweed will be able TO surrender IL
Is difficult estimate He has money and found
il extremely difficult to obtain any from oldest
friends OF his past prosperity. short time ago a
| paragraph in The TRIBUNE stated that mis- lawyer,
john ID. Townsend, about TO institute suit to
| recover amounts which Tweed had loaned TO
| various persons. The next day not less than =
| score OF persons 10 whom Tweed had loaned
small sums Of which he had forgotten ran TO his
cell and paid up promptly. But with his real estate
in the name OF others, and with the lis pedes hanging
all he together with the depressed condition
Of property, he has found almost impossbs to raise
money. The real estate which will be transferred 10 tho
city by his brother and others In whose names IL
stands would probably not sell for fourth
| Of its value when acquired, but the amount
realized from Tweed alone will reach probably
81 100000. Woodward has returned $4,000 Tho
Watson estate paid back about 100000. and sweeny
will restore about half a million The from Key
SER lngersoi Garyey, Conan, and others will swell tho
total likely be recovered In the end to about half tho
amount-$6 600, 0OO-which stolen.
Tweed's release was appointed for next Thursday.
April will probably lind him on the streets.
after Just i've years and half Of the hardest