New-York tribune., 1877-06-14
EXPOSURE OF THE WHOLE RING NOT
WANTED.

MARGIN OF THE COPY SUBMITTED TO ATTOR-
NEY-GENERAL PAIRCHIID.
On Tuesday afternoon messenger from
Wheeler II. Peckhams Office called at the Office of John
D. Townsend the attorney of william NJ. Tweed but his
message reached Mr.. Townsend in such form that he
understood IL to be a request from Mr.. Peckham
Mr. Townsend. An answer returned accordingly
that Mr. Townsend would call next morning. Later in
the evenngn fact, very late in the eveningMr Peck
ham and Attorney General Fairchd astonished the
porters who enjoying the festivities OF the Manha
tan Club by announcing that Tweed's statement had
been rejected and had that day been returned to Mr.
Townsend.
1t was not however, until about noon yesterday that
Mr. Townsend received the document at the hands OF
Mr. Peckhams clerk, accompanied by the following let
ter:
EEw-YopK Tune IL. 1877.
JOHN D. TOWNSEND eso, 234 Brodd,cop, Acir York city
SIR: Herewith return 10 you The statement Of tcs
mony which you assert that William NJ. Tweed could
give II lac were released from imprisonment After care
iul consideration have come TO the conclusion that the
testimony which said Tweed could give, as shown by
SAID statement. would not Justify his release
You viii also and tho letters OF DIR. schirmer Your
0bedcnt servant,
CHARLEs 8. FAmcHILD, Attorney General.
Before receiving the communication Mr.. Townsend
had seen the article this effect in yesterdays TRIBUNE
and had at visited Mr.. Tweed at Ludlow Street
JAIL thinking that, IN view OF the fact that much of Mr.
Farchds cxamina had been conducted directly and
personally with Mr.. Tweed, he had sent the eommunica-
tion directly TO him Mr. Tweed had heard nothing but
suspectIng that THE TRIBUNE report was correct and,
as he suggested "that Mr. Fairchild had decided to
make known his decision IN the in an afier-dnner
speech to me reporters at Manhattan Club dinner be
Mad prepared communication TO Mr. Townsend bearing
OIL the subject Subsequently, on receiving the letter
above gven Mr. Townsend sent to Tweed for his COM
municBtioH, and IL is given in full else here.
Mr.. Townsend aud TRIBUNE reporter examined the
returned statement very critically last evening II will
be- made public IN full in few days At present 1t Is
enough regarding II that nearly two-thirds or
the whole is absorbed list Of the checks now In
Iwecds possession. The FIRST pages, devoted 10 br.e
summary Of what Tweed Is disposed to tell, are com
pe;e surrender OF I'll Information he knows and ali prop
erty lac possesses He does not except any bosom roni
AGAINST he may be required 10 testify saying that
hs closest cencderates had deserted lnn, and be no
longer saw any reason why he shor'd stand ly
them. lie states that the Ring originated In habit
wlici Mayoi lamau, Controller Brennan, Park Com
missioner Peter b. swceuy and himself had Of unching
together daily in tie city Hall o. divide political patron
age Under the Old arrangement SNccuy claimed and
was conceded the appointment OF a judicial offices. so
that Barnard Cardozo 90 he credited absolutely
70 him when Connolly succeeded Brennan and Han
followed they fell heirs 10 the places at the lunch
table
II was shortly after Connolly onne into place that
stealing introduced with the consent Of all parties
After the big frauds eo under IT was agreed that
Tweed should have general management; Connolly
should look after tho provision Of the money; Hall WAS
10 draw up al necdiG bills, while Sweony was TO run the
Judiciary In the general interest When the frat division
% actual stcalinfs arranged Connolly chose Wat
son 10 represent him, Tweed selected Woodward Peter
B. Swecny named his brother. James NJ. Sweeny !;
and Oakev Hall nut fopwari Hugh Smith. At first Wat
son and Woodward got nothing bat the interest on the
money pfndng IT'S Gstributca OF course they did not
hurry to distribute H. The first difficulty IN the Ring
was in consequence of delays in this distribution was
found that and Woodward must be paid IN some
other way to insure prompt distribution, ahd hence
WIS arranged to give them hSo per cent The
original distribution had been as follows: Tweed
% per cent: Connolly. 20 per cent; Hall, 10 per cent
swooy 10 per cent the other 33 per cent going to the
artisans Garvey, Keyser, and Others ana the dealers
Davidson IngeisOll, and Others. All OF them knew al
about the stealing The question came up IN UalPa alb
seDce one day as to who should pay Watson ana Wood
ward End the absent rogue suffered. II was decided to
giye woodward ana Watson Per cent and dot without
dctrmeu the present II was resolyedthat HAIRS
share should be cut down to per cent and the rest
given 10 the poor subordnates Han grumbed bu had
TO submit The total paid HIN Is consequently iees thah
any of the others. but II s no small sum In the state
mont ~ Tweed the sum total Of the checks paid Hugh
Smith dIais agent IN Tgeeds possession Is found
10 he s3isO09 Gs one of them Is for the sum OF
s1A444 ii; md there are several others OF such re-
markable combinations Of figures "a 70 suggest
"divies."
There Is much more oi interest IN the statement which
the public will deyOur with ayidty when 1t is ado pup
lie. as II ia 10 be In = few days
The cooy submitted 20 Mr Fairchild, when returned
Yesterday bore MARKS having passed through many
hands or there wore annotations in different ciroga
py after almost every the hst of those whose
checks Tweed holds These notes are evidently the eX
plantations which those charged with receiving money
have made the Attorney General or are likely 70 mako
In court II "a evident that somebody In possession
OF the statement has called Oh each accused man,
and asked him his explanation Of the receipt oi each
check from Tweed Thcsenotes corroboraie Information
which Tow nsend and Tweed have received that prlVae
use being made o she statement IN various po''cai
interests Iis apparent from tho result oi I"eeds ap-
,lction that his statement too general IL reads
upon too many toes. Tweed may be very u'eiu 10 the
city and State but let loose ike Dun In emma
shop with such tetalc checks IN his possesslon nc
would ruin hah the respectable Christian s'a'e5eu oi
botn parties Ia the State. Hence his suppression