The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-04-19
TWEED'S STORY.
He Confesses All.
OAKEY HALL AN ACCOMPLICE.
How the Charter of 1870 was OBJ
tained.-.The Manner of Dividing
SpOilS-.-TellS all and SurrenderS
all.
New York. April 18th.


William NJ. Tweed, from his quarters
in the Ludlow street Jail, sent the Attor-
ney General proposition reciting that
in return for the favor of liberty and rest
he will yield up all his property and be a
faithful witness on behalf of the people.
He says he has suffered long in silence
and borne the burden of what others
should have shared afflicted with dis
ease, feeble from age and confinement,
and ill at ease in mind, he seeks the rest
and relief he so much and so sorely needs.
He adds that the only basis upon which
he has the right to apply for leniency
and pardon is that he will make COM
plete surrender of his property and
full disclosure of his criminal compan-
ions.
The proposition is long and exhaus-
tive document, and assumes the nature of
a confession, which goes back as far as
1857, when the ring first began to assume
form. 1t gives in detail the story of va
rious conferences between the writer,
Peter B. Sweeny, Richard Connolly,
Henry Genet, A. Oakley Hall and others,
by which Tweed was elected to the state
Senate; Connolly, Comptroller in 1857,
and Hall, Mayor January 1st, 1859.
Tweed, according to the story, transfer
red to State Senator Winslow, in person,
100000 to secure for the charter of 1870,
which gave to the ring control of the city,
the support of several influential Repub-
lican members of the Legislature. 1t was
'Tweed's understanding with Winslow at
the time that the money was to be diVid-
ed between Woodin, Samuel Fl. Frost,
Augustus R. Ellwood, VIM. b. Brand,
Norris Winslow, James Wood, Isaiah
Blood, George Morgan, all of the Senate,
and also with Van Pelton, Williams,
Crowley, 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
ward. 1t implicates Garvey, Ingersoll,
Davidson, Watson and a majority of the
Board of Supervisors. Mayor Halls pro-
portion was ten per cent. He shared
throughout in all profits, was in full col
lusion with the various details of the fraud
and was fully aware Of the fraudulent ma
ture of the contracts presented for his sig
nature.
The document purporting to be the pro-
ceedings of the Board of Audit Of May 5,
1870, by which Mr.. Hall on his trial Sc
cured an acquittal on the ground that he
acted only in ministerial character, Tweed
says that it was manufactured after ex-
posure. Hugh Hastings, of the CONNER
cial Advertiser, is mentioned as having re-
ceived check for twenty thousand dollars
and checks for smaller amounts at various
times.
Mr.. Hastings is also credited with the
diplomatic achievement of having
brought Jay Gould and Tweed together,
by which the Tammany and Erie rings
were operated to their mutual advantage.
The confession also, according to the
World, says that all the painting and book
cases in Recorder Hackett's house were
paid for by the city.
He gives the names Of five persons who
he promises, if Immunity is given them