The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-05-17
CONFESSION OF VIM. nj. TWEED.

New York, on the 18th, document of
great length, in which he gave partial
expose of the bribery used by the Ring
the City of New York in 1867, promis-
ing at the same time to surrender all his
property to the city by way of reim-
bursement, and to be a faithful witness
for the authorities, should his wish be
complied with, in the prosecution of the
thieves. The New York World has the
following to say upon the subject:
Tweed's confession 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. Sweeny, Richard
Connolly, Henry Genet, A. Oakley Hall,
and others, by which Tweed was elected
to the State Senate Connolly Comp
troller in 1867, and Hall, Mayor, Jan
uary l, 1869. The steps which led to
the drafting of the charter of 1870, by
which the control of the city was finally
given over into the hands of the Ring,
are then pointed out, but the sensational
features of the document are reserved
for detail of the methods by which the
passage of that charter by the State
Legislature was secured. 1t was neces-
sary, says. the confession, to obtain for
the measure the support of several in
fluential Republican members. The
person whose influence was most valua-
BILE Mr.. Tweed considered to be State
Senator William B. Woodin, of Auburn.
He therefore approached that gentle
man through State Senator Winslow
with various propositions looking to his
support, and after several interviews
with Winslow transferred to him in
person the sum of 100000, with
the understanding that it was
to be used in securing the passage of
the charter. 1t was his understanding
with Winslow at the time that the mon
ey was to be divided between Messrs.
Woodin, Samuel Ii. Frost of Richmond,
Augustus r. Ellwood of Otsego, VIM. H.
Brand of Leonardsville, Norris Winslow
of Watertown, James Wood of Genesee,
Isaiah Blood of Saratoga, George Nor
gan of Dutchess-all members of the
State Senate; and also with Messrs Van
Pelton, Williams, Crowley, Merriam
and Beaman for their influence in the
Legislature. This money, in various
amounts, he has assurances was after
ward paid to the parties named in the
compact with Winslow. He was men,
Der of the State Senate at the time, and
all the persons named voted for his char
ter.
After the passage. of the charter
(Which received the signature of Gov.
Hoffman the same night he arranged
with Mayor Hall for appointments to all
the municipal offices. April 9th the list
was completed, with Tweed as Commits
sioner of Public Works, Peter B. Sweeny
at the head of Department of Parks,
Henry Smith at the head of the Police,
and John j. Bradley as Chamberlain.
The confession then proceeds to give
in exhaustive detail the proceedings of
the Board of Audit of May 5, 1870,
when so many millions in claims were
passed upon, together with the ratio of
fraud to the real merit of the separate
claims. 1t gives the circumstances of
the division of the spoils between him.
self, Sweeny, Hall, Connolly, and Wood
ward through whom the division was
made, as well as of the particular
amounts set apart for the various
tradesmen and mechanics by whom the
claims were presented. 1t duplicates
Garvey, Ingersoll, Davidson, Watson,
and a majority of the members of the
Board of Supervisors among them
John Fox, James Hayes, Henry Smith,
and Isaac j. Oliver.
Mayor Halls proportion was ten per
cent. He shared throughout in all the
profits, was in full collision with the
various details of fraud, and was fully
aware of the fraudulent nature of the
contracts presented for his signature.
He secured from the Board of Police the
John l.. Brown STRENGTHENING contract,
and shared in its proceeds With ref
erence to the document purporting to be
record of the proceedings of the Board
of Audit of May 3, 1870, by which Mr..
Hall on his trial secured an acquittal on
the ground that he acted only in a min
isterial character, Mr.. Tweed says that
it was manufactured after the exposure.
Hall came to him and Connolly after
the exposure with that document in his
own handwriting and already signed by
himself, and asked them to sign it also.
Each of them did so, and then Mr.. Hall
took it away. The resolution was never
presented to the Board of Audit, and
was of course never passed by it. The
next that Mr.. Tweed heard of it was
when produced in Court, purporting to
have been found in the County Auditors
safe.
Among the various persons to whom
he paid money for their influence in the
Legislature, besides those already men
toned, was Mr.. Hugh Hastings, editor
of the Commercial Advertiser. He gave
to Mr.. Hastings check for $4,000,