The daily gazette., 1877-04-18
Confession of w. M. Tweed.
THE PROMISED DISCLOSURES AT
ALBANY-HOW THE RING
BOUGHT IT'S WAY
INTO POWER.

III. Tweed, in his application for his re-
lease from prison, arrived at Albany, N.
Y, Monday night, having with him a
statement from Tweed which the Attor-
ney General required before consenting
to consider the application. The New
York World gives what purports to be
sketch of the contents of this state
ment, which is in the nature of con-
fession as to the origin and deprcdatiops
OF the infamous ring. 1t sets out with
the conference between Tweed, Peter B.
Sweeney, Richard Connolly, Henry Ge-
net, A. Oakley Hall and others, by which
Tweed was elected 10 the State Senate in
1867, Connolly to the Comptrollership in
the same year, and Hall Mayor, January
1st, 1869. The steps which led to the
drafting of the charter of April 5, 1870,
by which the control of the city was Civ
en- into the hands of the ring, are pointed
out, and some startling disclosures are
made.
Tweed says in order to pass the char
ter in the Legislature it was necessary to
obtain the support of several influential
republicans The influence of Senator
VIM. b. Woodin, of Auburn, was consid-
cred most valuable. He approached him
through Senator Winslow, and after sew
eral interviews Mr.. Tweed transferred to
Winslow 100000, to be used for the pas
sage of the charter. 1t was Tweed's un-
derstanding that the 100000 was to be
divided between Messrs. Woodin, Samu-
ell 81. Frost, of Richmond; Augustus r.
EllWood, of Otsego; VIM. III. Brand, of
Leonardsville; Norris Wilson, of Water
, town; James Wood, of Gennessee; Isaiah
Blood, of Saratoga; George Morgan, of
Duchess, all members of the State SEN
ate, and also with Messrs. Van Pelton,
Williams, Crowley, Merriam and Beam
an for their influence in the Assembly.
This money, in various amounts, he has
assurance was afterwards paid to the par
ties named, all OF whom voted for his
charter. The charter received the sigma
ture of Gov. Hoffman the same night.
Tweed arranged with Mayor Hall for ap-
pointments to all the municipal offices.
April 9th the list was complete, with
Tweed as commissioner of public works,
Sweeney at the head of the department
of public parks, Henry Smith at the head
of the police, and John j. Bradley cham
berlain.
The confession then shows how the
millions of dollars in claims were passed
upon with the ratio of fraud to the real
merit of the separate claims; the division
of spoils between himself, Sweeny, Hall,
Connolly, and Woodward, and the
amounts allowed various tradesmen by
whom the claims were presented. 1t i'm
plicates Garvey, Ingersoll, Davidson,
Watson and majority of the board of
supervisors, among them John Fox,
James Hayes, Henry Smith and Isaac j.
Oliver. Mayor Halls proportion was
ten per cent, and he was in full collu-
sion with the fraud. The document pur-
porting to be record of the board of
audit. by which Hall secured his acquital
on the ground that he acted only in
a ministerial character, Tweed says
was manufactured after the exposure.
Among persons to whom he paid money
for influence in the Legislature was
Hugh Hastings editor of the Commercial
to whom he gave check for
$40, 900, with the understanding that the
money was to go to Senator Woodin. The
check, however, came back to linn from
his bank, where the money was duly
paid, indorsed by Hastings and his broker
Jenkins Van Schaick. Tweed afterwards
gave Hastings checks for smaller amounts.
Hastings brought Jay Gould to him and
an arrangement was made between
Gould, Fisk and Tweed by which the
Erie classification bill was passed and
the Gould directory continued in power.
In return for this Fisk and Gould used
their influence in behalf of Tweed and
his associates.
The confession further says that all the
paintings and book cases in Recorder
Hackett's house were paid for by the city.
Tweed purchased the votes sofcouncilmen
and supervisors on all occasions. Among
the aldermen mentioned are Morgan,
Jones and Thomas Conan. Five men
are named as willing to swear to the
truth of his statements, if granted immu-
nlty, -Four of them are E. ID. Barber,
ex-senator James Pierce, of Brooklyn,
Alex. Frear and VIM. King, Tweed's for
mer deputy.
Tweed continues that shortly after the
exposure of the ''secret accounts" in 1871
F. n. Bixby and State Senator James
OBrien offered to secure him against fur
ther investigation if he would pay $3.50
900 towards O'Brien's claim against the
city for $4,000 for unpaid fees when
sheriff, They represented that they had
such influence over Mr.. Tilden, Judge
Barrett and VIM. c. Barrett as to immed-
lately quash any further proceedings.
Tweed paid them $4,000 in cash and
mortgages, which they collected, for the
balance. He understands that they OBJ
tanned the same amount from Connolly
on the same representations. He does
not consider O'Brien's claim valid. |
Tweed further says that the Navarro
claim against the city for 81 100000 for
water meters is fraud. The contract
with Mr.. Navarro was fraudulent, and
the meters never answered their purpose.
He mentions Thurlow Weeds name, but
does not connect him with fraud, IL
mentions Judge Foiger, of the Court of
and George IL. Purser, of New
York, to whom he paid money. Hugh
Smith. Sweeney's particular friend, at
tended to transactions with Judge Cardo-
20, by which judicial action was taken in
behalf of the ring.
The confession concludes with prom
ise that Tweed will be witness in any