Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-11-03
AN INTERVIEW WITH TWEED.

Opinion OrSweeney, Hall, Jim Fisise aud
Jny GOuld---What He " Ould do n Out Of
Prison.
A reporter for the New York Herald
recently interviewed Tweed in Ludlow
street Jail with the following interesting
result:
Rerorter-Are you the only member
of the Ring now held in duress?
Mr.. Tweed-The only one. Ingersoll
and Woodward are both out. Sweeney
lives up town. Connolly is in Switzer-
land. Hall is in London, or there
abOuts.
care you on good terms with any of
these persons"
Ono, not at present"
"Why did Hall run away-on the
score of your confession 2"
"Hall, l think, has been crazy, or
going crazy, for years. He was a dread
fully tiresome fellow, with his weak little
puns."
"But he was useful, was he not, in
the way of drawing mp advantageous or
cunning bills?
"He was fair at that; not accom-
plished; not a real expert. Hall was
pretty good on his legs, to preside at a
dinner, or make a ready speech.
"But You never quarreled much with
your associates ?"
"No. They didn't quarrel with me,
because l was the only man who would
go to the front. They couldn't rely ON
each other if anything desperate was ON
hand. I remember once there was a
meeting to be held where Elijah Purdy
wanted me to preside. Said 1, Now,
boys, l tell you frankly. Tn afraid to
go to that meeting. You may go, but l
don't want to- Pooh, pooh 7 said
Purdy, we didn't expect that of you,
Tweed I'll go myself. So went that
night, and, behold no Purdy came.
'Come on, said I, 'Ill preside 7 So 1
took the chair, and WASH very comforta-
BILE in it, either. A man from California,
by the name of Doyle, was running for
recorder against Barnard. (This recol-
lection is at random saw, as the roll
call proceeded, that Doyle had the ma
iority of delegates. Said [ to secre-
tary: Have motion made to dispense
with calling the roll y 1t was done.
All in favor of Mr.. Barnard as the nom-
inee of this body say aye. Carried
The meeting is adjourned + Well, thore
was riot and I was driven into one
corner. Isaiah Rynders had pistol as
long as my arm drawn and cooked.
Said he; I'll pay you for this = / was
scared but didn't say SO. I'm not
afraid of whole ward of you fighting
villains, said I, and we all got out.
"Then you never quarrelea with
Sweeny?"
ooh, Sweeny il ahard, overbearing,
revengeful man. He wants his way and
treasures up wrath. He has considera-
BILE ability Of its kind. We were 50 OPP
poSite and unlike that we got along very
we'll"
Chow did you ever take into your
confidence Dick Connolly ?"
Connolly was before my time: ! had
to take the world as it was and not make
it anew. He was powerful man in his
ward and district. If you would walk
through there and talk against Connolly
it would be at your peril. We could
not get along without Connolly, and an
nexed him for the vote he controlled.
! (Which of those men was the ADLER,
Gould or Fisk ?"
ooh, Gould; he has not his equal in
America as fnancier. Jim Fisk was
pleasant fellow, full of anecdote. Moth
ing discounted him. He was never
ashamed. He always had fresh story.
liked his company. remember when
he was before the committee of Congress
and used that expression: Gone where
the woodbine twineth.' He explained
that to me. He said that when he used
to peddle around the country he noticed
that the country outhouses always had
sprig of vine climbing over them. He
simply meant by that illustration that
the investment had gone up the spout
--gone to nothing"
"May I ask what would you do il you
were out of this prison and free to begin
life again ?"
81 should go to New Orleans or to
the West Idleness is my aversion. /
do more work.in this jail than anybody
in it. Look on that window-sill Mt those
piles of books-the Daily Transcript
and other documents-pertaining to my
examination. spend hours ransacking
them every day. During the height Of
my prosperity in this city made every
body around me work, and it used to be
saying: There comes Mr. Tweed !;
now we will have to sweat. My son-in-
law is in business in New Orleans, and
could make myself useful to him as
travelling agent OR in some other way
enough to give me employment and a
living. If | did not go there, would
start life far out West"
Perhaps you mistrust yourself
Would not the thirst for politics in New
York resume its place ?"
"No, am too old and Indifferent,
and would not even vote in this country
again"