Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-04-18
BOSS TwEEB'S LAST DAYS.
E. wHITMORR,
Publisher and Proprietor
,Gath /" in the PHILADELPHIA Times.l

tain IN the Philadelphia Times,I
Tweed came home from Spain
thin and hearty with exercise. He
loved nature and sailing, and told
me that he could amuse himself all
day at sea, playing solitaire with
deck Of cards. 81 would have been
happy forever in a foreign land,"
he said, wishing to see nobody.
My life has been failure in every
thing. There is nothing l am
proud of"
For GONE time he devoted him.
self to preparing and substantial
ting his confession, working with
secretary, taking notes, clipping
newspapers, eic. AS long as he had
hope Of getting bis liberty his health
was good. But it did not suit the
ambition of conflicting schools Of
New York politicians to let him 60.
A young lawyer lad by the name of
Fairchild was the principal oppo-
nent of Tweed's release, although
his old enemy, 0'Conor, advocated
it. The Republicans were divided,
some being irritated because Tweed
had exposed aud ruined their pet
State senator. There we're dozen
individual quarrels, accompanied
with newspaper cards and eOntro-
versy. Finally, Tweed saw that he
would never get out. He said to
me when interviewed him for the
New York Herald last fall: "They
say imprisonment for debt is abol-
ished in New York. 1t is worse
here than it was in the days of the
Fleet Prison and the Marshalsea.
! am here for nothing but debt, and
they can keep me here till ! rot"
He stayed until that termination,
almost literally.
Around this man on every side,
like fruits to Tantalns, assistance
reached but did not clasp. The
new boss of New York-John Kel-
.ly-was outspoken for relief for
Tweed. The sheriff, Riley, who
took charge of his Jail, almost
loved him, and Tweed occupied the
household apartments of Sheriff
Riley's sister, who kept the Jail.
Yet, like the hapless prisoner in the
iron mask, Tweed was tho aillic.
ton of his well-wishers and more
miserable by their kindness.
Ludlow street jail is a tall, mar
ket-house or armory-like structure,
with small street door. Entering
this one comes to a small vestibnle;
on the left a door leads to the bed
room where Tweed died; on the
right door admits to the Jail Of
fee, beyond which are open rooms
and a grass court for debtors
poor, listless-lo looking people, sitting
around as if waiting for money OF
release. A passage way to Tweed's
rooms turns through the Office and
enters by the rear. He had a large
bedroom, lighted from the street;
a saloon and dining-room; beyond
it and through this, lighted from
the street, a small bedroom and a
bathroom. Tweed s5s OF his own
table, his meals furnished from the
matron's fire. He ate heartily, and
soon grew very fat. Taking no cx-
ercise, his kidneys became affected
and he was ordered by DR.. Carno-
chan to inject about a gallon of
fluid into his bladder every day
with an India rubber reservoir. He
also had heart disease, immensely |
accelerated by the air of the Jail,
mental indifference and hopeless
ness. Tweed never spoke against
except Judge Davis, who
abused him when sentencing him,
and Fairchild, the boyish Attorney
General of Tilden. He never went
out Of the Jail, except under orders
of the courts, but once, when q
politician in Fifty-ffth street died. (
Tweed said to Major Quincy:
81 would like to 60 there and see
my humble friends corpse. Can l
go?" The Major took him there.
Said Tweed: 81 would like to 90
visit my daughter, Mrs. Douglass,
at Seventy-second street, He
stayed there fifteen minutes. Said
the Major; "Tweed was as Obedient