The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-05-02

sketch OF tho Career of Man Whsse
Ward wa. Once law In she American
Metropolis.

fashion tall lie engaged ~ politics. In
1852 he appeared as n public figure IN
the Sixth ward, aud for one year served
as All Alderman. using his personal
popularity and political influence m that
capacity to further hiH aspiration for
power. He received the nomination for
Representative IN Congress from con
vention largely made up of mon who had
run with the same engine Ia fires, and
joined in pleasure excursions and evening
entertainments paid for out Of his hard
earnings. One term in Congress, how
ever, seems 10 have cured either his own
OF his constituents ambition in that quar-
ter, and his later operations IN politics
we're conducted IN field nearer home. In
1856 he entered the board Of supervisors
and was made president, and IN the
same year became "A school COMMISSION
er. Passing IN measure out ot sight
for few years, he reappeared IN 1861
as n deputy street commissioners, and IN
1867 was sent to tho State Senate. In
April, 1870, he WAS maze commissioner
of the department ot publio works, an
Office for whose skilful manipulation he
had paved his way while Senator. IL
WAS then that his ring" since made
famous 10y II series Of exposures, prose
cuhons, confessions, compromises and
other proceedings in and out Of court,
came into existence. Under the charter
passed by the Legislature under
Iwecd's supervision, u board of audit,
consisting Of Mayor A. Oakley Hall,
commissioner of parks. Peter b. Sweeny,
comptroller, Richard NJ. Connolly, and
Commissioner Tweed himself. were
vested with the exclusive legal power Of
appropriatng all moneys raised by
taxes or by loans, and an indefinite au-
/ thOrity TO borrow. In the exercise Of
! this power the board increased the city
| debt 10 an enormous amount, their most
notorious action having reference to
bills handed IN by persons engaged 10
work upon and furnish the new county
court house, then and still in course of
erection. The excess Of the sums
charged on these bills over the sums
actually paid WAS divided among the
. conspirators. Public officers whom il
WAS found necessary ~ corrupt were
/ bought and paid for ont Of the funds
thus accumulated, or had their tongues
securely tied 10y gifts of furniture and
other goods charged against the city but
never delivered for its use. Shortly be.
fore this, having tired Of the odious
comparisons heard ON every side between
his former laborious calling and poverty
and his present prosperity and ease,
Tweed had applied for admission 10 the
bar, snd presented himself, one day for
examination. Then ensued As farcical
{
connection with an august tribunal. Ia
o private chamber in the conrt house lac
met his examiners, thus eluding the
curious eyes and ears Of the crowd Of
lawyers and other citizens gathered IN
the courtroom by the news Of his pres
ence there. Two or three trivial queB-
tons were prupoundel. and a. many an
swers returned for forms sake-the
whole interview il Is said, having been
prepared beforehand like scene in a
play. This ceremony over he was duly
sworn and admitted tp practice. IL Is
doubtful whether, IN all his career As a
lawyer, he ever learned even the titles
Of dozen legal treaiises, let alone any
knowledge OF their contents.
In the autumn Of 1871 the citizens Of
New York city, irrespective of party.
rose in revolt against this Wholesale
robbery, AMI at a mass meeting held in
Cooper Institute appointed Commit
tee OF Seventy, " comprising some Of the
leading members of the community, 90
take charge OF the approaching munich
pal political canvass in behalf Of the
taxpayers, and 10 devise means Of bring
ing the perpetrators Of the recent frauds
10 Justice Suits were accordingly in
stituted in both the civil and the crimi-
nal branches Of the Supreme Court,
Tweed being leading defendant in each
case. In the mean time the elections ot
November, 1871. were held and Tweed
was elected by his Sixth ward constit-
uents to the Senate 10y very large ma
jority over O'Donovan Rossa, the can.
didate Of the Committee Of Seventy. He
never took his seat, however; public
sentiment being too strong 30 make such
a course advisable.
On the 30th Of January, 1873. the
great malefactor was first brought 10
trial, but the jury disagreed. In No
vember Of the same year he was found
guilty on n criminal charge uf fraud, the
indictment containing twelve counts, and
the penalty on each OF which was i'm
prisonment for one year and q fine Of
one thousand dollars. In the opinion Of
Judge DAVIS who tried the case, these
penalties were cumulative, and the de
fendAnt was accordingly sentenced 20
imprisonment for twelve years and fined
Sl2, $50. The Supreme Court, as n con-
sequence OF his conviction. disbarred
him. The sentence was reviewed on APP
peal aud decided 10 be excessive, and he
was brought back from Blaekwell's
Island only 10 be rearrested and cast in
10 Ludlow Street Jail On the Island
he had been treated with uncommon
consideration, part Of the time living in
the hospital IA an invalid, and never
given any but the lightest and most
comfortable work 10 do. II was on his
admission TO the prison that he made
his famous answers to the two questions
always propounded 30 convicts: "Oc-
cupation ?" " Statesman" d" Religion?"
"None."
While in nominal confinement in Lud-
low street he really had almost as much
liberty as If he had been ont on bail,
being permitted 20 60 about where he
chose, so long as n sherifTs officer accom-
panied him. In this way he made re-
peated visits TO his family, and on the
4th of December, 1875, having excused
himself for a moment from his keepers
sight while calling at his house at the
corner of Fifth avenue and Forty third
street, he disappeared, TO be heard of no
more for nearly year.
In September, 1876, the United States
government received information from
Vigo, a seaport of Spain, which led to
the belief that Tweed had been appre-
hended there. The American man-of-
war Franklin was accordingly sent 10
bring him away, international comfy
taking for this occasion the place OF an
eItradition treaty. On his arrival in this
city he was returned to Ludlow Street
Jail. and a summary prohibition was put
upon future excursions thence. In
response 10 all questions, he persistently
declined TO tell how he had escaped,
merely generating his keepers from any
underhand share in the matter. Shortly,
however, there appeared in Hdrpcrs
Weekly an illustrated account of his
escape, wanderings in exile, capture and
return, said 10 have been worked mp
from materials furnished by himself.
The truth of this narrative has never
been conclusively proved or disproved,
although it has given rise 10 much CON
troversy.
The events OF Tweeds later life in
Ludlow street, the frequent negotiations
for his release, the charges and counter