The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-04-18
THE MIGHTY FALLEN.
Burial of"Boss" Tweed at New
York on Wednesday.
Only a Dozen Coaches Filled with
Mourners.
Brief Biography Of tire Boss"

Our telegraph page announces the
funeral Of VIM. NJ. Tweed, at New
York, which took place on Wednesday,
attended by a few mourners, scarcely
filling a dozen carriages. If the wages
of sin is death, it may also be said that
the wages of sin is comparative oblivion.
He died almost unwept, unhonored and
unsung, while the funeral rites E
his remains were non the less ignored
by the great body Of the people. While
it is charity to forget as far as possible
his errors, they should serve as a arm
ing to the living. William Marcy
Tweed was a native of New York city,
having been born there April Sd, 1928.
\ poor boy, he vas ~apprenticed to u
chair maker, and became Il first-class
workman. Early II life he began the
study of the law, and was admitted to
the bar at the age Of nineteen. He i'm
mediately adopted politics as a profess
sion, and quickly rose to prominence.
He was elected an alderman OF New
York in '53 serving till '55. In sc he
was elected to congress. From sc to
II he held different oflices-supervisor
of the city and chairman of the board,
school commissioner, deputy street COM
missioner and state senator. On the
18th of April 1870 he was appointed
commissioned of public works, and in
that position committed the great pub
lie robberies which afterwards made his
name notorious and infamous through
out the civilized world. He surround, d
himself by a ring of political thieves
and sharpers who plundered and robbed
the city treasury and enriched them
selves, until the autumn of 1871, when
these things being discovered, legal pro-
ceedings were instituted to compel them
to disgorge. Charles O'Cunnor, in be-
half Of the people, brought suit against
Tweed, for fraud, and in October of III
the great ring boss was arrested and
required to give 81, 000, 900 bail. Tweed
was kind and liberal to the poor, and
was popular and liked by everybody.
In the November after his arrest he
was reelected to the state senate, but
did not take his seat. In December,
1871, the first criminal suit for fraud
was commenced against him. Not I'M
til January, 1873, did his trial occur,
the jury disagreeing. In November of
1873 he was found guilty on twelve
counts and sentenced to twelve years.
penal servitude and to pay a fine of
Sl2, 500. In accordance with this sem
tence, he was placed in the penitentiary
on Blackwell's island, where he remain
until June, rs, when the court of APP
peals ordered his discharge, holding that
the court below had exceeded its pow
ers in the cumulative sentence. In the
meantime a civil suit had been institu-
ted for the recovery of $4,000, 900 al
legged to have been stolen from the city,
and upon his release from the peniten-
tiary he was committed to Ludlow
Street Jail in default of $4,000, 900 bail.
The subsequent winter, while visiting
at his house with n couple of his keep
ers, he escaped and was re-captured
about a year ago in Spain. The almost
romantic story of his exploits while a
fugitive is familiar to all, having been
published in nearly every newspaper Of
the country.