New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-09
SECRET RING HISTORY.

,,rcrrn CONTROLLER IN 1S70-ATTEMPT OF
MS RING CoNFEDERATEs TO MAKE sCAPE-
GOAT OF HIM-HIs BETRAYAL OF THEM IN SELF
DrFEXCr-HOw AND WHY HE WENT TO JAIL
HOW AN OLD ENEMY AIDED IN HIS RELEASE
AND FLIGHT TO EUROPE.
AS one after another of the leaders OF the
old Tweed Ring disappears death or exile, or impe
cunious obscur1ty at home-fates equally dreaded by
Shon time seems near for writing the history OF
that GIGANTIC conspiracy against citys purse ana lid
eriy But brief enumeration OF the SURVIVORS SHOWS
Tint any history would be incomplete II written ho"'
and 1t is best perhaps to leave the task for the FUTURE
when generations less familiar than the present
with the ample NJ wspaper record OF the Rug rascaty
will be interested absorbed in its strange story
among the most singular OF the political and personal
antiques OF the passing century
Tho death OF Connolly leads one interested In the
Ring either as participant observer or recorder ofs
FORTUNES to recall dead and the surviving OF the
triumvlrate of leading sprits-Tweed, Connolly and
sweeny-only sweeny survives, and he lives In
the splendid misery Of Partisan exile, stunned
by and stunning his felow-countrymrh' ana
haunted by the recollection that he successfully Sc
cured immunity from punshment-but vainly sought
restoration OF reputaoony at the sacrifice OF dcau
hrother's name OF the secondclass Of cOuspirators
Watson the Auditor is dead, Young, the Supervisors
Clerk is forgotten Woodward has grown to De the nut
sance of the Connecticut town In which he mas the enron
tery to make display of his stolen possessions; "uio
",
unnotced or the Ring Judges, McCunn died OF oose"
beart Barnard of % lingering and torturng disease
and Bowling Of % still more horrible disorder ana the
suryyiug Cardozo only lately happy i'll being again
made sachem Of Tammany that was IN lis dying
tbrose OF the still lesser Of that time, Genet CON
Times at large unmolested Davidson cracks his pracu
cal Jokes unabashed Cook wisely keeps the seas be-
tween him and Sing Sing Ingersol Is happy ID the DUST
meas activity which temporarily sences his conscience
md the social isolation which hides him from OBSERVE
ton Wilbur; local habitaton that Is longer
recalled and-but the rest unworthy as they are
,1a,ou,t of mention II is strange how many or the
names familiar and upon every tongue within less thah
eight wears are now lost even 10 the active memory vi
one Of those who saw and recorded much
Of crime
While 1t is not yet time, because OF these reasons ana
tbese facts TO write history of the Ring. there are
some incidents in the OF its former Controller
Richard B. Connolly, showing how he became Con
troler how and why he BETRAYED his anu
how he escaped from the country and from all pnnsh
nent which as yet are part OF the secret history OF
the time never having been told They are worth tell
ING now even in this time of political excitement Tor
they are not wholly without political bearing
HOW CONNOLLY BECAME CONTROLLER.
Connollys first appearance in politics in this city was
while he was still clerk small salary IN Wllah l.
Hayemcyer's bank. He hanger on" Of TAM
,oonv as earlv as 1860 and even then was known as
"slnpery Dick because OF his propensity 10 promise
md his unfaug disposition TO break all assurances
He was quite prominent in 1862 in Iammany circles us
the candidate opposing Matthew T. Brennan for the
nomination OF that party for the Controllership The
canvass was very bitter one on Connoly's part ana
ON his failure and Breunans success he worked against
file laters election in such way as 10 rouse personal
antaeOuism on Brennan's part Brennan was not a
GOOD hater however and after his election III NoNe
ber 1862 his bitterness wore of. He had haolt WHICH
he called setting his personal accounts on the hrst
day of each New Year. when he formally made over
tures TO all his known wiped out all wi and
bad feeling and began over again, forgetting all past
INJURIES Connollys nature on the other manu. was III"
forgvlng and malicious, and when on New year Day
1868 Brennan extended the olive branch Commonly re-
iected it, He retained this aninosity through le' auu
displayed 1t again at the first opportunity.
This was offered in the Fail OF 1850, when Brennan
was anxious for reelection as Controller. Connolly
again nut in his claims During the three years OF Breh
mans Controllersbip he had made I'chus Oh FeTr D.
eyeepy who at the head OF The Parks ana run
lie Works and of VII lam Nj Tweed, who was IN the OLD
supervsors and both OF whom were very power
full Brennan during the same tmc had lheuFeu liiei
enmity. The reason Is best explained Dy an mclten
which took place in Brennans house in WhitNst. JUS
before the nominating convention Of Tammany Hall me-
in 1866 There present at the tine, haVlhS ocel
TGtor ~ the Tammanv organ, The Leader, and onr OF
two others whom II Is not now necessary " ~ ~
ceveS him Brennan hid asked these leaders to cal
his place for consultation and IN 9Taer 10 Icy MS G
In denomination before tnem. After much EIlcyI u!
and beating about the bush Swceny nualy loiu
very plainly that they had decided not 10 gHe
natidn 10 him. Equally ast0nsncd ana ulsahpT3inaV~
Tor Brennan's administration OF the hnahces ndu Uo
nd mo had certain right to consideration the Con
froer demanded 10 know why lie was not 10 uh'c VIVA
STS3 p' %Ustnous and T P9ca
Tweed, then OF the superysors Ri KIN liners max
n,s vas pain declaration that the Controller haC
bonn an obsrIrtiOn 10 the robbers Of the supervisor
Board He asked to whom they had decGeI TO eye u
1a1 nt opuo m said Brennan and though after
ward urged by his friends to go into the %H
GOOD faith party to oppose the decision % oc c
has since shown thar during the frs
three wears OF his administration, 1867 10 nearly al
aImrn in Sew-York Cltv owing TO his recent admin,
fraton first knew that frauds we're being l1
and Then the time drew in 1S7OIor announcer cl'.
tinn OF Controller he announced his Intention OF con
;es a ssd for 5hS n Eaa ba2 SRntns
which If elected he should Gxp2e ne u,a ~, hlm
him m n; they knew the great strength IL ms POM
ca Organization; they iGTcrs" ,hr T and dcspang
preventing his nomination In tnc C"Is .; m ,om
Ia7o iba Toxi@yy iii by which the Controllershl
vas made non-recrve file, and the a9pOlntmeel
SSs gyeo 80 ' At that time Oakley Mayor bg
swecny the Amounting pO%tr' ana ConiroIle
reaIly The Board OF Supervisors. ana so the C0iue
who had winked at and engaged III the eoriupon, ""
reapponted In order to conceal tne cG When dccae
BY this suneri but he was gwen gwen 6f g
CONNOILY'S BETRAYAL OF THE RING.
II ia now familiar history how the oppOlhte
Controller tried to conceal the frauds how, gradua
and naturally. others were committed, as having R",
so far the Ring could not stop pecuiatlohS; no" u
fraudulent bills of OBrcn, the Sheriff. whom Brchha
had succeeded. were refused payment aud now nua'
a. rovn,0e O'Brlen exposed the Ring frauds Most
hInodents OF that evenfn period of exposure IN u
midsummer and Fall of 1871 are within public know
edge but IT is not we'll known why Connolly petgt
his copfederates and gave up the ContollerS OF"
with all its secrets to Samuel j. Ilden anu Ills pio'
cutting colleagues - +, o,r.,o,s n
,osnrcs sweeny called a consultation OF the leaders
po'n 49, nA omonp those summoned were Twee