New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-19
SOME OLD INDICTMENTS.
PAPERS ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD-How THE
TWEED INDICTMENT WAS FOUND.

PAPERS ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD-HOw THE
TWEED INDICTMENT WAS FOUND.
4 dark dusty room on the top floor Of Il brown
stone building Joining the Court House contains the IN
dictmens filed in the courts Of oyer and Iernlner ana
General Sessions, extending back to the year l774
Chief Clerk Joau sparks whose service a deputy clerk
and chief clerk has continued forty years has caused
the indictments be carefully arranged 50 That th'y
easy OF The old indictments seem to show
that the predecessors OF the present race Of criminals
were les, addicted 10 crimes OF great violence than their
Successors There are comparatively few Indictments
for in the early years " the criminal history
Di,o-dery houses were common the outskirts OF the
city. aud especially the roads Leading to New-Eng-
and 4 few criminals, mostly negro slaves who rs the
indictments say. having the fear OF Col before thei
eyes but beag moved and ~eiuccd by the insaton OF
the Devil" committed crimes Of violence and suffered the
extreme penalty OF the law.
An Indictment found IA 175j against jeremiah Watson
and Others FOR riot showed Of feeling then exist
In; toward the French. L. Cheyaer Nicholas otan'iuS
DAbsryillo tac commander OF French packet barge
then lying in NcwYork harbor attempted TO 20 on shore
on April ~ I7s5 with his lieutenant James H. kip and
boat-oad of men. Some men put ont from shore IN
boat and after into AMI stopping the boat con-
tanning the Frenchmcu returc9 the land. When lie
Cheyaicr" lauiei he received with q shower OF
stones from watson and his companions who called the
Frenchmen Bougues" and otherwise treated them with
contempt. watson who appeared TO be tie ungeader'
was arrested and tried
other indictments tell of an resurrection among the
slaves for which several Of them were put TO death Tie
names many Of the Old Dutch residents appear among
the list, Of judges and grand jurors.
Among all the indictments Of which chief Clerk Sparks
ha. charge there only Of which the original Is III
print anI that is the famous omnibus ~ Indictment
against william w. Tweed. Richard b. Connolly and \.
Oakley Hall III printed volume of over 1000 pages.
containing 900 counts relating to hfty-hve separate
charges Words and sometimes sentences in writing are
Inserted AMI the volume il signed with tho names OF D.
e. Turner foreman of the oyer AMI Ierminer Grand Jury
and samuel b. Garvin, the District Attorney Ihe
offence, CHARGED are only misJomeauors in ncslecting 10
prorerlv audit certain bills presented by KoySer a Co..
and other Ring contractors Fifteen or twenty Other IN
dctments against Tweed uundby General sessions
1872 INT all Of these quashed ~ was feared ihai
objections might be mlde % the Validity o tue ldrt"l
Jury, proceedings and the -Omnlbus Indictment was
9rnr Allen one Of the present Assistant District
Att0rueys VINO has, perhaps, had more experience IL
drawing indictments than any othe" man living oli re-
centy OF the dhcny , Io9Ta IN ,s95 We knew
| mil Mr. Allen that Tweed hal robbed the city %
trouch the whole list folonies the statute book
but could not Gnd one within which lwtets , 2ne.ee
could be brought Charles OC09or WaieH 10 'n'cL LOT
grand larceny because. no said % ought to be- Grand
! tnpbt II was impossible. but Mr. OCon0r thought Il
ought to DE possible aud we I'l ,o- a. .'ils1
clause mat made IL the duty of tne Mayor PRESIDENT oil
the Board Of Aldermen and CONTROLLER I'D Aunt III pl','
4 ne lecl OF Jlll dltJ Wt' PlH.,l4!0 - ,i T',,es
! 4. mat there was trouble about the GRAND JHHeS'
General Sessions Grand Jury wlS continued IN session
.er3l months but we Thought the question Of the
rh- of that Grand Jury 90 -J beyond one month nISh
! br Questioned An oyer and fcrmiuer CRAM jury wa
| inpaurlirI b Judge Davis ana our lhu'uNeHV ""'
! brought Iu. D.. ,.....-.. O.. 90,
ec. aud mad had separate trials. might haye been
I., ON fn. case I'd this day. But the charges were p
i'm one Indictment and when Tweed Wa COM Iole Jun
D,-is -. prceI MIN to one years imprisonment ia edcl
~ ye cuaryes and % fine others. the Court OF
,p,e,l. ,ftervarl dec led against thar KIND or chu
t sentence and Tweed released after serving i'
on. vel Germ The law has been anc nled since lM9c
fi,t TX Mayor Hall twice tried under TINS lnN't
I.nt tine ury d- agreeing the hr-t time tui &c lu'une
bi- nm tlf second trial Connolly kept away Wuert At
r,Il NOT be lrrr.te tried Mo folnd O't al IA Wl
tt th.r. is difference between knowing man 70 ne
thief aud bringing his crime within the requirements O