New-York tribune., 1885-01-27
THE DEATH OF THOMAS c. FIELDS.
CONNECTION WITH THE TWEED RlNG--HIs WIFE
MIsyoRTUNEs.

MIsgoRTUNEs.
Another of the members OF the old Tweed
Ring has passed away Thomas Craig Fields died on sun
day of pneumonia his farm near the village OF ST. All
drews, Canada He was born In l52o In 81 Lawrence
County " was educated at the Delaware Academy at
DeIh tudied law and was admitted TO the bar in 1546
He came TO this city early and soon went into
local politics. He became known as ready ana witty
speaker at Democratic meetings. In 1897 he was ap-
pointed Public Administrator and held the once ior
three years. When Tweed Sweeney, Connolly and Han
began TO obtain control OF the politics in this city Tom
Fields was found to be a useful man. BY the inau-
ence of tho Ring he was appointed Central
Park Commissioner. In 1868 he was elected a member
of the Assembly from Of the uptown districts and IN
the following State Senator In 1865 and 1862 ne
was elected TO the Assembly from his old district In
1865 he was appointed CorporationAtorney In those
DAYS there was no law 10 prevent person holding
State city Office at the same time 1t was UNDERSTOOD
that Fields made great deal of money while ne was
by retaining tho fines which he
should have paid to the Controller Fields was re-
elected in 1870 and 1871. In 1869 he got bill through
the Legislature appropriatng nearly $4,000 to eQuaze
the salaries q certain uptown fremen with those
serving in the oood more tbiptyi Tt and :brl
per cent OF the entire amount as assignee Inns was so
good scheme of plqnder that IN the tS6~ing yeT ne
repeated it much larger scale Win the % a3 O TSod
and Harry Genet in the Senate The bill proYaed
fremen serving in that part OF the city above ,Fliy
ninh-st Nearly all Of this amount was dHldcd Dy TIC
After the Tweed ring overthrown suit was De
gun against Fields 10 recover S459,oO0 whlch he was
Treary ondicfments we're found him for
forgery and the other for bribery on october 20
II was found that he had fed He went to Belgium, and
fl two years TO Montreal canada wnere NE was ensea
farm at St. Andrews fifty miles west OF montreal Oh
the ottawa River. There he has lived over since.
Fields married a Miss Hoag, whom he illtreated and
them abandoned in shameful manner After her nus
6anas s II an named p Par She
yout member of the Roman Catholic Church; on the the
wandering aimessy about the streets acting in strange
manner and seeming to think that her husband was was
torn badly aud her covered with blood, while
her hand was slightly gashed as 4 by knife Officer
Byrnes took her 10 the Police Station where Drs Payne
Cooper Campbell and Pine pronounced her insane she
requested to be alIoyed to see Father Nolan who %
paced up and down the room, rubbing her hands
and begging those arv not TO neT 5 ee
was received from Judge B. Platt Carpenter
took the unfortunato woman to the
Hospital Two weeks previous to Mrs Fields becoming
monds, called at Mrs Fields's home and inquired for
her, but she had out The woman said she would
Without wn a1a 0e seeing ' her Sep When Mrs Feds
returned she was told abont the call the
described her when she turned pale showed signs
great mental excitement day or two after she be-
acquainted. and in every instance began saying: 81
something TO tell you but for some reason never
TO the asylum she became raving maniac, charging
every she met with attempting TO Kill her. When
her attendants left the hospital she told them where
they could find her diamonds and Jewelry
II Is thought that the woman who called TO see Mrs
Fields formerly Tweeds mistress and that she fed
TO Canada with Fields 1t is also stated that she was
here endeavoring possession OF Mrs. Fiedss boy
The lady whom she called upon said TO her Are you an
intimate friend Of Mrs. Fields T. the woman replying
petuantly "So, am no friend OF hers" Mrs Fieds's
little boy was then playing the house The lady
pointed the boy 70 the visitor when the latter said
a. don't want to see him, want TO see Mrs Fleids
and added "this is the first time was ever in POugh
keepsie and don't believe will come again" police
afti0 hoyxQy fbQf anA
and visited Mrs. Todd, sister OF Mrs
Fields. in Bevue-ave and that 1t understood that
woman described to Mrs. Fields she exclaimed ::
Oh that is that Mrs -, and that diamond cross
ward IL wasn't paid for aud ne would have TO take II
back to Tfany's," and she added hand OF Provi
dence is helping me-a little more and that woman and
would have met"
wear before this Mrs Fields told friend that Mr.
Fields wanted TO make settlement with her. but
the requirements was that he should have the child,
went to Poushkeepsic her Income was good one,
but day she was summoned TO New-f0rk, and
she afterward says that on that dsy. she lost
Mrs. Fields I'm the hospital year when her
insanity assumed chronic form, and she was trans
fsrred 20 willard Asylum GUM. where she 1odG now u.s. is
casionay visited her at the Hudson River State Hospital
Mrs Fields is about forty years oo ana was a one
time handsome woman She was Tom tleIds nIece,
and be educated her In Roman Catholic convent she
believed before she became insane that her husband had
transferred given his mistress all the property that
he had. After he deserted her she vainly
o sappc hs. get and fr eh She
aged to get little sewing and with the income from that
and by occasionally parting with ewelry and yaluables
Park Dutchess County and the sister Of the late
sams class With Colonel Frederick Grant ' " Wv