Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-16
HUBERT O. THOMPSON.
A Few Points as TO His Schemes of
Corruption.

| NEW YORK, Aug. 14.-Like Samson,
Hubert o. Thompson died with blind eyes
and shorn locks. Like Samson, he has
revenged himself in death. He has pulled
down two main political pillars, but, I'M
like Samson, in this fall OF the Temple of
Dagon, he has buried both friends and
enemies. While Commissioner of Public
Works Thompson gave out contracts
valued at over 20,000.000. Whatever he
made by these operations was squandered
as soon as pooketed. His tastes were as
extravagant as those OF Vitellius, and they
| were gratified at all hazards. Thompson's
| term ran out on Dec. 81, 1884. He was
l anxious to work the fieshpots of Egypt for
another five years, but the exposure Of
his corruption In the Tribune seriously
crippled him. Aside from that, John
Kelly's Mayor barred the way. Thomp-
son had been instrumental in driving
Kelly from the Comptfoller's office, and
Kelly always returned blow for blow.
Thompson, in his turn, had to go under.
| Anxious, however, to secure share OF
the drippings of the fleshpots, he sprang
Squire on the Mayor as his successor. 1t
was on the day that Mayor Edson's term
OF office expired that this was done.
| Grace, whom Thompson supported
tor Mayor, was to- succeed Edison.
You might naturally suppose that Grace
would have renominated the leader of the
County Democracy. Hubert knew better.
Grace estimated the fleshpots at their
true value, and undoubtedly wanted to
use them IN furthering his own political
aspirations. He recognizes as friends
only those bound to him by the closest
business and personal ties. So Thompson
tricked Edison into appointing Squire,
and thus cheated both Grace and Kelly.
In endeavoring to rivet Squire by the
letter In which Squire bound himself to
run the Office as Maurice b. Flynn di-
recJed, Thompson overreached both
Flynn and Squire and really overreached
himself. He was entirely too smart. No
sane politician believes that Squire was
cheated into the belief that the letter was
afterwards destroyed. he was forced to
act as he subsequently did, independent
of the existence of the letter. Grace was
shearing his department OF its patronage
by reducing his supplies through the
Board OF Estimate and Appointment, aud
he went to Albany to invoke legislative
relief. The authorities there were
inimical to Grace and favorable to
Tammany. A Republican Legisla-
ture coquetted With him, but
Grace and the newspapers raised such a
howl that it dared not extend to him the
power he asked. He made a promising
combination in the Acqueduct Commits
sion, however, but IN securing 1t was
forced to decapitate Thompson's friends
in the Department of Public Works. THIS
threw Thompson into fearful rage. He
was broken in health and soured by the
ingratitude of the man whom he had
made President, when Squire touched
him with red-hot iron. The smell
of his burning flesh filed the aJmos.
phere. He roared like a wounded lion.
Squire laughed at him. He undoubtedly
knew that Thompson held the fatal letter,
but he also knew that its publication
would not only kill himself but the goose
that was laying the golden eggs on which
Thompson was subsisting. That goose
was Flynn. Squire trusted to Thomp-
sons regard for the goose, and still held
the hot iron to Huberps flesh.
IN HIS DISTRESSING DILEMMA,
Thompson turned to Grace. City Cham
berlain lvlns, once a clerk of the house OF
| William r. Grace & Co., and now q men,
ber of the firm. appears to have been the
negotiator. Thompson agreed to force
| Squire's resignation if Grace would ap-
point either of three men to Office. The
squire letter was probably shown to the
Mayor as guarantee that Thompson
| could do as he said. AS soon as Grace
saw Thompson's hand he played his own
cards to win, independent OF Thomp-
sons feelings. He refused to make the
desired appointments, and In doing 80
gauged his man Alright. Thompson was
so mad at Squire's continued fiourishlng
| of the hot iron that he foamed at the
mouth. In his fury he swore that the
fatal letter should be made public, even If
1t sent all three Of them to State prison.
In the height of his Indignation he gave
it to Ivins without Flynn's knowledge.
| lvins says that he first saw the letter in
last December and that Thompson finally
gave it to him on July 10. He took it ap.
parently with fear and trembling, fully
conscious Of the responsibility. His reve-
lations are almost as disastrous to him
self and friends as was Thompson's
| action.
He admits that while he was occupying
the most responsible financial situation in
the city government he was hobnobbing
with the men who were robbng the tax
payers. 1t will not do to say that he was
playing the detective, for ne dickered too
much. He evidently cared more for the
interests Of his master, Grace, than for
the interests Of the city.
He brings down the District Attorney
in his wild shooting and seriously wounds
Judge Gilderslesve. He shows tbat tae
| former entertained proposals from Flynn,
| who foresaw the coming storm, and
wanted to control it. WINS smirches
Gldersleeve by showing that, instead OF
| rebuking and exposing squire for writing
the letter, the Judge contented himself by
advising the destruction Of documentary
evidence of the corrupt bargain, thus
tacltly suggesting the fulfIlmeut Of its
terms. ltiis not the first time the Glider
sleeve ermlne has been soiled. He was
once accused of farming out the patron
age of his court for the benefit OF rela-
tive.
so much for the fair fame Of some of the
men who we're instrumental in sending
honest workingmen to prison for unkno W.
ingly breaking the law by boycotting a
noted law breaker.
The most pitiable effect OF Hubert o.
Thompson's action, however, has been
the decapitation of Collector Hedden. 1t
was evident that the President thought
that Thompson was running Hedden's
office as he mad run Squlre's, and possibly
he may have suspected the existence Of
documents similar to the Squire letter.
ZIsKA.
The Irex Brings Back the Cup.