New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-03
MYSTERY or 1WEED'S ISLAND.

TUE PLACE WHERE POIIuCiANs HELD CARSlYAL-
SETTLING TIE owNEEsnIP OF THE LAND.
Living at the mouth Of Indian liarbor, Greenwich.
Conn brau nj ia is C1ub.nltlon OF rocks aud shade
trees. is 1wecds Island. suzanne boaIded ut the
hotel have often cast enyons Siances across the water
at the rough oystcrman occupying tasty cottage blgh
bovo the Sruud and hay. asked many questions con-
cernnl the history ayd ownership of the spot lhOse
who landed there reported having seen. hanging III he
heat ROOM beautiful crayou portrait OF William NJ
Tweed The kind, benevolent expre7sion, that was
never revealed by the carcaturst bnt whlch was
l,v,v. potent with the mIsscs appears in life. The
ucture once hung in the psror Of the Amcrcus Club
House When the club was dissolved the c'ayon iound
it's say into the oystermans cottage.
Until recently the ownerahp of weeds Island bad
,oen unluown Old resid rnts told of jonathan Finch
vho .e,cntyh,e yeas ago. called II his claiming 10
lava nu,chused il for a calf But the land records
were. silent Finch had decd and for many years
II WAS untaxed, unclaimed and uninhabed. When
Tweed aud the Amcricus Club went 10 Indian larbor
twenty.fve years ago. he attempted 10 purchase the
iJand Tho ancient books with untarr cd hide covers
in the Town Clerks Office, carefully starced but
M utIc was found in any one of them 1hrce years
af,crwnrd on August 80, 1853, the club amid great
Ll,rty and after careful preparation seized me Island
I'm behalf OF their chief aud bestowed upon 1t his name
itat occasion Was one OF the many grand festive day
a, Indian ulnrbor Quincy. tJe photographer was on
nj and Iwctds Island was taken u second time.
The instrument was placed on a point OF rocks now
covered by the south piazza of the Indian larboI
Uotr Tweed sat beLind surrounded by many political
,r. then br Int aud shining lights in the citv govern
mrnt but now forgotten or recalled 10 MUD only by
Le ,honor attached their records. 10 aid 10 the
strocfiyencss of the island, Tweed built tne cottage
men ioued still standing AID placed over 1t tall hAe
! stat 49,, =, ~. 49, :,
"a Inc bis hiding place and for several days Oysermen
we're empoyed 10 boating detectives aud reporters, II
ia Mace jg seafch OF clcws. From that time I'LL 1877
Tho sIond was the resort of oyster thieves by night
and an occasional picnic party by day. Tho cottage
ost ia coat Of paint and was gradually falling intd
decay when poor Oysterman james NJ. More1, took
noesssson of It, aud went 10 work 10 restore tie place
10 ts former attractiyoness. Last wnt In the Rocky
Ncck store Morrell boosted that lac would soon own
the island by adverse Losse5sion ana doubtless nc
would had he talked less upon the hubIec.. Inc
ettor was brought 10 the attention OF the owners o
The Indian Iarbor Hotel They wanted 1t, and state
rcasur,r Alfred L. Goodrich declared the land 10 be
an rscbeat and peitioned the Probate Court for an
order of saIc for the benefit OF the State. - . -
During the progress of the proceeding william r. o.
Mel sup6ijn of Paindeld, n. j. appeared A. Witness
and he astonshed every by producing WARRANTED
deed executed in 1888 and conveying the Island, ioI
S35 10 hi, father John q. Mclaughlin, OF jersey
Ctv Mclaughlin testified that his lsthtr had par
chased the island suppOsing that 1t abounded III
pottsrs clay Finding that he was mistaken. nc con
sdered il OF no value he died twenty years age Inc
deed was found record but had been om.ed In tIe
inde1 The eschcat proceedings then ended, ana tho
Mclaughlin heirs agreed 10 cell the Island TO the hotci