Wichita eagle., 1889-02-02
a BOSS HARD FATE.
Levi o. Jarrard's Death in New
Jersey State Prison.
A Career Whose Sad Termination Should
Teach a LESION to All Ambitious Young
Politicians-Success That Was
y Failure.
Trenton IN. j. Cor. Philadelphia Press.1

Trenton IN. j. Cor Philadelphia Press.1
Levi D. Jarrard, who fifty years ago.
Pennsylvania-D Dutch lad, drifted down the
canal into New Jersey and finally to New
Brunswick, worked at odd Jobs started in
small way to furnish supplies to the ca
nal men and stabling to their mules,
gained almost monopoly of this business
and entirely monopoly of the way tow
ing on the Delaware & Raritan Canal sold
out to the Pennsylvania Railroad Compa-
ny for one fortune, which he added to sew
eral others already made, was sent eleven
years to the Legislature, dominated men
as he had mules and controlled openly the
Republican and secretly the Democratic
politics of not only Middiesex County. but
of ali the northern part of the State, died
in prison here recently.
His political power first won by per-
sonal popularity in New Brunswick, he
maintained there by the lavish use OF
money, and spread it throughout the State
BY shrewdness of conception and audaclty
of execution. 1t reached It's zenith when
he came within a vote or two of being
made President of the State Senate instead
of William J. Sewell, now United States
Senator. His defeat by George c. Lud-
low, since Governor, when running for q
third term Ia the Senate, did not seriously
break his power, and in 1850 he staked IL
ali in figat for the State COMPREHENSIVE.
Sewell again opposed him, and the strug-
gle was one of the iercest ever known in
the State House. When the caucus that
was to decide it met Jarrard had made his
deal for assured success. But promises
made were not kept, and he was beaten by
a bare majority by E. j. Anderson. the
present Comptroller. He retired to New
Brunswick, broken in fortune and at outs
with all the political powers of the State.
His supremacy in Middlesex County re-
manned unquestioned. but to maintain it
he had to cast his fortune into the ra-
pacious NAV OF a political demon that he
himself had evolved and that had grown
into monster OF corruption. He was the
'boss'' until the very last, but finally had
to follow in the steps of the many of his
pupils who had found in prison or in exile
the rewards of the political methods that
be taught
In 1850 his finances were at so low an ebb
that he accepted the office of county col
lector. Soon afterwards be secured the
postmastership, succeeding one of hi.
proteges, who had embezzled and fed A
year later, just before the time when his
accounts were to be audited, he disap-
peared. In ell his career no one had ever
dared hint suspicion that he was not abb
solutely honest in money matters 1t re-
quired several weeks of unexplained abb
sence to convince the public that be had
really and deliberately stolA- lbs So, o0e Of
the county n,oaey rrat MS books showed
to be missing Detectives were at last put
on his track. and after six months found
him in Canada, preparing. under an as
s1med name to open hotel nearly oppo-
site Niagara Falls. he acknowledged the
defalcshon. but snapped his fingers at his
pursuers, ENFORCEMENT OF being an ex-
tradita5ie ofense. A technical charge Of
forgery wss raked up against him, based
upon the alteration OF figure in his books.
The case was fought through the highest
Canadian courts, but he was finally beaten
and brought back 10 New Brunswick The
evidence against him was of the weakest,
but it was believed that il acquitted De
could not be tried for embezzlement but
would have TO be allowed to return 70
Canada On this account it has always
been alleged the jury oonvicted him Oh he