The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-21
REMARKABLE CAMPAIGN.
Oakley aalIs Interesting Story of a
Triangular Fight.
17.o,,, The Mem YorL Prose

From the Net0 York Press
During the time from 1859 to 1861 /
returned from the post of public prosecutor
10 exclusive private legal practice; but in
October of the latter year Fernando Wood
called upon me. rendering the nomination
of district attorney again by his Mozart
Hall faction as against Tammany Hall. It
was an era of party collapses. aud during
the early tbroes of the civil war. I sur
viewed the field and found Nelson J. Water
bury to be the Tammany candidate for a
now popular supreme court judge and
sfterward a candidate for mayor, to be the
union nominee for that office.
I had been lucky in previous triangular
race and thought the time opportune for an
other political gamble for a plurality. dis
covered that Mayor Wood had made a
wholesale capture of the Irish vote, had
become popular with the German element,
was fairly master of the saloon influence,
was likely to have the support of the
Herald, was strongly backed by his
brother Benjamin, who was then a POI
litical potentate in the Third, Fifth and
Eighth wards, and that Fernando had nomi-
mated, as the piece de resistance of his politi-
cal menu, James Lynch of the Fourteenth
ward, an exceedingly popular Catholic
Irishman, for sheriff. Mr.. Wood also re-
nominated for judicial positions Lewis B.
Woodruff and Murray Hoffman, who were
then incumbents and who were republicans.
| therefore accepted his offer and entered
for the legal stakes
WOODS POLITICAL METHODS.
Both Mr.. Waterbury and Mr.. Lawrence
were formidable opponents. The former
was just concluding a term, during which
be had been jealous and fearless-and,
may add, SO ind pendent and so impartial
that he had earned the reputation in the
slang of the period of being rather a per-
secutor than a prosecutor. Mr.. Lawrence
was of an old Knickerbocker family and
had already earned high reputation as
municipalist lawyer. But l saw that If [
could beat the latter in the region above
Canal street, wherein his strength lay. and
beat the former below it. l had a fair
ohaAce to become wedge that would force
an opening in the final count.
Fernando Wood was a born leader and
an accomplished partisan general. He kept
as regular set of political books as a mer-
chant does in his business. In tn, So books
he had the city mapped into large districts,
and these subdivided in various topograph-
subdivisions, and again into the official cleo
tlon districts. These maps and books
ing the localities and names of his reliable
supporters, with remarks and queries at
tached. He really possessed as full a kn0wl-
edge of the personnel of his Mozart army
as NapoleoH's biographers claim was pos
sessed by le petit caporal. Mr. Wood kept
the books himself. He possessed marvel
Gus personal magnetism, aud was at that
time in political way a feudal baron. lie
lived o. the then Bloomingdale road, which
was of rural aspect.
he was an early riser, temperate in his
habits, light breakfaster based pota oes
and cream being his usual luxry). ignorant
OF eXcltement, passion or worry; cool and
careful schemer, polite aud persuasive to
tension, thorough student of human ma
ture, and keen disciple Of Lavater and
Spurzheim.
All these qualities he showed and used in
after years during his remarkable successes
at the polls and in his seat as congressman.
tie always had the advice OF his brother,
Benjamin, who was equally magnetic, and
with, perhaps larger scope of Judgment,
curing with some pessimism the optimism
of Fernando.
HE WHO FOUGHT AND RAN AWAY.
Seldom has there been a more exciting
and heated contest in this city in a local
way than eusued in November 1861, The
principal attacks of personalities were made
by union men upon Mr.. Lynch as well as
upon Mr.. Wood. The former had led fine
battalion OF lrishmen to the battle of Bull
Kun, and had been one of the many fugi-
tives from that hapleSs field, although not
an early one. Said the Tribune, in one of
its editorials: "If Bull Run Jenny makes
as good time in his race for sheriff as he
made toward Washington from Manassas
be has a go d chance to reach election
This sarcasm fastened on him the sobriquet
OF Bull Run Jenny" q nickname he
always afterward had among his foes. I
mean his political fees, because he never
had personal ones.
Personal fire was also directed against
wood as a Comprehend and a friend OF The
south. The shots at myself took shape in a
picture representing me standing at the side
OF cradle rocking the Burdell baby-rem-
tnscent OF my exposing during my previous
term the production of bogus idfant heir
ny Ars. Cunningham, the alleged wife of
tne murdered DR.. Burdell The Attempt at
iulcule, however, recoiled, for the popular
iuea was that my exposure had been timely
anu servlceable as well as amusing | was
aso lalnpooned as the ally of intemperancs
uecause OF previous exertions against the
SyleSa OF the Maine liquor law in the state
t Ane iiquor dealers issued facetious election
DlIi mat hooded the city, on which bill was
printed: Hall is the bury water candidate
against Waterbury," l was elected but by
aplrality under thousand, as we're Wood
e anu Boil Run" Jenny by larger pIurali-
tes therefore began new term as dis
'it Tt attorney on New Years day, 1862.
Ine nrst two cases of sensation and pop
ular interest that had to manage related
marriage. In the one case the court of
SSPpeaiS Tor the first time emphasized the
tGoc.slne, since become firmly established
80 usage, mat marriage was a simple con-
oracs OF no higher dignity than lease, or
bargain for personal chattels, or a
promhsory note, and could be established
vy tne same verbal degree of proof that
s wouid De sufficient for a moneyed transac-
s v.on involving less amount of value or