Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-17
Some Incidents in the Life Of That
Well-Known Character.
HIS POLITICAL SAGACITY.
He Knew His District Thoroughly and En-.
joyed the Confidence Of the Greatest Lights
In the Democratic PArty-The Tweed Ring
The Late senator Barnum.
Written for the Evening 9tsr.

/
KNAPP and Cornelius Wendell. Our headqusr-
tiers were at the Aston House, and meetings
were held nightly at the Manhattan Club. We
there met the political magnates Of that state
and 1t was determined to make an ardent cam
paisn. At one Of these meetings, after dining
with Richard Schell, Samuel L. NJ. Barlo W,
John T. Hoffman and Judge Sanford E.
Church, the nominations for Congress were
discussed, and that Of John Morrissey II was
feared would take some strength from the state
ticket Morrissey had been a very liberal con-
tributor to the democratic party and an indie
fatigable worker. with very strong fol-
lowing, and his nomination was demanded
by his many friends, and as
had no particular interest in the local
canvass, was requested to see Mr.. Morrissey
and to lay before him the views expressed by
these gentlemen in the hope that be would be
| impressed by their opinions and defer his nomi-
nation until the next term. The following day
| met John Morrissey for the first time and
was most favorably impressed with him. His
| quiet and unassuming manner and gentlemanly
department surprised me, from all had
heard OF him expected to find him a rough
and uncouth man. feared my mission would
| not be agreeable to him and was therefore the
more astonished at the attention he gave to all
l had to say and after hearing me through he
| answered briefly: "If, Mr. Coyle YOU can spare
| the time to accompany me through the district
| think 1 can convince You that 1 will add to
the strength of the ticket rather than take
| from it."
HIS STRENGTH RECOGNIZED.
Willing to give him an impartial opportunity
to demonstrate his strength, and from his
evident sincerity and confident OF his assurance
that he would then leave to my decision whether
he should be candidate we took a carriage
and went from one end Of the district to the
other, taking in our route Wall and Broad
streets, where we saw bankers and brokers and
merchants. / was astonished at this manifesto
| ton of his strength. The journey occupied
several hours, as the district embraced Oath
| street to the Battery and on the east side
| nearly to Canal street. On our return to the
| Aston House he asked my opinion of his
| strength, and told him thought he ought to
take the nomination and should SO report to
the gentlemen whom I represented that night
| at the Manhattan Club. He thanked me and
said: "For myself 1 have no ambition, but
have son and am unwilling he should re-
bier. and therefore desire this nomin alton"
That night reported what had seen and
said l had told Mr.. Morrissey 1 thought he
ought to be the candidate. These gentlemen,
with one exception. acquiesced in the opinion
and Morrissey was nominated and elected. The
gentleman Directing to his nomination was
John L. Hoffman, whom Morrissey had ardently
| supported for mayor Of the city of New York
| and governor Of the state, and to whose election
as mayor he had contributed $4,000. When
Morrissey came to Washington as member of
Congress the opposition press teemed with
| articles denouncing the democratic party for
sending such representative, but referring to
| Darlington memoirs recalled in the National
IateQtgencer the fact that prize fighter, Joseph
Gulley, sat in the British house Of parliament
| for twenty years with credit to himself
and great advantage to his constituents. MIR.
| Morrissey became very popular with both sides
| of the House, and arrayed himself in opposi-
ton to claims of a doubtful character, voting
| only when assured Of the Justice of bills pre-
| sented. When the Tweed ring was reveling in
the plenitude OF their power, which afterward
| became great abuse and scandal Morrissey
| was in the legislature and took strong grounds
against them and thus incurred the bitter
enmity of Tweed and his followers. They sub
sequently caused his arrest upon the charge of
keeping gambling house and it was deter
mined to disgrace him by sending him to
Blackwelrs Island.
| The morning papers teemed with the accounts
of bis arrest. Meeting him accidently in front Of
the Astor House expressed my sympathy for
| him, when he said, You are the first man, Mr..
dDy's' VINO n"' gwen me one WORD OF 'ymp'-
replied, ~ think can serve you"
| He went into Mr.. Thurlow Weeds ROOM
where for thirty years he had dispensed patro-
mage and made and unmade men. No. il was
cabalistic ward. Suggested there the name
| of an old friend Of Dick Connelly's, whom
hoped to influence through him and Morrissey
| knowing their relations. was elated at the sug-
| gestion, went to Fordhan. where my friend re-
sided, and made an engagement to meet him at
| Connellys house the next morning. When
we saw Connolly, whom had known for years,
| / said to him, ''Your power Is absolute here. or
course you can send Morrissey to the island and
put him in stripes but if you do his friends will
shells. You are standing on the brink Of a
| volcano; you won't admit 1t, but il is true
He replied, 1T is personal affair Of Tweed's
and do not like to interfere"
urged upon him that he should interfere for
his own protection. He informed me that he
would meet Tweed and Oakley Hall at IL clock
that day and see what could be done. Come
| to my Office, he said, ''at o'clock and will
| inform you what has been done"
Having pressing business which detained me
! beyond the hour i subsequently learned through
our mutual friend that the result was an aban-
ment Of proceedings against Morrissey which
after calm reflection and consultation they
were induced to take my view, as expressed TO
Connolly, Of self protection.
THE CRUSADE ON THE TWEED RING.
But through the influence of Dick Con-
molly they called . halt Not long after this
Gov. Tilden began his crusade against
the Tweed ring, and Morrissey, who en-
joyed the governors confidence Of the past,
tried TO save Tweed by advising him to
resign and leave the country before be was ar
| rested. had known Tweed when he was O
member Of Congress and with the information
obtained from Morrissey sought to induce him
| TO follow Morrissey advice, out he was assured
as he told me, by his lawyers, that nothing could
be done by the prosecution. He remained in Of
| fee until arrested. The bail was very heavy
and there was difficulty in obtaining Ii and
Morrissey, with . schec Of the property he
then owned, nearly half million, sat all day in
! the clerks Office at the court house to become
| one OF the bondsmen to the amount of quarter
Of q million. asked him when he told me this
| il he had seen Tweed, he said NO did not 60
into the court room, fearful Tweed might think
had come to exult in his distress"
| TWEED WAS AFFECTED.
| When told Tweed Of this act of Morrissey's
he was visibly affected and begged me to thank
Morrissey. Morrissey visited Connolly when in
Ludlow street jail and offered TO aid In obtain
ing bail for him. The charity Of this man was
| great. I saw him one day take from the gutter
\ man be had known in his better days and
when he was an oracle in all sporting matters,
an able writer on those subjects in the columns
OF the SPIRIT the Times, but Who through drink.
had fallen into the most degraded condition
Raising him Merrissey said: "Come, will give
you one more chance" and, taking him by the
arm, led him to his own house, where, placing
him In charge OF Q servant, he bought for him
an outfit OF clothing and the next day went with
him to Binghamton to the inebriate's asylum.
l he died some few months after at the asylum.
and during his stay there and for wears after
Morrissey supported his family In 1876 his
earnest edortsfor Gov. Tilden and hisconfidence
in his election was displayed Mt the convention