Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-10-20
JEHNE A FREE MAN.

E.ScAnd al he called by HIS ReI0aee.{
SING SING, N. Y, Oct. 15.-Henry W.
Jaime, the so-called New York ex-
Doodle alderman. walked out of Sing
Sing prison this morning free man.
He served six years four months anG
TIVE seven days of his sentence of
nine years and ten months at hard
labor. The prison was opened
utes after that time Jahne was
at the Office receiving his possessions
that he had left there when he entered
Sing Sing. He looked better than he
did when walking the streets of New
York. In fact he has gained twenty
pounds during his confinement in
prison.
There was no one at the prison to see
Jahne except Keeper Connaughton and
Clerk Dillon and reporter. 1t had
been stated that Jsehne would be liber-
ated at 1880, but Jahne wished to get out
earlier and 20 to New York unobserved.
He had so planned matters that
by the time he had said
goodbye to the keepers and
arrived at the depot the o'clock train
could be caught, but he was just min
ute too late and had to wait until 1928,
like SO many hours. He nervously
paced up and down the platform
of the depot until he was
recognized, and then he did
his walking behind some freight cars
across the track. He did not take the suit
given by the prison authorities, but was
attired in a neat business suit OF black and
light fall overcoat and swung silver
| handled cane. He looked like prosper
| Gus business man, happy and healthy.
Jehne said to the reporter: m
| going out into the world with a'serious
handicap, but l will come out all right.
Regarding the details of my plans l
cannot say. The stories that / have
money hidden away are absolutely
false There has also been report that
l had prepared statement detailing at
length the Broadway franchise deal.
| That also is untrue"
"What have you to say on that inter-
esting subject?" was asked.
mot one word" remarked Jaehne,
and, as he quickly looked up and down
| doesn't the train come? 1t seems as
if would never get home."
| Upon his arrival in the city Jaehne
| went as fast as he could to his wife and
| children, who are living at 45 Vamdam
| Street.
| Jaenne's conviction marked an epoch in
the political historn OF New York City.
| equalled only by the downfall of the
| Tweed ring in 1872. For long time it
| Board of Aldermen for 1884 was purchas-
| able, but it was not until June of that
year that anything occurred to crystalline
| SuSpician into doubt and doubt into GER
tainty. Evidences OF corruption were first
! made manifest on June 20 by the almost
|
to sell the franchise for street railway on
| Broadway at public auction.
The next step in the way of defrauding
the public took place on June so, when the
| petition to permit the Broadway and Sew
| enth Avenue Railway Company to build q
line from the Battery to Fourteenth Street
was presented. No compensation was
| suggested in this petition. IT, too, was re-
| ferred to the committee on railroads On
! August = the petition was reported favor
| ably. while motion to sell the franchise to
! the highest bidder was allowed to rest in
| the pigeon-holes of the railroad commit
| tees desks.
Hugh j. Grant moved to table the report.
| His motion was lost by vote of 20 10 /,
| Mr.. .Jahne being conspicuous for his Oppo-
Sltion to the motion to table. Then the re-
| port was accepted by the same vote and the
Steal was fairly under way. On August Is
| Mayor Edison vetoed the report III a'strong
message. Alta special meeting called for the
purpose and held with great secrecy on the
morning of August 80, at which the report
| was passed over the veto. Jaime was again
| the most prominent champion OF the rail-
way company, and he it was who moved
| the passage of the ordinance granting the
| petition over The mayors veto.
When the facts became public a storm
OF indignation followed. Another meeting
| of the aldermen was held on, the following
| Monday, at which the three honest mem
| bers of the board made feeble and una
yalling protest. On September Mayor
| Edison sent note to the board containing
an offer from Wallace c. Andrews to pay
| S1,0O0.O00 for the franchise. J9hne moved
| to return the communication to the mayor,
but his fellow cOnspirators did not dare 60
| that far, and it was simply ignored.
The promoters of the scheme began to
have some doubt as to the legality of the
| special meeting of August 80, and on Oc
tober second petition was sent in by the
Jahne and his associates grant the petit
| ton. Mayor Edison vetoed it tor the sec
ond time on November "a, but it was
| passed over his veto and became a law
on December 5. on the motion of
J;ehne. Thus far everything had been
! smooth sailing for the ''boodlers,' but in
the following March the state senate took
hand IN the matter by ordering an in
vestigation. A great deal Of indirect tes
timony was taken, but it was noo until
J3nneS record began 10 DC investigated
than anything positive came out.
TC woman, Mrs. Schuyler Hamilton,
belongs the credit of having directed at
tentiOn toward this precious scOundrel.
By her testimony it was shown that a
large lot of silverware stolen from her
house had been traced to J9hne, and that
he had paid her 81, 800 to settle the matter.
Two days later the whole city was
astounded by the announcement that
Jahne had confessed to Inspector Byrnes
and that the latter had caused his arrest.
The ''boodlers'' were thunderstru elk.
They hardly knew what to believe, but
many were willing to wager large sums
that it was not true. Jahne was admitted
to bail III the sum of $50, 600. Joseph
O'Donnell, saloonkeeper of 141 West
Twentieth Street, becoming his bonds
man Two DAVIS latar n,Doppa1I h.ord