The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-07-20

ton, and Only upon Ene c0ndlCl0n tnaL ne
should receive no. comp nsatibn. Mean
while there had been a pubic committee
organized, known later as the Committee
sof Seventy. This. COMMITTEES proposed to
act indepe4de IDENTIFY Of the lawyers, or the
Bar Association, but in sympathy. ~
6 THE RING ALARMED.
But suddenly theinyestiga&ion received
a most important, furtherance from q
most unexpected quarter. One morn
ing, some two months after the disclos-
,lres published in the Times messenger
called upon Mr.. Tilden from Comp ro1ler
Connolly, whom Tweed had always de
spised as a man OF no nerve or sand, :
had become persuaded that 1t i. wa
Tweed's purpose I'd offer him up as 9
sacrifice to appease public sentiment, on
the charge that the frauds had been com
mitted in his department, by his comm
vance, and for his exclusive benefit. This
the messenger explained to Mr.. sTnden
and asked Mr.. Tilden's advice, suggest
ing that perhaps Connolly better resign
his Office. AL NJ : s Is 81
+ Mr.. Tilden, without committing him
self, promised another interview, mean
while saying that he would consult with
Mr.. Hayemeyer,, who was the chairman
Of the committee Of seventy Later he
and Mr.. Havemeyer went to Mr. Con
nolly's house, and although the comp
troITer was III bed, It'll either with nerv-
GUS apprehension or actual disease, they
talked with him briefly, and saw him
again the next day. IN
Mr.. Ti1den suggested that Connolly APP
point Andrew II. Green his. deputy, and
then surrender the Office to him. This
was done and Mr.. Green became the
executive power in the comptrollers Of
flee. That was the first act that startled
Tweed; he became thoroughly frighteh-
ed. Mr.. Green, in possession OF the
comptrolier's office, had the power ia
examine and publish all of his expendit-
1lres under the ring, and to prevent any
con inuation of the fraudulent practices
It is impossible to make an accurate
estimates Of the total amount Of money
stolen by the ring; fourteen million dol
lars is believed to be an underestimate
The fraudulent: accounts published in
the Times footed up eleven and quar-
ter millions, and Mr.. Tilden, in his in
designations, became satisfied that the
ring had in near prospect some eighteen
millions more; nearly ali fraudulent
booty, which it would have obtained
had 1t not been overthrown. Further
more, there is not the slightest doubt
that Tweed expected to reach out to the
state, and possibly to the nation itself
The frauds upon which the conviction
Of Tweed was obtained consisted In the
payment Of enormously increased bills
to mechanics, architects, furniture-mak-
ers, and, II some instances, to unknown
persons, for supplies and services. Il
was the expectation that an honest bill
would be raised all the way from sixty
to ninety per cent. In the first months
Of the ring's stealing the increase was
about. sixty per cent. Some Of the bills
were creased by as much as ninety per
cent, but the average increase was such
as to make 1t possible to give sixty
seven per cent to the ring, the confeder-
iates being allowed to keep thirty-three
per cent; and of that thirty three per
fraudulent Increase. VI s5 ID I. n
Il the first trial 5of Tweed revealed the
fact that the influence OF the ring had
not been wholly overcome It resulted
In mis-trial. On the second trial ha
was convicted and upon large NUM-
Der Of counts, and, sentenced by Judge
Davis to an aggregate Of twelve years
Imprisonment. He might have been
sentenced for sixty years, but Judge
Davis decided that he would give him 9
sentence proper tionate to Tweed's aver
age share in the stealings; that 10, that
he would give him twenty per cent o1
what he might have imposed upon him
At the end. Of the year, however, Tweed
was released. the Court pf Appea1s hold.