The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-03
TWEED'S NIGHT IN A CELL.

,TWEED'S NIGHT IN A CELL.
The Only Night in His Term on Black
Wells Island That He Was Treated as al
| Ordinary Prisoner-Dr. Gillette's Lift.
| Was Threatened, He Declares, for His
| Action in The Matter.
| A trifie of history was developed the
other evening at one of the little round
tables in the big room of the Union
League Club. The conversation hac
turned on politics, and the New York Of
today and OF the time of William NJ
| Tweed was in process OF heated analysis
Finally one OF the party turned to DR.
Walter B. Gillette with tho remark that
he must have had some knowledge Of
Tweed S final commitment to the peni
tcntiary. DR.. Gillett had for some
moments been taking little part in the
conversation, but at the words of his
friend he turned and said:
81 am the man who caused Mr. Tweed
to be placed in cell on his arrival at
Blackwell's Island, and was just think
ing about it,"
The records of the time have given
credit for that bit of duty to DR.. A. E.
Macdonald, who was then the house chief
of staff for the medical department OF
the penitentiary; but DIR. Gillette's story
throws new light on situation that
promised trouble for the man who inter
posed between the convicted boss and his
| friends.
81 shall never forget that day so long
as live," he said, "nor the queer sensa,
lions that my experiences produced. AT
that time I was Chairman of the Com
mittee of Inspections for the Medical
Board, and on the day that Tweed was
expected to arrive / had been detained on
BlackwelPs Island longer than usual over
some matter of prison detail. 1t was late
| in the afternoon, in fact, as I remember
it. almost twilight. 1t was in the fall OF
the year, Saturday, Nov. 80, 1873, to be
exact. / was anxious to get away to my
dinner in the city, and DIR. Macdonald
! reported to me that Tweed had arrived
He was DESTROYS of turning over the case
to me as his superior, and this feeling Oh
his part was very natural in the case OF
SO noted prisoner.
sit seemed that Tweed had letter from
Elk Coroner Schirmer to the effect thai
the prisoner was very sick man anG
that he should on no account be placed il
CELL DIR. Macdonald very naturally
referred it to me. At that time the au
| thority of a man in my position was very
great, as we had full charge of prison:
and our word was law under the Depart
ment of Charities and Correction. Tweed
had reached the Island in the old steamer
Minnehannock, think was her name
Although belonging to the Department o.
Charities and Correction the craft hat
been often employed by Tweed and his
| friends in their periodical trips to the
Americas Club of fragrant memory al
Greenwich, where E. C. Benedict'i
house now stands. AS / recollect it there
| was no one on board except the crew, the
! Tweed's son and one other person. They
had come ashore at the usual landing
and had spent some time walking up ano
down the long walk which leads from the
landing to the prison.
well, simply told the prison officers
to take charge of the prisoner in the
| usual way, and that as soon as he was
ready l would take look at him and SET
whether he should be sent to the hospital
| They took him in and conducted him tx
the office, where he was registered anC
his pedigree taken. Somewhere I havt
heard that when he was asked his bust
ness or profession he said: 'Professiona
statesman That, however, is hardly thu
feet, although it was SO set down. Wher
he was asked the question Tweed looked
around vacantly, and one of the tough
deputies answered for him: 'Aw, put hin
down as statesman, and it was done
Then they took him to the barber shoI
and cut Oft his scraggly beard and clost
cropped his rather scant hair. Then they
stripped him and placed him in the batf
where they scrubbed him as they would
any ordinary criminal, using rough bal
soap.
''That over there was confusion, fol
there was not suit of clothes in the
prison, that would fit him by one half
| You know that Tweed was very large
man, weighing at that time, l suppose
close on to three hundred pounds. HI
had tremendous body. Arriving as lat
as he did everything was in eommotion
| The shops had to be opened and an effor
made to fit him with something like de
cency in the matter of prison clothes. L
| is a general fact that the criminal CLASSES
are recruited from men of medium siz,
or below. Finally by ripping up ant
Joining two.suits one was made tina
would at least partially protect him ant
neaWaS placed IN cell. Inen was sum
moned to look at him. BY that time i
was dark, and all the cells containing
prisoners had been locked long before.
II went up with Warden Liscombe
who carried a lantern, and when the eel
door had been opened l entered, taking
the lantern with me to give light for my
examination. In the far back corner o.
the cell, by the dim light of the lantern
found very large man, half reclining OF
| the narrow cotsand rolling his head bacl
and forth against the iron partition. Yor
may have noted an exactly similar move
ment in newly Gagged wild animals HI
was gently moaning. looked at hi
face under the lanterns light, and ther
went out to the warden and said:
There is some mistake here, warden
That man is not Mr.. Tweed. 1 know
him well, and this prisoner is not he
1.-The warden insisted that there coult
| be no mistake, and second time I wen1
in. AS flashed the lamp In the prison
| prtC faoo Seppnd tirna Gonna 1ia,