The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-29
TwEEpS NIGHT IN CELL.
mr. TALTER a. GILL TIES sToRT
or the CONVICTED Ross.

..., re was Treated ns nm Ordinary
TrI.onrr-Dr. Gniett"'s Lir" Wm'Thrcntcned
~, n,cinre.. TOR lis Action IN the Matter.
,..c, -, history was developed the other
..cnipr AT one Of tho little round tables in tho
., ron,r VI the Union League Club. The con-
sors,tion mad turned OH politics. and tho New
N,,ru nj to-day ana Of the tiin0 OF william NJ.
n,s =, va. in process OF heated an uysis. Finally
o., of the party turned 10 Or. Walter Il. Gil
,o,,, ,yith The rcmar that no must have had
.o,,. lrnwlcdsc Of Twecd's final commitment
IN trc prnitcnriary, Dr. Gillette had for some
.oo,n,u,, been taking little part in the CONVEX.
.,,io,. Int at the words OF his friend no turned
ami said:
"I,m the man who caused Mr.. Tweed to be
.,,.J b., "A cell on his arrival at Black wells
i.uuh.u n! | was just thinking about ii"
the rrrords oi the time have given credit for
,n, IA OF duty 10 DR.. A. l.. Macdonald, who
49,. ,.,n me mousse chief OF staff for the medi.
teal department of the penitentiary; but DIR.
cul,itrs story throws new light on n situation
,h,t prom .scd trouble for the man who inter
nosc lp,lw, cn the ,onvictod boss and his friends.
81 shall never forget that day 80 long as
live" he said. nor the queer sensations that
nv expe,icnccs produced. AT that time 1 was
chairman OF the Committee OF Inspections Tor
the Medical Board. and on the day that Tweed
was expectcd to arrive / had been detained ON
parkw,l's Island longer than usual over somo
,,,,,r of ur son detail. 1t was late in the after
Nom. In fact, AS | remember it, almost twilig hit.
II vasiu tho fall Of the year. Saturday, Nov.
90 1873, 10 be exact. ! was anxious 10 get
away 10 my dinner In the city. and DIR. Mac.
n,n,ld reported to me that Tweed had arrived.
ue vas Gcsiruus of turning over The case to me
AZ his superior, and this feeling on his part WAS
YER, natural in The case OF so noted a prisoner.
81, seemed thai Tweed had "A icttor from Ex.
Coroner Syhirmcr TO the effect that the prisoner
r,sa very sick man and that he should on no
sc,oun, be placed in u cell. DR.. Macdonald
very naturally referred 1t TO me. At that time
the authority OF a in III in my position was very
gre At, AS we hid full charge OF prisons and our
word WAS law under the Department o: Charities
an. Correction. Tweed had reached the Island
IN inc old steamer, MinnohannoIk, | think was
her n.mc. Although belonging to The Depart
men, Of Charities and Correction the craft had
been often employed by Tweed and his friends
In their periodical trips to the Americas Club
o. fragrant memory at Greenwich. where f. c.
Bsuedirts house now stands. AS l recollcct it
there was no one OH hoard eNcep; the crew. tho
Two deputies who had Tweed in charge, lwccd's
son anu one other person. They, hal come
ashore al he usual landing and, n d spent some
leads from the Landing 10 the prison.
well simply to,u The prison officers 10 take
charge OF the prisoner in the usual way. and
tina; as soon as he Vas ready ! would take u look
OF hin ana SO whether he should be sent TO the
hospital. They took him N ana conducted him
pedigree taken. Somewhere | have heard that
when he WAS asked his business or procession
he said: Professional statesman. Thct. how
ever, is hardly The fact, although 1t was so set
down. When he WAS asked the question Tweed
looked around v%aeant;;>, and one OF The tough
deputies sn Sns%e aea I i wan nim lone a"t 1 Rhrf H ,hSy a ,"oR
bin to tho barber shop and cut off his s~craggiy
S SsIn an, AM close sr9Ep t% 1 hns r n,aes5 s Sim in hH ,hs
bath, where they s. ruhhei him as they would
any ordinary criminal. using rough bar soap.
not a suit OF clothes In the prison that would tit
hin By one-half. You know tina. Tweed was a
poe. close on to three hundred POUNDS. He had
atremondous body. Arriving Us late as he did
svsr,tn,gg vas IS in c o IN NO me n q, 'thS In MA mad I
something like deccncy in the matter OF prison
clothes. II is a general fact that the crimin.l
y w. ss sciss one nen %as made 1s 't that Would At least par
SSsS pS Tss su h1m sns to- E iooS at ssASSi im. IN B = s es't
time 1t was dark. and all the cells containing
prisoners had been licked long Soo,00Fbss ; who csr.
red a lantern. and when The cell door had been
opened l entered. TAX ng The lantern with me to
give light for my eS tmiEation. III the lar back
corner Of the cell by the dim light OF the lantern
liound q very large man, half reclining on ths
against the Iron partition. You may have
noted an exactly similar movement in newly
] iooted at bis lace under the lantern light.
There is some mistake here. Warden. Thai
man Is not Dir. Tweed. / know him wol, and
this prisoner is not he
The Warden insisted that there could be &c
mistake. and d second time / went in. As
flashed the lamp in the prisoners lace a second
time some peculiar change in the feat yrcs re-
S Ssn's sh ,1 / vide ]idsn nn5 that Ss ne I sa RTi eS'%a to nP make | ,G aG
examination in order 10 determine whether he
should be sent to the hospital ward. He made
head from side to side on his thick neck ant
moaning, oh! ! don't know; l don't care. re
moaning way that was sad enough to create
sympathy in any human breast.
felt his pulse. 1t was low. ! took his TEN
perature and found II was normal. l looked "a
his tongue, VIII. Oh was clean. Further examina
ton convinced me that his was simply a Gaze o
ducsa into a cell. and going out l so informed
me Warden. | gave orders that, he should re
ihsr, perhaps, | would not have done this; but
I'D not think to compare the prisoners agur'
with the ordinary cell cot on which he would
have 70 lie; Il was far too narrow for a man o
bis bulk. But it is doubtful I. he tried 10 sleel
during that night, However, my duty was plsii
oslore my mind. He WAS a convicted felon ant
lhad no recourse but to leave him where h
vac, although | am free to confess that tn
,aIng worried me not = little. He had powerfl
myself was not light, for matters were In a yer,
P:cTTliar state in SeW York in those Gays, +,
Il "A "a l'ts, btilC u hit, tItIC Nhs NhT oi u
The Department of Charities and Correction
and was before the board and wa
ssEed In anything but pleasant Ia language how
had dared to order a man Of Mr.. Twecd's prom
lnelco into a cell like an ordinary convict.
was prepared. and told them / had simply don
ny duty. Eor had any HpolOgies TO max,
They stOrmed and threatened, and, after eN
planning my position, ! told them to 20 ahee
ND for nuiate charges against Inc. That the
ad not care TO do, ard they knew H.; but shortl
etlerEard a friend OF mine came to me an
opFged me for Gods sake to leave tow
Ir a time until tho excitement anon
weeds friends had in q, measure abate,
ne = ID. that II ! did not woul
certainly re killed by some nj tho thugs VII
nld adhered To the Tweed ring. ] told him thu
teould not see why ! should run away for ha'
.hg performed what WAS my plain duty, nm
mat would remain in New York. l had III
practice 10 attend to and could not leave. ] wi
NY mat was not deaf to the warning, and toe
III possible precautions. avoided dark street
sd Kept an attendant Mt hand for a time; but
was not moIcstcd. Months .fterward y gentl
man expressed surprise that I was still aliv
pr ne knew that there was every intention
certain quarters TO put me out OF the way.
mat was the only night that Tweed WI
Enepli In a cell. The next day his friends in Il
Dep rtnlent OF Charities and Correction wei
prer 10 the Island. and he was removed to I'll
nosplta. ward, and there remained until u
"A pme OF his memorable escape. When he hf
r. Heh returned from his adventures on the NJ