The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
CARPETS RISE AND EXILE.
HIS Interesting Personality and Hts Part in
the Tweed Rrnuds.


HIS Interesting Personality and His Part in
tho Tweed Frauds.
Tho cable announcement Of tho death OF
Jcffrics Garvic, since identified as Andrew
Jofries Garvey, has led to tho evolution OF
many mis~statements. The following facts arc
from an authoritative source:
During all the sixties there was no more i'm
posing-looking New Yorker to be seen on the
! promenades than this merry.Andrew. He
always wore smiles and had the laughing black
eyes 30 common TO the clever Irishman. He be-
gan life as a journcymap ~p!asterer in this city.
and was h specialist in the ornamental work OF
mouldings, centre pieces, and kalsomined cell
ings. Having acquired much thste in arranging
decorations OF plaster. he became a boss with an
establishment of his own. He turned his atten-
ton while employing Italian artisans toward
frescoes. He was a vain man. conscious Of his
stalwart figure. rich black hair, captivating
mustachc, and confident bearing. Vanity led
him into local Tammany politics, and, as a fore
man in the volunteer fire department, he ran
with the machine and became popular with
"the bhoys." He was fond Of dress, and even
while supervising his laborers amid plaster pots
and brushes he reflected credit on his tailor,
bootmaker, and halter. Local politics melted
him to bid for municipal jobs in furnishing
plaster work for the new schoolhouses and dis
trict court houses, and he soon understood the
plan OF sharing profits with the official through
whom his jobs came. 1t was not long be-
fore he discovered the way of doctoring bills
against the city 30 az to leave margin for the ben
eft Of confederates and political campaigners.
Early In the sixties. after the burning Of the
long stretch of buildings on the southerly side OF
| Chambers street in tho park, Immediately cast
of Broadway, which for two decades had housed
the courts, tho Aldermanic magnates deter
mined to construct a court house on tho old
site. The Legislature authorized it, and the
building began under the Republican admins
tration of Mayor George Opdykc, who, by
| reason of Democratic factional disputes, had
surprised cvra lis own party ~ hoing elected.
1t is commonly supposed that this Court House
was exclusively n Tweed job. But 1t WAS the
project Of both parties. Tweed domination Of
its construction did not come until the building
had been three or four years under control Of
q Republican Commissioner and Superin-
! tendent. During the Republican regime hun
dreds Of marble cutters, stone masons. and
laborers were selected through Commissioner
Tucker by politicians of both parties. principally
by the Supervisors. whose board was strictly BIZ
partisan. Political and financial corruption on
the part OF both parties tainted the Chambers
| street Court House from the first digging for
| the foundation. and before the first story was
raised runor began to hint OF crooked contracts
for Westchester marble. The work dragged
from year to year. much IA does the construc-
ton OF the Albany Capitol. The bipartisan
Board OF Supervisors took entire control OF the
construction, picked out contractors. and sup err.
intended the selection of workInen. Deferred
payments for work already done, increased;
new cSc o9strp Tnnso o ;nbhsry were ren, issMsd' and and
HOFFMAN. and Hall In about 1867 the
penter work, plastering. and furnishing. Then
came the opportunity Tor dividing more profits
clerks OF the board Of Supervisors. through
whose hands all the bills passed for audit. con
penter. boss furniture dealer, the provider Of
freproof safes for storing records, and the boss
nment, and the President Of the Board Of super
visors, William n. Tweed. and the Comptroller.
who, with the County auditor. dispensed the
scheme. Andrew Jcffries Garvey, who was now
the boss p%lasterer: was one OF the conscnting
should be extensively used.
Freseoes ruled at fancy prices, and these we're
1871 Garvey's bills. under Tweed's adroit ma
nipulation. were passed by the Board or Super.
fair prices. and the .exorbitant addition were
for division among the clerks, President Tweed,
TWs atson' But V%Sa a'soa 'dI sda suddenly SS " in A an se:
eident and could no longer cover up the fTaudu-
lent bills and payments; SO little BY little tho
cred. Gnrvey was n coward. and when threats
OF investigation were heard he ran to cover. On
q promise that II he turned States evidence
against Tweed and Connolly he could win I'M
munity and keep his own million or so, he
lawyers made him do witness work. Almost
daily the newspapers exploited him, but he
never lost his old gay appearance, and really
seemed to regard himself as u hero.
AS popular curiosity waned Garvey found his
old political cronies giving him the snub. There
fore, having invested well In Government bonds
and having tho genius which keeps money. Gar
in foreign travel. He was now In London, again
In Paris. at Monte Carlo, and in Algiers, where
he was credited with following the harem GUS
tom OF tho country. Ethics never worried him,
for he fancied that In turning informer he had
discharged a great public duty, which fully
atoned for his deeds, of plumber. The foreign
press had made him ALMOST as notorious abroad
waited the impression that the A. J. In his lame
stood for Andrew Jackson, but his middle lame
was Jeflries. He was no longer east side
candy" but A. Jeffrtos Garvey. After a time
he dropped tho A. and softoned the hnal ''ey' in
his s ~ to the moro ariStocrattc termina-
OF late years he had been posing abroad as a
apparently conoealing his identity 80 ~skilfully
that none of the New York correspondents
abroad detected IL. 1t 10 said by some OF his old
friends who saw him on one of his return trips
to New York that he had entirely recovered from
his dislike OF having the word "informcr' ap-
piled to him, since precisely twenty years ago.
ksfore an Aldermanic committee, Tweed himself
in both parties had profted by ~plunder.
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Photographs OF nearA-