The sun., 1900-12-30
BOSS TVTFD'S DIAMONDS.
Bishop Potter's Story Of q Diamond Suspcnder
Button-A Joke on Tom Fields.

buttOu-A cohc loHi
Bishop Potter said recently that a friend
OF his picked up diamond as big as his
thumb In the Office of Boss Tweed one day
and that II turned out to be one Of the Boss's
suspender buttons.
Now. with all due respect 20 the Bishops
friend. do not believe that diamond story
said man who saw much OF Tweed in his
days OF power. Had tho old man ever
worn diamond suspeuder button certainly
would have known of it, The fact is. tho
only big diamond the Boss ever displayed
was large solitaire that he never failed 10
have In his expansive shirt front Tweed
was a jolly old dog and often In his stutter-
Ing way used to get oil some queer remarks
,-lt would have beer, !ust like him TO, say
when his diamond solta was picked up
suspender button Of mine; didn't mis4 IT.
This suspender button story puts ne in
Ross, Tweed's spoEasmSn Oh The door Of
the Assembly was Thomas G. Fields Of this
sna Ssya II m BIS s ssr. fee eS sSt ES EGe STf0 o a
chain and pin attachment 70 II that the Bose
diamond had not. One evening Field had
the sitting Of tie AssepbIy ieli into a heavy
slumber with his head on his desk. Alec
EreM vas also q memeer rom this city
properly unless Fields had clear head. so
BE got the Speaker. Billy Hitchman, 20 Sc
gS, hf pppr sad B cSk iG sfGTn
this city. quietly got possession 81 lields's
diamond pin Then the lighi,s in the Assem- vs.; n
bly, chamber wore turned low and Fields
TT was dawn the, ncyt, day when Fields
woke up Fields rubbed his eyes. stretched
He said nothing. but quietly walked out and
down state street 70 II. pelavSn. When
he turned IN at hreskfa,t foss Tweed snd
was Hitchman. Fields was Wild. He had
mis; hi, damond hen }; 60, 20 rs room, n.
and aiS ""d tod how he had been roSted He said
that while rot feeling well be had cone Into
the Assembly Chamber and Imagining that
had taken ten minutes mar apd that during
that time some one who must have followed
him had taken tis diaTond, IL. f.ld' told
well, Felds, said Tweed. what mads
and and % s'''t to the i.ssmbly chPnbcr at arr
Al. Ms stage Of ne pr2cerdings Pos.
habit OF tuckinr under his big double chin.
There on the noss's biz white shirt front
taksbIs E BY il, little roId chain a9d & pin.
.se!e. SG. flsld. ald 4 n not @ l,as4;, Hait M
fat face flushing as red a. q beet lie exclaimed
IN voice that could be heard all over the
Tweed ! always knew YOU were ths
session is over I'll make Won nay me in cash
ten times the prico Of that rin.' OF course
Fields got his pin.
AT the coae Of the session one night he WIS
with Alevanier Frear and speaker lttchman
enjoying cold bottle In n corner OF the Boss's
room at the Delivan. Putting his hands into
his pocket he drew out roll nf white tissue
paper. 'S-a-a-y, said he = Hitchman,, with
a laugh. n month aGo | told Tweed ha'd nav
heavy cash for that pin business. didn't ~
Well, ] compromisei, and he unroled ths
paper and eXhihited three immense solitaire
diamonds. worth. 1t wa, aiterward learned,
$500 So the toxic on Fields proved costly
one to Boss Tweed. Fiolds had actually
mads Tweed believe that he would kill ono
of his pet bills If he did not settle In that
"Let me say this No one who knew the way
the Tweed rirgstcrs rsycilcd in money in
those days would think the dia mond suspender
button an impo,s!hlity, Diamonds wHro
worn IN prosGs!On by all tho Tar many officials
and tho bigger tho diamond the bigger the
man in the estimate Of the hc"lcrs II is sItt
that many men in the Legislature who hripad
Tweed In 1871 to pass certain ring measures
were paid with diamonds one ot them, II is
said, onoe remarked to the head OF tie lobby
OF that day: Checks can be traced ard bills
can be merkHd ard gold eagles nicked for
future idnntilcstinn. hut valuable unset
diamo nds tell no tales on, ~ school