The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-28
TODAY IN HISTORY
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2s, 1910.
The Tweed Ring


With the arrest OF Tweed on October
Is, 1871, the great political ring OF which
! he was a leader in New York City saw
the beginning OF lis end. Between 1863
and 1871 the city of New York, and, TO a
considerable extent the state at large.
fe.. under the control and into the power
OF combination of corrupt politicians,
commonly known as the Tweed ring. Its
chief was one William Marcy Tweed, OF
Scotch .parentagc, who first appeared in
public life as an alderman of the city in
1850. Working himself upward In the
Democratic party, he attained In 1859
the powerful dignity Of Grand Sachem OF
the Tammany society and chairman or
boss OF the general committee of Tam
many hall,
At This time, however, the Tam
many ring as II afterward was called,
many hail: though by FAR the most i'm
~oTtant political organization in the city
WIS not absolute. even in the Demo-
cIatlc party. In 1863 Tweed was ap-
ring" began fast TO consolidate. They
secured control of enormous patronage
inadequate they enlarged the city pay
roll 10 create new places,
They were able to pack the state iesjs-
i2turc end place on the bench Judges
obtained control OF the mayoralty. Its
candidate was John r Hoffman, who, in
1868. was elected governor His election
was secured by the grossest and most
city. A. Oakley Hall was elected mayor
in his stead. AS Samuel J. 1ilden said,
plctcly organized and matured
Through its llpad creatures in tine
state legislature the ring" by amend
ments of the city charter and by acts
which gave Tweed and his partners free
swing, wcre able to throw the city into
an enormous debt, In 1871! the last year
more than SIS 900 600 of money at Its Its
disposal. Its methods Of fraud were varied
and numerous,
But all the other enterprises Of The
ring" dwfndled into insEniiicancc when
compared with the colossal frauds that
were committed In the building OF tho
new courthouse for the county. When
this undertaking was begun 1t was stipu-
lated that it's total cost should not eX-
coed $3.50. 900. but before the ring" was
broken up upwards OF sS.00O.000 had been
expended and the work was not com
petcd.
The beginning OF the end OF the reign
of the ring" came In JULY, 1871. whom
copies OF some OF tho fraudulent accounts
newspaper and were published, The re-
suits OF these exposures was n meeting
Of OF citizens early in September. it was
peaceful vigilance committee under the
imposing title Of tho committee Of sew
.enty' This committee. together with
Samuel j. T1dcn, went 10 work al once
and with great energy. TO obtain actual
proof or the frauds. and it was owing
to, 70 the 1ircIcss efforts Of Mr. Tildcn that
this work was successful,
Tho Tammany leaders attempted "a
make scapcgoai OF the city comptroller
but Inc turned over his office To tho COM
mendous step forward for the prosecu-
ton, Tweed was arrested OH October
IS and was released on bail to the extent
OF sl.000.00o fIc was then elected 10
the state senate. but did not take his
seat, Ills trial began on November 10
1913: He was found guilty and sentenced
tenliary and TO pay heavy fine. On
December 4. 1876. he escaped from jail
and fled 10 Cuba and thence TO Spain, lie
was arrested by the Spanish govern
States. He was brought back and again
placed In jail: where he remained until
None of the lending actors failed to pay
deeds. Connolly. the city comptroller,
passed the remainder OF his life in exile;
maincd abroad. Hall had to live out OF
the country; Barnard and McCunn were
impeached Li1;S he land and removed from the bench
time to avoid impeachment.
October 2s is the date Harvard college
was founded In 1853; that Philadelphia
tie of White Plains was fought in 177S:
the battle of Conception In the Turkish
ns IN lss5 and that The satue
harbor in 1856. To-day is the birthday
OF Francis West. colonial governor OF
Virginia (oS6) James Cook tho ex-
plorer G72Sl. I1liplIalet Reming ton, maker
OF the Remington rifles (1793): Sir Moses
Monttiorc. the Jewish philantbropist
u7Sq: Robert Treat Paine the philan-
thropist (ls25). and Anne E. Dickinson,
lecturer and author 1920 1t Is the
date OF the death OF Alfred the Great.
king OF England. In 300.