The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-31
BOSS TWHgD'S OLD OFFICE
over ar an BRO tDWsi. NOH
BFING TORN DOWN.
in = niG RSOm on the second EIssS He
hHled POluIc-. NJ, kieS ~ the steal
InEs 90 the Tweed RIaG and Ran the
Legislature rhere ne Mas Arrested.


legislature rherr ne Mas Arrested
Many thousands 81 people paEs.ni
along Broadway have paused IN IN
last week ~ watch the Workmen who ar
tearing down the building al yS7. but few
among them realize what that buildinI
meant 20 politicians big and little %
this state and other State-. and especially
of this city II was IN the big sq,lar'
room at the northeast cOrner-@t ",
flights up 10 the right the uniiorInec
man az the main doorway used 10 tel
visitors that william NJ Twssd. ih,
great bos- uf Tammany Hall. had his
headquarters
-Go to 297- was the usual answer giveU
at the city Hall. often too by the Mayor
IN 1870 and 1874. when a citizen called and
asked what was the best way to get a
job In which there was big money. Gov
Hoffman one day called upon A. Oakley
Hall. who was then Mayor After q
wrangle over 4 city bill then pending In
the Legislature Hall put on his coat and
Z exclaimed
We'll, Governor. there's only one way
out 81 this that can see' You and might
as well step across the street 10 2S7: he
doesn't 60 w Albany til tomorrow
morning
Hoffman shrugged his shoulders and
WINGED a bit but sidled along with Hall
20 2S7. and the way out Of this was
decided there in mighty short order
He Boss Tweed was In
The rooms 81 tho Department - Public
Works were AZ 2S7 and Charlie Cornell
was the Commissioner. while the great
hn-s vas only the Deputy Commi$~io ner
II was at 80 that andy Gar 'ey, who had
the contract to do the frescoinR OF the
interior ~ the present County Court
house MT Tweed while the work was
gong On and arranged With him how the
tails for de, Grating should be made ou'
from month IN month The cash for tho
lar gest percentage of all after each bill
had been raised ~ sometimes 7O per cent
more than It should have h~en went
into Tw"eds pocket The Tilden Green
official Investigation INTO the many things
don" IN that hig square room two flights
" TO ;he right showed that the boss AMI
his pals had raked IN over 81 no 40 Tor
themselves
II was ~ 2a7 one Friday git after the
Legislature AZ Albany had adjourned till
'oTporat.on Counsel Richard German.
Tom Fields. the Tannanv letder q the
Democrats IN the Assembly Alsck Frear.
the chairman ~ the Cumnitte, on Cities
e the Assembly. and Ri!ly Hickman the
Speaker - the Assem- blv. held mid
nisEf conference 10 decide how the nemp-
Gratis ~ the Legislature should get ont
Of the hole Jim Irving. Democratic
city IN ENTER ~ to- ASCENT w. had got
them INTO
All the great Tweed Jobs and appropria
tiuns were on the very point II being re-
ported favorably by Fr.ar's Committee ola
cities when Irving IN rage over the way
smith NJ Weed the Democratic member
from Clinton county had tn wartad him in
leg i-latIon. struck Weed IN the face
IN the presence - be whole Assembly
in session Now th6 Assembly an tho~s.
days consisted 81 l2s members, and 0S
Mas the constitutional ma jority Needed
Ia pass a bill III" Assembly stood 81
Republicans 10 65 Democrats 50 the
Democrats had just the constItut ional
maIOri'y.
lrvinK's act made II necessary Tor him
10 resign To- avoid being expelled. ~ the
Assembly was made to stand oS Repub-
liClns a. - Democrats. and Tweed's |
hands were tied IN IN. Legislature al !
though he had n ma iority IN the Senate
secure Not a bill ot hts could pass
What was ha to doy
jay Gould and Jim Fisk Of the Erie
nj TwS.ds urgent appeal came 10 his /,
rescue How did they do 10 This way
They had a man in their employ as an
Erie official at Dunkirk He was Repub-
liCan member 81 the Assembly He had |
made a good record in the session Of 1870 |
Yet at that conference AZ 2S7 on that /
Friday night Tweed surprised his hearers |
nv announcing that that very Republican |
would swing over To the Democrats at the /
ne " sitting Of tn. Assembly. thus giving |
the Democrats the needed constitutional !
majority 81 oS
The conference decided that Alec Frear,
chairman Of the Committee on Cities
should at that next sitting Of the Assembly !
report in a bunch all the 4
I weed measures and have them rushed .
through to their final passage lest that
should get weak in the knees
after the first sitting That done, Tweed
would do the rect IN the senate, where he 4
majority. n
IL was a Jubilant lot of Statesmen that
eft 237 Broadway that nj ght. The next
lay. to tho surprise % his fellow Rspubli-
AN members when in the Assembly his
name was called in the ayes and noes
m motion made by Aleck frear to order
he Tweed measures tn a third reading
tall soldierly looking man rose from
l.s seat and cast his vote with the Demo
rats All the Tweed bills were passed
he same day and % y. Winans, the
Republican member from the Second
istrict 81 ChAutauqua county. voted
or every one ~ them. His political
DOWNFALL followed quickly
The last time the writer went up tho
tairs 81 2S7 Broadway was in 1872 when
tweed was still sitting on his throne in
he big square room. There we're other
men calling at the same time They
new william VI Tweed we'll all Of them.
me 81 them was Matthew i. Brennan,
he sheriff 81 New York county. Tweed
lad bsan indicted by the Grand Jury,
md Brennan. Who had been for years
lOs. friend Of Tweed's. had q warrant
n his hand for Tweed'a arrest
A. brennan entered Tweed was sitting
In his Ing armchair. quietly
wiring a bit of writing paper between
liz fingers He had a genial countenance,
al this boss. and a pleasant voice. He
miled when Brennan showed the warrant
hruRgrd his shoulders and said he thought |
yerythng would come out all right in
he end
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