The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-09-27

stracted from M. R. Werner's "Tam
many Hall":
Under William Mooney, paper
hanger, upholsterer and founder o.
the order: The Irregularities were
personal with the first Grand Sachem
Mooney. AS superintendent of thu
New York Almshouse, his salary was
$1,000 annually, with an allowance
Of $500 for expenses. The record
discloses, nevertheless, that Mooney
obtained $4,000 in salary and 81, 00C
in expenses. He was dismissed from
office for malfeasance.
Then, "in 1897 Samuel Swartwout,
Tammany politician and collector
of the port of New York, hurried to
Europe when his accounts showed
that he had borrowed from the gov
ernment's funds, of which he was
supposed to be custodian, the sum of
$1,225, 705.69. William M. Price
United States District Attorney for
the southern district of New York,
also a Tammany man, joined Swart-
won't in Europe when the accounts of
his office indicated that he had stolen
$72,124.06." (p.33)
Fernando Wood Grand Sachem,
became mayor of New York in 1854
after campaign in which it was
generally admitted that 10000 frau
dulent votes had been cast in his
favor. He sold fraudulent votes to
the highest bidders, he sold one
street cleaning contract for $4,000
and another for $4,000. 1t was
during his administration, too, that
the New York City hall was sold at
auction for $4,000 to satisfy a
Judgment which one Robert w. Low
Der had fraudulently obtained ag-
ainst the city for plot of ground
that was worth only 100000. In
1851 he suggested that the City Of
New York secede from the United
States and become free city.
William NJ. Tweed, who was one
of the Forty Thieves" of the Board
OF Aldermen during the administra-
ton of Fernando Wood, next sue
ceeded to office of grand sachem.
He looted the city treasury of count
less millions-his own records show
something near $5,0OO,0OO. Immi-
grants We're: naturalized on a whole
sale scale at So and were voted in
colonies. The Tweed Ring offered
the New York Times $5,0O0,00O to
Suppress the evidence of graft and
corruption, and was refused. Tweed
was indicted on 120 counts, senten-
ced to pay $4,000 in fines and spend
twelve years in the Tombs. Actual
ly he served twelve months and paid
fine of $3.50.
With the defeat of the Tweed
ring at the polls in 1871, Honest
John" Kelly became head of Tam
many. AS sheriff of New York he
was accused Of defrauding the city
of $4,000 in the transportation of
prisoners. "John Kelly succeeded in
keeping his administration of Tam
many hall free from scandal and in
accommodating personal fortune of
half million dollars" (p.300)
Richard Croker, who succeeded
him, was not so fortunate. Croker
sold city offices on a grand scale.
In five years he arose from an in
conspicuous figure in New York poll
tics to become the dominant leader
and his fortunes increased accord
ingly. "In 1883 iMavor Grant swore
that his friend Richard Croker was
in 1866 very poor indeed But
by the end of 1898 Croker had in
vested S250,000 in a stock farm of
race horses, and $4,000 in Fifth
Avenue mansion; he also paid salar-
/ les of $4,000 a wear to one of his
jockeys and $4,000 to the manager
Of his stock farm" (p.328)
In 1890 the affairs of the City of
New York had become so shocking
that Republicans began an inquiry
known as the Fassett Investigation
which revealed a good deal of the
connection between Grant and Gro
i ker Patrick McCann, brother-in-
law of Mrs. Croker who felt that he
had been badly used by Tammany
took the stand and told of money
which had been raised ito be used
in persuading the board of aldermen
to confirm the appointment of Grant
as commissioner of public works.
''Did you see the money!" Sena-
tor Fassett asked.
Eyes"
"Did Mr.. Croker tell you how
much it was?"
Eyes"
"How much was it?'
"About $18O,O00."
"What form was it in?"
uP;11e 4 y
"Were you surprised when Mr.
Croker came to you with the $780,.
O0O?"
No, not much -
"And was that starting thing tx
see man with $180,000 in green
backs in your store?'
"Not in those times: it was yer,