Year: 1877

A synopsis of His IL elected Offer.


NEW YORK, June 2O.--John D. Townsend,


Tweeds counsel, in a letter to Attorney Gen.


eral Fairchild of this day, comments upon the


curt way in which that officer sdspesed of


Tweeds application, thereby deprivng the


have been saved to it. Mr.. Townsend then


proceeds with history of the negotiations.


The following is given as synopsis of Tweed's
offer:


First, Mr.. Tweed will surrender all his real
and personal property, if all be required, and
to satisfy the Attorney General that the sche-
dule of his property hereto annexed is correct
and that be is holding nothing back, he will
not only submit it to as rigid an examination
as may be considered necessary, but will make
over to the state by full and general assignment
all property in which he is or has been inter-
ested since 1870


Second Tweed will furnish valuable testimo
ny in favor of the city of New York in various


suits instituted against the city. among which
are the Navarro water meter suit, the go Brien
claim" and the Nelson sewer, and pipe contract
suit. By his own testimony and the evidence
of others who have promised to corroborate
him, he believes he can save to the city of New
York more than $2,000,000.


Third Tweed will transfer to the Attorney
General all the checks in his possession, and
which are set forth in the annexed schedule.
With his own testimony in regard to them, and
what can be supported by others, Tweed thinks
the return of large amount of money could be
enforced.


Fourth, Tweed will agree to appear as wit
ness in favor of the people whenever requested
to do 30 by the Attorney General in any and all
cases where his testimony is considered by the
Attorney General to be valuable.
Fifth, Tweed will devote himself if dis
charged from imprisonment with as much dill
gence towards carrying out his present prom
ises to the Attorney General as he has hitherto
displayed for his associates in crime.
Sand Rnfn tnEf A 1hnn
and on the 18th of April one of your warm po-
litical and social friends and state officer sug-
gested to me among other things that Tweed
should make statement in regard to his own
connection while in the Senate with two lead
ing railroad corporations in this state and also
of any corrupt dealings he had with two gem
tleman (naming them) one Democrat who
has held the highest position in this state, and
the other Republican who has for many
years been considered one of the ablest advis-
| ers in his party. I Immediately returned to
| New York and questioned Tweed upon the
! subject suggested, and on the 18th returned to
Albany having with me the statement in refer
ence to the railroad corporations referred to-
and which were not very hattering to the
moral character OF the managers at that time
together, with Tweed's statement that he knew
nothing der0gatory to the character of either of
the gentlemen referred to.


Since learning that your father whom you
had designated to me as one of your advisers
| had been counsel to one of these corporations
| at the time Tweed was in the Senate, and that
Mr. TIlden, your other adviser, had been c0un.
| sci for the other, it has occurred to me since
the return by you of the statement that a false
| step perhaps was taken in making any remarks
| in reference to those roads, and have thought
| too that perhaps Tweed's failure to impaIt evil
dence which would smirch the reputation of
these gentlemen, might have further tended to
injure him in his appeal l do not conceive
l that it would be proper in me, even if Tweed
Il aSsAntad- IN make Dnhlic thronuh thic laftor
| the names of persons implicated by Tweed in
| the statement which you returned. A large
number Of men of all grades of social life as
we'll as of both political parties were mention
| to any lawyer of position who was unbiased in
any way, if upon Tweed's showing very large
| amount of money could not readily be restored
| to the city from them alone.


AS this letter is intended simply as review
of your action in the matter, it will be suffi-
cient for me to set forth the subjects generally
about which Tweed offered to give evid ence.
First, He offered to prove, and did set forth
in detail how and under what circumstances
| the ring had its origin, of whom it was COM


posed, their relative positions towBrds each 9th
| er, aud the manner in which the stolen money
was divided among them, giving the per cent
ages to each, how the money was raised which
was used to effect corrupt legislation and who
took part in it; the manner in which the heads
of departments in this city connved with them
to raise money to influence legislation and how
by the certfcation of bills against the city, for
which the city received little or no considera-
ton, these heads of departments were reim-
bursed; the names of the persons who repre.
sented the different members of the ring in the
business of receiving their individual shares of
the stealings, and he offered to prove that
| most of the persons who presented the bills at
that time were entirely cognizant of the frauds
and Joined in them. As corroborating this
statement, he sets forth large number of
checks and notes. and many of them of very
large amounts, which were made and endorse d
by himself and other members of the ring or
representatives.


Second, he declared the workings of the ring
in the former board of supervisors, giving the
names of the members and also the names of
persons who prepared bills against the city,
many of which had no foundation whatever,
and also setting forth the names of the firms
and departments who were special favorites
with the different members of the ring with
whom business was done in a frrunulent man
ner. In corrOboration of this statement he set
forth for your inspection copies of a large num-
members of the ring or their representatives,
or endorse by them.


Third, he gave the names of large number
of members of the state Legislature with whom


he had corrupt dealings during his four years


in the Senate, and verified this statement by
checks.


Fourth. he named several lobbyists, through


whom in many instances directly, and by
whose ADVICE generally tne ring controlled the


actions of members of the state legislature


during his four years in the Senate, and how


the services of these men were compensated


either by money or place in public offices of


the city. In corroboration of thissstatement he
set forth a large number of checks of large


amounts made by him and in many instances
indorsed by them.


Fifth, he set forth in detail his knowledge in


regard to several very large suits which are at


issue against the city, involving millions of


M arO nod f1a, ,I,,lo


gave the names o the persons who would cor


roborate his evidence if they were communi-


Gated with and immunity was promised to


them.


1.-THE letter proceeds at great length to set forth


the nature of the information which Tweed


could furnish, but as it avoids giving the


names of persons implicated, is not of Especial


INTEREST,"