Year: 1878

John ID. Townsend, Tweed's counsel, talked
about his clients DEATH over his lunch in the Astor
House rOtunda "The next step 81 he said IN answer
to an inquiry as to the result of the death on the legal
warfare against Mr.. Tweed there is no next step
Death was the last and closes the account There Is no
suit pending against Mr.. Tweed now judgment had
been entered against him long ago and he Gas IN
prisOned simply because of his inability TO furnish
millions of dollars II is all over that death has re
leased hun. Ii you want my opinion, 1t is simply
that he died of Attorney-General; all other dis
eases might have been cured. If that fearful
disease had not stepped IN and killed him, decision
either way would given rest to his mind and might
have saved his life. No doubt Of it, his worrying ana
trettng for the decision that never came, wore his life
away. And he had TO worry impatient as he
was he might have expected fair treatment at last
I think the present Attorney-General has done
amost as badly as his Predecessor His delay for two
months has kept the old mans mind in state Of fear
ful anxiety that hurt him more than anything else AS
far as his leaving behind confession list Of names
of those who his that is all bosh The
confession he had make has already been published
It was full, and no remains to be told"


al took Tweeds case" continued Mr.. Townsend
"when he was brought back from spain at the sugses
ton of Elbrt A. woodward and the understanding
that Mr. Tweed was TO give up all he had and make
full confession with the Of his accOmpices, TO he
used in any way might desire in the settlement Of his
case To this Tweed consented; the result you know
as well Personally, Tweed was one Of the puckiest
men ever met He might bend TO the adversely Of the
moment but he would rapidly and be filed again
with hope Not one man in thousand could have sur
Vved the terrible strain he has lived under for more
than year past. Within the last three weeks, while his
health was rapidly failing Ihave disked very much to
20 near him, and have not done so as much as for
merly because 1 felt that 1 could be to him OF
no further use, at present at least, ana because
saw he was giving way 10 dependency had placed
he whole matter in the hands Of the AttOneyGeneral
N letter written to him about February l, and
nothing further could be done until response
10 that letter had been obtained What motive
the Attorney General could have had IN thus delaying
his decision for two months cannot say. An kinds OF
rumors have been brought and to Mr. Tweed dur
ing the last We or six weeks none which could have
accepted without having very small opinion OF Mr.
sehoOnmaker, for which 1 have no reason.
Mr. Tweed 1 Think very dependent, IN
consequence Of the delay, and was much worried
by the constantly brought to him by his friends,
as coming from the Attorney that he wanted
letters from leading asking for Tweeds discharge
which the prisoner knew very well could not be OBJ
tanned: or that he, Mr.. SchoOnmaker, was AFRAID OF
taking any action in his case While the Legs
lature was in session, for fear he might De I'm
peaohed with many other statements of similar sort
After the outrageous treatment Tweed received hom
Farchild he was lead to believe and he had good
son. that his ca C would receive fair treatment have yet
TO learn that it was any solution at the time
Of his death than when his papers were handed BACK 10
me in June last by Fairchd. Was it any wonder that
be sank under his trOublesl do not pretend to say
that Tweed received the amount Of punishment his
misdeeds might fairly have demanded, had the
Ring cases been determined the same
basis that other have heretofore been decided
upon; but from the beginning he made the scape-
goat of all; whenever hagant act was done in dis
charging some Ring associate, something heavier
would be put on Tweed to make up for it. and
.a atna him
sonally. He was man who from the lower
ranks power was forced upon him and he became the
James Fisk of the Ring and placed in the front 10
make the show glitter, while more shrewd men, far
more dangerous society, remained behind to direct
his movements.


"Tweed was great, big goodhearted man." contin
ued Mr. Townsend "qulck and petulaDt at times, but
with heart always open to help another With i'm


ense love OF power and with the instinct natural TO
uneducated men that such power could never
pass from him, he went blndly on, utterly
needless because thOughtess Of the immense
wrongs he was doing He was a very ignetic
man; there was something about him that won person
TO him. 1 have been for over year now in constant
communication with him, and while perhaps, as much
as anyone have understood what great he has
DONE yet had learned that there were great many
good traits about him, which If they had been directed
in different channels, would have earned for him
the title Of a phtlanthrOpist In spite OF all
that has been SAID 10 the contrary, nc was Il MOST
devoted father, and decred though he will be
by those who Judge him by the stern law
OF morals he will be mourned as few ever
are mOurned by loving family and large
circle of faithful friends. Mr. Tweed's charity
founded In the statement that was given to Fair
child and subsequently published, all the checks that
in hts possession were not included There was
any quantity OF checks gwen by him IN charity, with
letters by the hundreds acknowledging their reception
these were not published because Mr. Tweed
insisted that such matters were sacred TO him.
1 have many OF these In my own possession
at present and many more are among his own effects
Considering that 1t has not been thought improper
even by those in high position eulogize, to certain
extent the great brains OF the Ring-Sweeney-eyen
TO the extent of decyng his dead brother against whom
no evidence existed"


Mr. Townsend added that the death Of Mr. Tweed
would perhaps loss TO the city OF many thous-
ands dollars the suits pending, as the inheritance
Of the Ring expenses.


WILLIAM EDELsTEN's COMMENTS.


william Edelsten who visited Tweed often during his


illness and with him in his last moments, remained
in iai until the body removed by the undertaken


He was affected tears when he spoke Of hts friends
death. "Whatever Mr.. Tweed's faults may have
heepD he said abe had most noble spirit.


ia forttude In the midst Of the troubles that bore
him down. was wonderful. He seemed to rise above
every misfortune until his body gave way at last under
the STRAIN of hope long deferred. If Mr. Tweed could
have had hope OF being free at the end OF
snoab or of SIX mouths he would have lived through
this sickness He tried do all the good he could ut
the last and he died martyr. bis last words to me
consider sacred. could not repeat them. But other
gentlemen heard them and they may be able to repeat
them"


John d. Townsend when asked II he knew what were
che words of which Mr. Edesten spoke, replied that
Tweed had said to Mr EAAlstAn ~~A ~""tAAr gentle