Year: 1875

Tweed has escaped Such was the start
ling intelligence that was flashed over the
city last night. The convicted chief of
gang of municipal thieves, who carried on
operations on a scale such as no city ever
experienced before, the purloiner of twenty
million dollars, the ''Boss" in knavery and
unblushing fraud, is free. The news was at
first received as an unfounded and sensa-
tional canard, but as the fact became estab-
lished in the minds of the thousands of
taxpayers who are now paying the penalty
of Tweed's sins there was but one feeling
indignation against the wretched system
of municipal management in regard to the
custody of such criminal. The poor starv-
ing creature, who, impelled by poverty,
steals something Of comparatively trifing
value to stay the pangs of hunger, perhaps,
is safely locked up and meets with little con-
sideration from his jailors. There are many
Jean Valjeans to be found in New York at
the present day. But the unscrupulous
stealer of millions is looked upon with re-
spect and is honored and teted by the repre-
sentatives of ''stern justice" as if he were
an injured and innocent man. The escape
of the notorious Harry Genet, re-
sembling in many particulars that of the
greater criminal, Tweed, should have proved
y salutary lesson to our prison authorities.
But such an experience seems to have had
no effect upon them. They allow the prince
of fraud, the Ali Baba Of the Tammany
thieves, to leave the precincts of Ludlow
Street Jail in the congenial company of
deputy warden and an accommodating
sheriff Broadway is q very attractive
promenade on Saturday evening, and Mr.
Tweed, doubtless, persuaded his keepers
that it was only fair that he should be per-
mitted to see the sights on this particular
evening.


There was a carriage in waiting, not of the
Black Maria pattern, but o comfortable if
not stylish affair How the trio must have
chuckled as they got in and lighted their
cigars, and the Boss said, ''Good by, old
Ludlow" The matinees were IN full blast
on Broadway, and it may be that the twenty
million thief bowed to many of his former
associates as they lounged up and down the
great thoroughfare. 1t is not recorded that
they visited any theatre. 1t was not neces-
sary. They were engaged in little farce of
their own, with Tweed as the STAR
There are many reasons why he
was unwilling to go back to the
Jail last night Perhaps the Bowery
with its picturesque and democratic scenes
at night, attracted him from his cosey quar-
ters in the Jail. He may have wished to re-
visit the old spot where 'Big Six" in the
good old days reposed, awaiting the clang of
the fire bell The Office of the Commissioner
of Public Works, where he once sat en-
throned and signed away the peoples money,
had attractions for him. At all events, he
left and did not return.


Nothing in the entire history of municipal
government can be regarded as more shame
ful and criminal than the escape of William
III. Tweed The people of New York, whom
lac robbed so long and SO extensively, should
enll to strict account those who connived
at his escape, and those in higher offices who
encourage such lax system in the manage
Jment of our jails.


The story of the escape is q peculiar and
remarkable one In some incomprehensible
way the prisoner was allowed TO leave the
isl where the law confined him in charge of
Warden Dunham and Keeper Hagan. They
entered q carthage and drove up the Boule-
ward, and, by devious route. returned
to the Tweed mansion. Here Mr..
Tweed requested permission to go up
stairs and see his wife. The Warden
stepped into the hall for the purpose of
washing his hands and saw Mr.. Tweed
go up stairs Six minutes after he sent the
son of Mr.. Tweed, William M. Tweed, Jr, to
tell the "old man" that it was time to go
home Young Mr.. Tweed went up
stairs but soon returned, pulling his
hair and exclaiming, II am ruined;
father has not been up stairs" The
Warden rushed into the street to cover the
front Of the house, while the keeper searched
Abe upper floors Of the house. Mrs. Tweed
declares she has not seen her husband. and
beyond this nothing is known. Such Is the
story Of the escape as given. But it is
hardly necessary to say that its transparency
Is self-evident. 1t is hardly probable
that there was balloon in waiting at the
Tweed mansion, or an underground railroad
In operation TO spirit him away. Neither
could the "old man" have resolved himself
into thin air. The atmosphere must have
been as rare6ed as That which surrounds tho