Year: 1875




even Tweed, it is said, did not know that
she Was his wife. What it was that, led
the reputed director Of the ring to this
course OF silence was understood by q
very few persons only, and those not
within the circle of his own political
friends. Recently an article appeared in
a journal in. the interior of the State
which has been copied extensively in the
press of the country, because it assumed
to give the true history of Mrs. Sweeny,
but which in one respect does her mate.
rial injustice, and does gross injustice to
her first husband.


The new prominence recently given to
Mr.. Sweeny by the reduction of his bail
from So, 3,000, 900 to $l5O,0OO, and the eau.
tious supposition Of his counsel that un.
der such circumstances he might return
and defend the suits brought against him,
have revived public curiosity in regard
to him.


For about two years Mrs. Peter B.
Sweeny has been the center Of a round
Of pleasure and hospitable gayety in the
French metropolis, which her own beauty
and accomplishments and her husband s
freely'spent wealth have rendered posi-.
ble, and which it is the very nature of
her being to enjoy to the utmost.


AS matter oil fact Mrs. Sweeny is now
.near]y fifty years old, but her cares have
brooded so lightly upon her that the
charm of her presence remains, while her
varied fortunes have served only to stim-
ulate her natural bent for society pleas
ures and entertainments. She was born
in Albany, and her father was well-to.
do lawyer of that city. Several members
of the family are still living, all of them
holding good positions in society. She
was the youngest child, and much pains
was taken with her education. Her beau.
ty and vivacity made her q universal ia
vorite. When she was about eighteen
years old she became acquainted with
William Page, the artist. He was then
a resident Of Albany, but had already
given evidence Of that genius which has
since made his fame worldwide. She
seems to have been overcome by the
glamour surrounding his name and pro-
tession, and was led to place the very
highest and perhaps an extravagant
estimate upon. his ability; but it is said
by those who subsequently knew him in
Italy, that she never appeared really to
sympathize with him in his aspirations
and pursuits. Her tastes and ambitions,
though by no means reprehensi-
bic, were quite different. For his
part, it is represented that
like others, he could not remain insensi-
bic to her beauty of person and warmly
expressed admiration for his work and
genius, and so was moved against his bet.
ter judgment to enter into what proved
to be very unfortunate marriage. He
had previously been divorced from his
first wife, according to the laws of this
State. For this reason the lady's mother
objected at first to the marriage, but it
finally took place. Two ceremonies were
performed, the first by magistrate, at
his suggestion, and the second by cler-
gyman of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, to satisfy the scruples of some
Of the members Of her family. The
newly welded couple soon removed to
Boston, where Mr.. Page had his studio in
the famous Scollay Building, recently
torn down. From Boston they went to
Florence, Italy. Here the dark part of
the story begins. Hitherto they had
lived peaceably together, if not happily.
But the fair young American, beguiled by
the attentions she received, and with her
imagination stimulated by the batteries
and and novel attractions Of rank, gradu.
ally suffered her thoughts to slip away
from the homelier republican ideas to
which she had been bred. At last she
broke wholly away from the weakening
ties that still held her to her childless
home and went to live in Naples, under
the care and influence of an Italian no.
bleman. Her husband offered to receive
her back to his home without reproach
if she would return. She absolutely re-.
fused. Then Mr.. Page returned to New
York with the evidence of her fault and
folly, and procured divorce. This
ended all relationship between them.


Subsequently she also returned to New
York and essayed the profession of m
actress. In this field her beauty Of face
and person greatly aided her, but she
met, nevertheless, with Indifferent suc-
cess. Her best stage Of action was the
parlor and drawing-room. 1t was at this
period of her life that she met with Peter
B, Swecny. Her conquest o! the famous
Park Commissioner was rapid and com.
plete A marriage ceremony was per.
formed between them. She, while in
Italy, had become Catholic in religion.
That church does not recognize the pos
sibility of divorce, and consequently it
may be held by Mrs. Sweeny that her
first marriage, though innocent. was Of
no effect, and that she was, therefore, free
to marry again under the sacrament of
the Catholic Church. She has clung
faithfully to Mr.. Swceny in his success
and his disgrace. Always bright. cheer
full and amiable among her husbands
friends, she left many in New York who
knew her as the presiding genius of the
great politicians country seat, and if she
should return with him might do much
toward restoring the old bond of SYM
pathy between the members of the com.
pany Of which she was the reigning
queen.


Pomeroy, the boy murderer, has heen
discovered in an attempt to break out of
the Boston Jail. He had been engaged
for some time in digging bricks out Of the
cell, through which he proposed to lower
himself to the corridor below as the
watch was being changed at midnight,