BOSS TWEED: The Corrupt Pol who Conceived the Soul of Modern New York (65 page)

Chapter 7. Fate
(pages 123–128)

1. O’Brien… whether he paid Copeland money: Two years later, after the Ring had been toppled, the New York State Senate would pay Copeland a $2,500 reward for the service. The
   New-York Times
   itself would deny that Copeland received any compensation from the press, but was silent as to O’Brien. See
   New-York Times
   , April 13, 1872; O’Brien interview,
   New York Sun
   , September 13, 1871.
   

2. Tweed, Sweeny, and Connolly met: On this meeting, see Wingate p. 142,
   New York Tribune
   , August 4, 1871, and O’Brien interview,
   New York World
   , August 16, 1871.
   

3. “is said not to have been…”:
   New York Tribune
   , August 4, 1871.
   

4. fired… for “political reasons,”: Copeland testimony, Hall Grand Jury, p. 18.
   

5. “I wanted to stop O’Brien’s tongue …”: Tweed testimony, Aldermen, p. 50-51.
   

6. “Sweeny not unwisely insisted …”: Wingate, II, p. 142.
   

7. “Mr. O’Brien wasn’t against …”: Tweed testimony, Aldermen, p. 51.
   

8. “Tweed had done me a favor …”: O’Brien interview,
   New York World
   , August 16, 1891.
   

9. “He asked me to luncheon …”:
   New York World
   , August 16, 1891; Wingate, II, 142-3.
   

10. Watson’s private stable ..: Description, and information on the horses, is from
    New-York Times
    , March 16, 1871.
    

11. Watson … worth almost $600,000: His estate ultimately would pay $590,435.94 to settle Ring suits. See Martin testimony, Aldermen, p.826.
    

12. Ludlow Street Jail …jailhouse record-keeper: See Werner, p. 161.
    

13. “I did a big day’s work …”: Ingersoll affidavit,
    New York Times
    , June 3, 1875; Wingate II, p.143 (though Wingate mistakenly attributes quote to Andrew Garvey.)
    

14. Watson had been
    en route
    to see Jimmy O’Brien : See Wingate, II, p. 143, and
    New York World
    , August 16, 1891
    

15. “[Tammany] is the real power”:
    New York Herald
    , January 8, 1871.
    

Chapter 8. I Pledge Myself to Persevere…
(pages 129–141)

1. “Is it a hopeless fight?”:
   New-York Times
   , January 24, 1871.
   

2. Jones… two published reports of Tweed’s muscling him out of the
   Times
   : Articles from
   Rochester Chronicle
   and the
   Philadelphia Ledger
   , and Jones’ denial, are in the
   New-York Times
   , November 23 and December 5, 1870.
   

3. Jerome… real estate holdings with Tweed: See
   New-York Times
   , February 22, 1871, under “Ring Jobbery,” sub-head “Purchases at Spuyten Duyvil Creek.”
   

4. “went like sheep to Mr. Connolly…”:
   New-York Times
   , November 7 and 12, 1870.
   

5. Jones probably knew much more … having seen figures … November 1870 : See
   New-York Times
   supplement, July 29, 1871 (“”we were allowed to see the figures already printed, and some others held in reserve, fully nine months ago”) ; Wingate, II, p.153, and
   New York Times
   , November 7, 1870 ( which asked: “Is it, or is it not the fact that Messrs. Andrew J. Garvey, (plasterer) Ingersoll, Watson & Co, (furniture dealers) Keyser & Co., (plumbers) and George S. Miller (carperter) … have received nearly
   seven millions of dollars
   from the Controller?”
   

6. without hard evidence … legal penalties—libel actions: Leonard, p.120, suggests Jones and Jennings withheld evidence during these months for tactical reasons; it “gave Tammany nothing to refute and no single issue that could clear its name,” a mistake they’d made prior to the Astor committee’s report.
   

7. “the rowdies and vagabonds…” “Tweed’s Lambs.”:
   New-York Times
   , September 26, 1870. The newspaper carried no by-lines, but Foord is identified as the reporter in Daniels, p. 23.
   

8. Broadway Hotel … to widen the street:
   New-York Times
   , February 13, March 5, 1871.
   

9. “Fraud” … “stupendous frauds.” … “It is now known …”:
   New-York Times
   , February 15 and 16, 1871.
   

10. “Another Street Job” :
    New-York Times
    , March 4, 1871.
    

11. “Whenever large quantities of property …”:
    New-York Times
    , February 22, 1871.
    

12. “No Proof That The Ring Pay Taxes “:
    New-York Times
    , December 9, 1870.
    

13. “although every Democrat is not …”:
    New-York Times
    , October 3, 1870.
    

14. “coarse and illiterate man.”:
    New-York Times
    , November 23 1870, quoting the
    Trenton Gazette
    .
    

15. “Tweed Republicans” … “With Mr. Tweed’s chains…”:
    New-York Times
    , October 13 and 16, 1870.
    

16. “Has Tweed gone mad …”:
    Evening Post
    , March 11, 1871.
    

17. “Statues are not erected to living men …”: Letter from Tweed to Shandley, March 13, 1871.
    

18. Marble came to terms with Peter Sweeny… revenue exploded : McJimsey, p. 142.
    

19. “The decline of the New-York Times…”:
    New York Sun, February 3, 1871.
    

20. “dishonest and disingenuous …”:
    Evening Post
    , March 10, 1871.
    

21. “We are informed that negotiations …”: F. Hudson, p. 642.
    

22. putting the paper in receivership : See “The Next Move of the ‘Ring,’”
    New-York Times
    , March 28, 1871.
    

23. “They will kill off your work”: Paine, p. 142.
    

24. Two things elected me …”: Paine, p. 129.
    

25. Nast … single drawing for $350:
    New-York Times
    , May 6, 1871.
    

26. wealth … $75,000: Letter to Nast from Shepherd, May 31, 1869. Nast scrapbooks, NYPL.
    

27. “Please see my picture …”: Telegram from Nast to Young, April 20, 1869. Nast papers, NYHS.
    

28. “The Democratic Scapegoat”:
    Harper’s Weekly
    , September 11, 1869.
    

29. “Greek Slave “:
    Harper’s Weekly
    , April 16, 1870.
    

30. “The Power Behind the Throne,” … “Our Modern Falstaff,” Paine, p. 155,156.
    

31. “Emperor Tweed”:
    Harper’s Weekly
    , April 22, 1871.
    

32. “universal conviction” … “familiar to every citizen”:
    Harpers Weekly
    , March 13 and 18, November 11, 1871, in Leonard, p. 111. Around this time, Nast worked increasingly in tandem with the
    New-York Times
    . When the
    Times
    attacked Tweed’s alleged Broadway widening scheme, Nast drew a
    Harper’s Weekly
    cartoon on the issue showing Tweed and Sweeny studying a map with a crooked street: “To make this look straight is the hardest job I ever had,” Tweed says. “What made Watson go sleigh-riding?”
    Harper’s Weekly
    , March 4, 1871
    

33. Harper …
    Maria Monk
    : See: Robert P. Lockwood, “The Lie of Maria Monk Lives On,” Catholic League for Religious and Civcil Rights; Burrows & Wallace, p.545-546.
    

34. “I have not seen your ‘handwriting …”: Bowen, p. 74.
    

35. Tweed … in Central Park; Nast smiled: Harper, p. 294.
    

36. “Gentlemen, you know where I live”: Daniels, p. 25; Paine, p.159. The Board of Education’s ban against Harper & Brothers textbooks would last until the day after Election Day in November 1871. Wingate, III. 390.
    

37. “The New Board of Education” :
    Harper’s Weekly
    , May 13, 1871.
    

38. “Under The Thumb”:
    Harper’s Weekly
    , June 10, 1871.
    

39. Tweed’s agents … Raymond’s widow: Wingate, II, p. 152-3;
    New-York Times
    , July 19, 1871; Davis, p. 104-105.
    

40. “It is my duty to say…”:
    New-York Times
    , March 28, 1871.
    

Chapter 9. The Wedding
(pages 142–149)

1. “aglow with rich silks …” “confusion of white arms…” Werner, p. 190.
   

2. “white corded silk, décolleté, …”:
   New York Sun
   , in Werner, p. 191.
   

3. sailing sloop, the “
   General Tweed”…
   racehorse, the “
   Richard M. Tweed” …
   ” receiver of the Commonwealth Fire Insurance: See
   New-York Times
   , April 2, June 9 and 27, 1871.
   

4. William Jr. ... Excelsior Guards:
   New York Sun
   , July 5, 1871.
   

5. Tweed … $800,000 in city improvements …
   New-York Times
   cried foul:
   New-York Times
   , April 27, 1871.
   

6. “from Boulevards and cross-streets …”: Kessner, p. 139; Burrows and Wallace, p. 931;
   

7. $20 million …“improve the water-front…”:
   Pomeroy’s Democrat
   , June 18, 1871.
   

8. “It is quite generally understood …”:
   Pomeroy’s Democrat
   , July 1, 1871.
   

9. Apportionment Board… applications for charitable donations, :
   New-York Times
   , May 10, 1871.
   

10. Zeitschrift fur Kapital und Reute
    had sent shudders: quoted inn Mandelbaum, p.78.
    

11. “[O]rdinarily very determined …”:
    New-York Times
    , November 29, 1870.
    

12. “all from my own place…”“A magnificent supper…”:
    New York Sun
    and
    New York Herald
    , June 1, 1871.
    

13. “a cross of eleven diamonds,”:
    New-York Times
    , June 1, 1871
    

14. “Seven hundred thousand dollars!”:
    New York Herald
    , in Werner, p. 193.
    

15. “on such a hot night …”: Bowen, p. 84.
    

16. These figures were my protection …”: O’Brien interview,
    New York World
    , August 16, 1871
    

17. Michael Norton and Henry Genet… received checks: See Tweed confession,
    New York Herald
    , October 10, 1877. Tweed characterized them as “loans,” but with no evident obligation to be paid back.
    

18. “There wasn’t one of them …”: O’Brien interview,
    New York Worlds
    , August 16, 1891.
    

19. “O’Brien hated Sweeny …”: Wingate, II, p. 144.
    

20. FN: Hall family descendants…: Bowen, p. 83.
    

21. O’Brien… checks of $6,000 each …promissory note for $12,000: Tweed confession,
    New York Herald
    , October 10, 1877; promissory note and refusal to re-pay are from Hirsch, (“More Light on Tweed”), p. 272.
    

22. “You can have anything ….”:
    New York World
    , August 16, 1891.
    

23. “I didn’t want…” “[I]mmediately after I had…” “I couldn’t get …” “At all events, I think…” “I didn’t let him…”: O’Brien interview,
    New York World
    , August 16, 1891.
    

24. “cut [Jennings’] heart out”: Morphet, p. 112.
    

25. “There is not another municipal government …”:
    New York World
    , June 13, 1871, in Paine 146.
    

26. O’Rourke …resigning the job on May 19: It’s not clear, when O’Rourke resigned to county auditor Stephen Lynes, how much he revealed of his record-copying: See letters from O’Rourke to Lynes, July 31, and response on August 5, 1871, in the
    New York Herald
    .
    

27. he’d visited professor Dexter Hawkins: See
    New-York Times
    , June 30, 1871.
    

28. “More Ring Villainy” … “Reliable and incontrovertible evidence …”:
    New-York Times
    , September 8, 1871.