Read BOSS TWEED: The Corrupt Pol who Conceived the Soul of Modern New York Online
Authors: Kenneth D. Ackerman
Tags: #History
Chapter 14. Coup d’Etat
(pages 213–219)
“Oh, yes, I am always cheerful
…”:
New-York Times
, September 20, 1871.
“Comptroller Connolly, one of the old school …”: Clipping from
The Star
, Hall scrapbooks, NYPL.
Connolly found himself threatened: Connolly had spent the weekend with lawyers hammering out an affidavit flatly denying all charges that his lawyers presented in Judge Barnard’s courtroom that Monday. Affidavit of Controller Connolly,
New York Tribune
and other papers, September 12, 1871.
“headstrong woman, with a fair share of ability”:
New York Tribune
, September 13, 1871. See also
New York Sun
, September 9, 1871.
Tuesday … daily Board of Apportionment meeting : See accounts in
New York Tribune
, September 14, 1871.
refused to quit until “fully vindicated”:
New-York Times
, September 13, 1871.
“I beg leave to differ from your Honor …”: Letter from Connolly to Hall, in
New-York Times
, September 13, 1871.
“Give us our money”... “If we don’t get …”:
New York Tribune
, September 14, 1871.
Connolly … warrant providing money for the mens’ salaries, …Broadway Bank: Incident is from the
New York Sun
, September 18, 1871.
“One evening Connolly came to see me …”: Havemeyer interview,
New York World
, September 20, 1871.
“They got together and talked …”:
New York World
, September 20, 1871.
“When rogues fall out …”:
New-York Times
, September 13, 1871.
“Wherever the gangrene of corruption …”: Tilden circular, September 11, 1871. Bigelow (Tilden letters), p. 276-278.
“I know nothing about it …”:
New-York Times
, September 15, 1871.
“I could not be his counsel…”: Bigelow (Tilden writings), p. 591.
“[He] said it was crucifying him,” … “I put a little more backbone ...”:
New York World
, September 20, 1871.
“if he threw himself upon the mercy …”: Bigelow (Tilden writings), p. 592.
three letters… Havemeyer to Connolly… Havemeyer to Andrew Green … Connolly to Green: All three are in Bigelow (Tilden letters), p. 278-281, and newspapers, September 18, 1871.
“Of course, Mr. Havemeyer is not …”:
New York World
, September 18, 1871.
Chapter 15. Numbers
(pages 220–241)
“
Those were great days …”:
Hudson, p. 37-38.
“The excitement in political circles …”:
Letter from Reid to Greeley, September 18, 1871, in Cortissoz, p. 154.
“The Municipal Muddle”:
New York Herald
, September 17, 1871; see also
New York Sun
, September 18,1871, mentioning that it was the
Herald
that Hall read.
“This movement was about the last thing…”:
New-York Times
, September 18, 1871.
“whitewashing parties …”: Letter from Aspinwall to McClellan, September 18, 1871, in Sears, p. 393. See also W. Hunt to McClellan, September 18, 1871 and similar letters in McClellan papers. LC.
“I am advised that your action …”: Letter from Hall to Connolly, September 18, 1871, in
New York Sun
and other newspapers, September 18, 1871.
“I therefore tender you …”: Letter from Hall to McClellan, September 16, 1871, in
New York Sun
and other papers, September 18, 1871.
“I am directed by the Mayor t…”: Letter from Joline to City Department Heads, September 18, 1871, in
New York Sun
and other newspapers, September 19, 1871.
“There is not a word of truth …”:
New-York Times
, September 19, 1871.
“it would take too much time …”:
New York Sun
, April 13, 1871.
New-York Times, September 19, 1871.
“Gentlemen, some of you yesterday …”: Werner, p. 228; Wingate, III, p. 379.
“Hall is as crazy …”:
New York World
, September 20, 1871.
“McClellan will have to walk …”:
New York Sun
, September 19, 1871.
Tilden, Green … sought out during August : See letter from D.S.C. to Marble, August 13, 1871, Marble papers. LC.
Green had been visiting Tilden :
New York Sun
, September 18, 1871; Wingate, III, p. 378.
Mobs of hundreds gathered daily: See, for instance,
New-York Times
, October 13, 1871 describing the five hundred street diggers who marched from Central Park down Broadway behind fife and drum.
“inciting the laborers…” “[The workers] were instructed…”: Unpublished manuscript, Green papers. NYHS. He described the scene in dramatic terms: “Let the reader picture to himself the spectacle of an army of ten to fifteen thousand laboring men turned adrift from their works at parks, streets, and boulevards, conscious only that somebody had cheated them out of their hard-earned money, and that there was money enough in the city to pay them could it only be got at.”
Green …orders … forbid political monkey business on city payrolls: See Circular from Green to heads of Bureau, Department of Finance, from Green, October 10, 1871, in
New-York Times
, October 13, 1871.
“His hair was redolent …”:
New York Sun
, September 19, 1871.
“They would not be mad enough …”:
New York Sun
, September 19, 1871.
“I have not either in fact …”: Letter from Connolly to Hall, September 18, 1871, 11:30 am, in
New York Sun
and other newspapers, September 19, 1871. Samuel Tilden, concerned with the festering legal uncertainly, sent word to Charles O’Conor, the 67-year-old dean of the New York Bar, asking him to issue a formal opinion confirming Green’s right to the office. O’Conor’s response, printed in the newspapers, would end any serious doubt on the issue. See Opinion of Charles O’Conor, in the
New York Sun
and other newspapers, September 19, 1871.
New charges … Connolly’s own son J. Townsend had stolen … county vouchers : For charges and response, see
New York World
and
Sun
, September 21, 1871.
“I shall not part with your resignation …”: Unpublished manuscript, Green papers. NYHS.
lip service … “He has documents …”:
New York Sun
, September 19, 1871. Typical of the lip-service was E.L. Godkin in
The Nation
, November 2, 1871 (“Connolly is the only man of the [Tweed] party who has established the smallest title to any sympathy which a Christian can really give—that is, sympathy with a man who has done wrong, and is sorry for it, and shows that he is sorry by seeking to make amends”) and Hevemeyer in the
New York World
, September 20, 1871 (“Why, Connolly is way ahead of all of them now … He has got the whip hand over the whole lot.”).
Affidavit of Many Conway, September 20, 1871, in
New-York Times
, September 22, 1871. See generally coverage and court proceedings in the New-York Times and other papers, September 22 and 23, 1871.
Haggerty and Balch both would fight the charges: See Hershkowitz, p. 211-213, and Tweed confession, Supplementary Statement, in
New York Herald
, October 10, 1877.
“I have nothing to say …”:
New-York Times
, September 13, 1871.
1862 …Tweed … feuding with a rival Wigwam faction … Connolly switch sides: See Mushkat (Tammany, Evolution of a Political Machine), p. 342-346.
“untrue”: Tweed affidavit, in
New York Tribune
and other papers, September 14, 1871.
“I don’t intend at my time of life …”:
New York Herald
, September 19, 1871; Hershkowitz, p. 186.
“As to the cry about thieving …”:
New York World
, September 21, 1871.
“All my professional and personal ability …”: Letter from Spencer to Tweed, October 27, 1871, in Hirsch, p. 277.
“a few political soreheads …”:
New-York Times
, September 13, 1871.
new Central Tweed Organization :
New York World,
September 20, 1871.
Mr. Tweed is the most honorable man …”:
New York Sun
, September 13, 1871.
twenty thousand people : Crowd estimate from
the New York Herald
, September 23, 1871;
“Why, who is Roosevelt? “:
New York World
, September 21, 1871.
“a human sea, surging …”:
New York World
, September 23, 1871. Crowd estimate from Lynch, p. 377.
“like a statue, while the storm …”:
New York Sun
, September 23, 1871.
“At home again, among the friends …”: For Tweed’s speech, see
New York World
and
Sun
, September 23, 1871, Lynch, 377-378, and Hershkowitz, p. 160. Note slight wording variations in each source.
“Last year my majority …”:
New York World
and
Sun
, September 23, 1871.
“hard-fisted bruisers ..”:
The Nation
, November 9, 1871.
“offices, sinecures, contracts …”:
The Nation
, October 12, 1871.
“Go ahead and kick us out …”: Hershkowitz, p. 199. See also,
New-York Times
, October 4, 1871.
Tweed … counted only forty ... firmly hostile: Alexander, p. 269.
Dewitt … petition signed by all sixteen Tammany delegates… “no delegation be deemed …”: Letter from Tammany delegates and proceedings in the
New-York Times
and
New York Tribune
, October 5, 1871.
“The man from Kings…”:
New York Tribune
, October 5, 1871.
“This is the perfection of discipline …”:
The Nation
, October 12, 1871.
Seymour … left the hall in disgust, : Seymour was also prompted by hostile treatment of his ally Francis Kernan.
“cursing in [Tilden’s] face …”: Letter from Marble to Tilden, October 11, 1871, never sent. Marble papers. LC.
“I am free to avow …”: Flick, p. 219-220,
New York Tribune
and
New York World
, October 6, 1871.
“The excitement threatened…”: Alexander, p. 273, and generally p. 269-273.
“troublesome old fools.” …: “I should like some …”:
New York Tribune
, October 6, 1871.
“A number of active leading men ...”: Telegram from Richmond to Tilden, September 29, 1871. Tilden papers. NYPL. See also letter from Marble to Tilden, never sent. October 11, 1871. Marble papers. LC. ( “[Y]our presence or your absence, your action or your inaction, your leadership of all the anti-corruption forces will make the difference of success or failure in an effort for good government & a Dem. Triumph.”]
“I beg to send you herewith my check …”: Letter from Belmont to Tilden, November 1, 1871. Tilden papers. NYPL.
“
You
must not be allowed to spend…”: Letter from Royal Phelps to Tilden, November 4, 1871. Bigelow (Tilden letters), p. 287.
“The only way is for you …”: Roosevelt to Tilden, September 26, 1871. Tilden papers, NYPL.
“Action and not words …”: Telegram Tilden to Kernan, September 30, 1871. Bigelow (Tilden letters) p. 282.
“The anti-Tammany men …”: Letter from Seymour to Tilden, October 8, 1871. Tilden letters, p. 284.
Tilden … state assemblyman: Tilden decided to seek the seat from the 18th district around 22nd Street, the same neighborhood as Jimmy O’Brien’s state senate district, rather than Gramercy Park. To quality, he listed O’Brien’s house as his residence and, according to O’Brien, two jointly funded their campaign largely by redirecting Tammany bribes paid to local hacks to
oppose
the reformers. “You’ll be astonished to know that the money by which we carried that election was supplied by the Tweed ring itself,” O’Brien later claimed. Tilden, he said, knew nothing about it. : O’Brien interview,
New York World
, August 16, 1891.
“Are you going to send selfish …”:
New-York Times
, October 29, 1871.
“These men had pretended to be your friend …”:
New-York Times
, October 11, 1871.
“They betrayed the Democratic Party….”:
New-York Times
, October 17, 1871.
Tilden … $10,000 for expenses “ Alexander, p.267.
Tilden … Broadway Bank records: Background on this process is from Tilden affidavit, October 24, 1871 and worksheets in Tilden papers, boxes 22, 23, and 24. NYPL. These original worksheets are, incidentally, are a fascinating read for anyone with a background in accounting or finance
Smith, … Parkhurst … confirmed : See statements of Smith and Parkhurst, in the
New-York Times
and other newspapers, October 28, 1871.
“Mr. Tilden is busily engaged …”:
New York Herald
, October 22, 1871.
“Indeed, we will be successful …”:
New-York Times
, October 13, 1871; see also October 12, 1871.