The New York Herald Newspaper, December 5, 1875, Page 5

* GONE AT LAST. William M. Tweed Runs Away from Justice. THE METHOD OF £SCAPE. A Sudden Departure of the Big Six Chieftain. EXOITEMENT IN THE CITY. How the Eseape Was Planned and Perfected. A REMARKABLE RIDE ABOUT TOWN. Going Up Stairs and Dis- appearing. “MY GOD, ’M RUINED!” A Hopeless Search for the Ring Fugitive. A Reward of Ten Thousand Dollars Offered. Tweed has escaped! Such was the start- ling intelligence that was flashed over the city last night. The convicted chief of a gang of municipal thieves, who carried on operations on ascele 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 a criminal. The poor starv- ing creature, who, impelled by poverty, steals something of comparatively trifling walue to stay the pangs of hunger, perhaps, 4s safely locked upand 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 féted by the repre- sentatives of ‘‘stern justice” as if he were ‘m 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 asalutary lesson to our prison authorities, But such an experience seems to have had mo 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 a deputy warden and an accommodating sherif. Broadway is a very attractive promenade on a 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 a 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 matinées wero 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. It is not recorded that ‘they visited any theatre. It was not neces- sary. They were engaged in a 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 people's money, had attractions for him, At all events, he left and did not return, Nothing in the entire histery of municipal government can be regarded as more shame- ful and criminal than the escape of William M. Tweed. The people of New York, whom lke robbed ¢o long and so extensively, should @all to astrict account those who connived @t his escape, and those in higher offices who encourage such a lax system in the manage- yment of our jails. The story of the escape isa peculiar and remarkable ane In some incomprehensible ‘way the prisoner was allowed to leave the j#1 where the law confined him in charge of Warden Bunham and Keeper Hagan. They entered a catwiage and drove up the Boule- vard, and, by a 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 etairs. Six minutes after he sent the son of Wr. Tweed, William M. Tweed, Jr., to bell the “‘old man” that it was time to go home. Young Mr. Tweed went up stairs, but soon returned, pulling his hair and exclaiming, “I am ruined; father hae not been up stairs.” The Warden rusbed into the street to cover the front of the house, while the keeper searched the upper floors of the house. Mrs, Tweed declares she has not seen her husband, and beyond this nothing is known. Such is tho story of the escape as given. But it is hardly necessary to say that its transparency is self-evident. It is hardly probable that there was a balloon in waiting at the Tweed mansion, or an-anderground railroad in operation to spirit him away. Neither could the ‘old man” have resolved himself into thin air. The atmosphere must have been ag rarefied as that which surrounds tha, . fat ae <¥ OF) —s "kW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, DEUEMBER 5, 1879—QUADRUPLE SHEE?. his jailers. Bia in once by a confi- dence operator in the guise of a venerable clergyman. He said that he did not care par- ticularly for the money he had lost, but what bothered him completely was ‘the cnnnin’ of the ould divi” The people of New York will say the same about Tweed. THE ESOAPE, At eight o'clock P. M,, a Hxnaup reporter entered Ludlow Street Jail, and said te the Deputy Warden, Colonel Gardner, ‘there has been a general alarm sent to all police stations, stating that William M. Tweed has escaped, 1 want you to show me to Mr. Tweed’s rooms, so that I can see him, and contradict the state- ment if it is not true.’ There was no answer, The official seemed to be stupefied. Just then a messenger arrived with a mes sage from Warden Dunham to the effect that Tweed had escaped. Still the DEPUTY WARDEN DID NOT SEEM TO BELIEVE IT. He was closely interrogated by the reporter and freely answered every question put to him, He said:. “Mr, Tweed came here from Biackwell’s Island on the 22d day of June, 1875, and was held in default of $6,000,000 bail, A second order of arrest was served upon bim px on the 8th of last month, and an additional $1,000,000 added to the amount of vail required, making i $7,000,000 Bis room was on the first or main floor, the first one next toand north of the entrance door, The Warden, Mr. Dunham, occupied the adjoining room, and Charles L. Lawrence, the one adjoining that, Until you came in L supposed that they still occupied them,” Reporrer—When did Mr. ‘weed leave here to-day? Warden Garpxzr—I do not know. I came on duty at nine o'clock A. M., to-day, with Keeper Hughes, ‘We were at the door alternately throughout. I pre- sume that when Mr. Tweed went out, it was by and with the consent of Sheriff Conner. There is no law agajnst taking any prisoner out; in fact the law pro- yides that he shall have sufficient opportunity to get bail, and it is customary and atways has been, to let prisoners out, in charge of tho Warden and a keeper for that purpose, Rerogreg—Did Mr, Tweed leave this prison while you were on duty at the door? Warden Garpner—He did not, In answer to other questions the Warden said—‘‘I do not know where Hughes is. He went away about six o'clock this evening. He lives here, Mr. Tweed was in bere until half-past ten o’clock this morning, tor at that time he came wo me with David Dudey Field and Mr, Edleston, of his counsel, who had been with im half an hour, and he then made an affidavit, which they had written for him. 1am a notary, and ho took the oath before me; butl did not read the paper. That was the last time that I saw Mr. Tweed. No one lived with him in his room; but his lawyers and members of his family visited him nearly every day. ‘Tweed was out about a month ago, but I do not know that he bas been out since until to-day. About half. past four o’clock I learned for the first time to-day that Hagan had gone out, and inquiring after him, learned that he had gone out with Warden Dunham and Tweed. Hagan has been employed as a keeper in this prison about eight years, He gets about $75 a month as sal- ary. DUNHAM’S STORY. About ten o’clock P. M. Warden Dunham and Keeper Hagan returned to Ludlow Street Jail Dunham’s face was very pale and his hands cold as ie, He met the Hanaxp reporter in ‘Tweed’s room,” and told the fol- lowing story, under close cross-examination;— “I left bere a little after one o’clock P. M. to-day ina carriage with the keeper, Edward Hagan, Tweed, and his son, William Tweed, Jr. We went through Ludlow street to Broome, through Broome street to the Bowery, up the Bowery to and through Fourth avenue, to Tenth or Eleventh street, and thence to and through Broadway, .J . er “through Thirteenth street to Fifth avails ap Fith avenue to Fifty- ninth street Then up the Western Boulevard to and along thé Kingsbridge road and up, around and down the Southern boulevard to Third avenue* crossing the Third avenue bridge, cown Third avenue to 127th street (I think that was the street) to Central Park. In the Park we stopped at the Knoll for ten or fifteen min- utes. We all got out of the coach and walked around while the horses were resting, It might have been ten to twelve minutes. Then we all got into the coach again. No, sir; coach, not coaches; there was only one coach, We then drove down through the Park to Fifty-ninth street and to Mr. Tweed’s residence on Madison avenue, near Sixtieth or Sixty-first street, Stopping there, we all got out of the coach and went into his house. We went in and sat down in the front parlor, Mr. Douglass, son-in-law, I think, of Mr. Tweed, came forward to meet us, and sat down with us, There was no other person there, Mr. Tweed said he would STEP UP STAIRS and seo his wife fora moment, Hagan said he would step out inthe hall to tho washbasin and wash his bands. Tweed went up stairs, Hagan came back into the parlor and sat down with us, A few minutes afterward I took out my watch, I sup- pose abont four or five minutes after Tweed had gone up stairs I took out my watch and remarked it was time to start and to call him down, His son, William Tweed, Jr., then went ap stairs and came back in a minute and said that his father had not gone up stairs. I was alarmed tmmediately and sent Hagan up stairs to look for Tweed, while I rushed out of the front door, down the steps, looked into the area and under the stoop and along the street. I saw no onethere. I then went back into the hallway. My carriage was around the corner on the side street. I did not see it. 1 was too excited to look for it. Going back into the hall I saw Hagan again. He bad not foundhim. Hagan then went down stairs to serch the lower part of tho house. I then went out again to see. if the carriage was there, which it was. I then thought T had done ali I could do to stop him there, and got into the carriage again with Hagan and went as fast as pos- aible to the Fifty-ninth street police station house, It was then about TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES TO SEVEN o'clock. Idrove to the Fifty-ninth street station and asked to havea general alarm sent out to all stations that Tweed had escaped, With Hagan in thé same car- riage I then drove as fast as possible to Police Head- quarters in Mulberry street and reported the escape to the officer {n charge. The Inspector, I do not know his name, said that ho had received the message, sent an alarm for Fifty-ninth strect and would telegraph to Superintendent Walling immediately. Leaving tho carriage, Hagan and I went across to the Bowery, and 1 took @ car to Sheriff Conner’s house. Ho was not home. I left word for him to come here im- mediately, I then came back to the prison, I have no {dea how he could have escaped. Hagan said that he saw Tweed going up staira I saw Mrs. Tweed at the head of the stairs after the es- cape, She waa very much excited. I asked her if Tweed had gone up stairs, and she said he had not The son-in-law, Douglas, remained with as until we got the al . That was about half-past six P.M. During the ride Tweed was in good humor, but never spoke of escaping. THE KEEPER'S STORY. Hagan said that the party went into the back parlor and opened the folding door to get there, Hagan went to wash his hands and saw Tweed go partly ap the stairs, when he ceased watching him; did not sco any one else on the stairs; wont back to the parlor, sat there about six minutes, when Bun- ham said I had better goup and tell the old man we bad better go. William Tweed, Jr., went ap to tell him, and in @ few minutes came down, saying his father had not been up stairs, Dunham said to me, “Go up and search the house.” 1 went all over the house and through the closets, I noticed Tweed had loft his hat on the stand in the ball, but bad taken his overcoat, 11 was ® large brown one, mot an Ulster. I saw young Tweed come down staira teartng his hair and orying out, “Tam ruined.” He was greatly oxcited. So was Douglas, who made the same remark. There were two ladies up stairs besides Mra, Tweed, SCENES AT POLION HEADQUARTERS, 5 ‘Headquarters was a peculiarly animated one, Carriages, drawn by steaming horses, were constantly arriving and Geparting, and all manner of curious individuals thronged the doorways and corridors, discussing the all absorbing topic. “So the old man has skipped at last,” remarked half & dozen tn chorus, ‘Pm nota bit sorry he’s gone, but I would like to know how mach it cost him to fix matters,” ejaculated & well known Fourteenth ward politician. Attwenty minutes past seven o’clocx a telegram arrived from the Ninteenth precinct, stating that William M ‘Tweed bad escaped from Warden Dunham in the vicinity of Fifty-ninth street and Madison avenue, Inspector Diiks was on duty at the office, and he instantly sent out a general alarm to ry precinct in the city, or- dering the police to look out for the fleeing culprit, The alarm was also transmitted to Brooklyn, and Commis- sioner Matsell and Superintendent Walling were noti- fied, the former at his house in Fifty-seventh street, the latter at the Press Club, where he was dining. DUNHAM ARRIVES, While these despatches were being sent out Warden Dovbam arrived. He came up to the main entrance in Mulberry street in a carriage, the horses before whieh were foaming as though they had been driven at = breakneck pace, Dunham alighted, and, accompanied by a friend, burried to the Inspector's room. Here he gasped out the words, “Bill Tweed has escaped! He did not seem to be greatly excited, although a thoughtful observer could not help thinking, from his demeanor, that he. was endeavoring to work himself up to a respectable pitch of agitation. “How did Tweed slip you, Mr, Dunham?” inquired the Inspector. “Well, I hardly know,” responded the Warden. “T have been out with him nearly all day. About six o'clock we went to his house, at the oor- ner of Madison avenue and Fifty-ninth street. We went in and sat down in the parlor, We were there some time, when Tweed said he would like to go up stairs for a few min- utes, 1 said ‘Very well,’ and the old man went up. He had been gone not to ex- ceed ten minutes when I, becoming somewhat Uneasy at his absence, requested one of his sons to call him, adding that it was time we were going, The young man went up stairs and came down in about a minute with the news that his father had gone, I in- stantly searched the house and then ran to the station house in Fifty-ninth street, From there I came here,” Inspector Diiks told Danham that he had already sent out a general alarm and advised him (Dunham) to go to the nearest telegraph station and telegraph to Boston, Philadelphia and any other place that might suggest themselves to him. “I don’t suppose there is any use doing it,” said Dunham, “but I will anyhow. It’s just another Genet escape right over. I am satisfied that Tweed had a ‘boat close at hand in the East River and is now well out to Bea, He would not be fool enough to stay around the city or to go out on any of the railroads. Ho's a smart old coon, he is.’? With this Dunham left for the Metropolitan Hotel to telegraph to the points the Inspector had mentioned, Ata quarter past nine o’clock Comm'ssioner Matsell telegraphed to the Central Office for Superin- tendent Walling to come at once to his house, The despatch was forwarded to the Twenty- sixth precinct, and from there the Superintendent, who was still at the Press Club dinner, was notified. Before this Dilks had detatled Detoctives Keely, Dunn, Dickson, Riley, Adams and Doyle, from the Cen- tral Office squad, to search for tho escaped Boss. SUPERINTENDENT WALLING’S VIEWS. Immediately on the circulation of the rumor of Will- jam M, Tweed’s escape a reporter of the Hmraup waited on Police Superintendent Walling to ascertain what he knew, what he had heard, and what he had done about the matter. The Superintendent was per- ectly c@ol and almost amused by the universal W ccpreshion offurpriak “why,” said he, “I am only amazed that he did not go long ago! Anybody could get out of Ludlow Street Jail. What's to pre- vent them? .We have seen from time to time in the newspapers the record of some prisoner's escape from ‘that remarkably lax place of confinement 1 was quite aware that Mr. Tweed’s chances of evading the law's grip for many days past was such as would gladly have deen turned to account by any offender of wrerage shrewdness. He was notin the hands of the police, and therefore his disappearance is no reflection on us, We would not have let him go, I am free to say. At all events, I feel bound to state that none of the odium of his escape can attach to this department. ll that can be done by us to effect his recapture will be done, and, I may say, even, has been done. A general alarm was sent out immediately on receipt of the information, and every officer in the force has been on the qui vive ever since that moment My first knowledge of the escape was conveyed to me by the following despatch, which was received at my hou: “Cuntrat Ovvign, 8:30 P. M. “Tweed has escaped from custody. Have sent out general alarm to all stations, “GEORGE W. DILKS, Inspector.” Superintendent Walling condemned in the most em- phatic manner the loose way in which Tweed had been guarded, He thought that it would have been easy for him to have eluded the surveillance of his custodians whenever it suited him, He could not atthe present time say who was really to blame; but he felt assured that the whole secret would be revealed speedily. So grave a dereliction in duty as that manifested now by the untoward event must necessarily awaken speculation im every man’s mind and arouse the keenest investigation, which must result imsome dis- closures of a startling character, It could not be pos sible, he thought, that, with the exercise of ordinary care on the part of his Jailors, he could have “had the slightest opportunity to get away. “Why,” said the Superintendent, “if what you tell me is true, and 1 expect it is, as you say so, it {s not re markable that he should be taken out of the jail by a deputy sheriff and a keeper of the prison and carted all over town in 4 carriage and up to the Boulevard, and then taken to his own house, when the law had declared him a prisoner in the hands of the county ander the custody of the Sherif. How easy i+ is to escape under such circumstances! Why, if we had allowed a murderer or a pickpecket to go abroad in that manner, what would people say? I do not expect he'll ever be recaptured, for of course the whole plan of escape was cunningly devised beforehand. As for the Police Department, no effort will be spared to hunt down, and, if possible, recapture the fugitiva As Superintendent of Police, my line of duty ts clear, and 1 prefer to act rather than talk.” CAPTAIN MOUNT'S STORY. Captain Moant, of the Nineteenth precinct, stated that Warden Dunham had called at the station house shortly after seven o'clock, and in a very nervous man- ner said that Tweed had escaped from him and that he wished to have a general alarm sent out for the arrest of the fugitive, The manner of the Warden, he said, struck him as that of a genuinely excited man, and not one put on for the occasion. He thought him- self the affair was somewhat suspictous, but it might have been possible that Tweed had escaped by going through the scuttle into one ef the vacant bouses next door to his family’s residence He did not Inspect the premises himself, for the reason that he'had lately been confined to his room and was anablo to walk through an accident He had sent out his detectives, he satd, to do what they could, but he believed Tweed was far out on his way to sea and that he would never be eaught SUPERINTENDENT MATSELL was visited at his house, on Fifty-eighth street, where he was im earnest consultasion with Inspector Thorne and Superintendent Walling. He expressed his opin- fon that the whole affair was “a put-up job,” and that the escape had been made with the full knowledge and consent of Dunham “Who knows,” said the Preskient of the Police Commissioners, “whether Tweed did not leave the city yesterday? No one can tell but his friends and Warden Dunham, and the former are not at liberty to say anything about what they know. This was not an affair of ® moment, but has been planned delib- erately and all preparations mada” Mr. Matsell declined to say what arrangements the police had made to try and effect the capture of Tweed, but said, significantly, “Our arms are long.” The police boat Seneca had not gone out to look after the escaped From half past seven o'clock last evening antil two | s'olock thig morning the acene in and about Police , man, for she is unfit for service and is now on the ways being repaired. When asked if any other boat had been hired ho said, “We shall take every possible precaution, and shall snare no agnnnen,”” He did not, Ne said, kvow of any lew or regulation which gave Mr. Dunham the right to take Tweed out of the jail TWEED'S HOUSE AND VICINITY. No information whatever could be obtained, tor no one was admitted, A negro servant answered the bell, but only opened the door sufficiently wide to hear what was sald and to make replies, The chain was kept up 80 as to effectually prevent any attempt at an entrance being made, This colored gentleman, in answer to every inquiry, saad, “I don’t know nothin’. If you want any information goto Police Headquarters” When asked if any of the family were in he replied at first that no one was in the house but himself; but, being further pressed, he stated that there were some of the ladies at home, but they had gone to bed. Finding that no information could be obtained trom this dusky personage the Heraup reporter proceeded to make an investigation of the situation of the house and the possible means by which an escape could have been effected, supposing the “Boss”? had not gone out of the front door with-the full knowledge and consent of his keepers, The diagram given herewith will show the exact situ- ‘ation of the house and the immediate surrroundings :— MADISON AVENUE. Fence, Fence, FIFTY-NINTH STREET. ‘sosnoR ‘BesnOH VOURTH AVENUE. A.—Houso tenanted by a carpenter in charge. B eed’s house, No, 647 Madison avenue, C©—Vacant house, owned by Mr. Brown. D.—Vacant house, owned by Mr. Swensky, E.—Yard in rear of Tweed’s house, ¥.—Open space on Fourth avenue. As will be noticed, at the corner of Fifty-ninth street aud Madison avenue, there 1s a large vacant lot, which is fenced in on the street sides with a high boarding, Next to this ia a vacant house, with but a@ carpenter and his wife living in it to take charge ofthe property. Tweed’s house comes next to this, and is adjoined on the other side by another house in which no one at all is living, while on the corner of Sixtieth street Is another empty residence, At the rear of these houses is a yard about twenty-five feet square, which ts divided from the houses and yards of the houses on Fifty-ninth and Sixtieth streets, ‘by a wooden fence about six or seven feet high, From the back of Tweed’s house to Fourth avenue there are a.ceries of wooden fences, but on Fourth avenue there are no buildings. From the height of the fences in the rear apd sides of the yard, at the back of the house, it is difficult to realize how i could be possible for a man of Tweed’s size and weight to climb over them, especially as he would have, it he took either of the side routes to the street, to climb, which- ever way he went, no less than three of these. The route to Fourth avenue would be simply impossible for him to take. THR THKORY OF SOME OF THR DETECTIVES, who have become engaged in the case, is that Tweed went up through the scuttle of his own house, down ‘through that of No. 649 and so out on the street, but the more reasonable supposition is that while Warden Dunham and his assistant, Hagan, were in the parlor Tweed quietly walked down and out through the front basement door. This could have been easily done if these keepers were sitting back at all from the windows, The fact, too, that Tweed left the jail so early in the afternoon as one o'clock and his escape was not made known until after seven clock is another suspicions element im the ease. In facet, no other information on this subject was obtainable, except that which came through and from Warden Dunham himself The house, as soon as the escape was made known at the Nineteenth precinct police station, was visited by In- spector Thorn, accompanied by Sergeant Whit- comb and Detectives MoGowan and Levins, Every room was lit up and the house looked from the outside, both back and front, as though if iluminatea for the celebration of a joyful event A thorough examination was made of the premises from roof to ground to see if the sought for criminal could have hidden himself by any means, NO TRACE, HOWEVER, COULD BE FOUND, and the house was left in possession of the family. There were present at the time Tweed’s brother-in-law, W. M, Tweed, Jr., and another gentleman, whose name could not be ascertained. No ladies were visible A watchman, who is employed to take care of the houses in the neighborhood, stated that he had noticed no anusual stir last evening in the neighborhood of the house, He had not seen Tweed go either in or out, although he had on other occasions, lately, frequently seen him going in. The family residing in the house, be said, consisted of Mrs, Tweed, two young ladics and some three or four colored servants, THE SHERIFF'S RESPONSIBILITY. United States District Attorney Bliss, speaking of Sheriff Connor’s lability in the Tweed matter, said to ® Heep reporter that the Sheriff would be liable in the civil suits when a final judgment in them had been rendered against Mr. Tweed. Prior to that time and event, however, and up to the service of papers upon him, Mr. Connor will have a chanco to save himself from liability if he can by hook or crook capture the refugee At present Mr. Bliss did not think that the Sheriff was in anything more than an unfortunate pre- dicament, " SHERIFF CONNER was invisible last night, not having returned to his house since the morning. Warden Dunham is under his control and had no right, it is asserted, to take any prisoner from the jail unless by his express per- mission. As soon as he learned of the escape of the prisoner in his custody Sheriff Connor authorized the announce- ment that he would pay a reward of $10,000 for the capture of Tweed. This announcement was signed by Warden Dunham in behalf of the Sheriff; but it is understood that the reward will not tempt any one privy to the escape to reveal the route taken by Tweed, When i is considered that Tweed runs away to escapo @ suit of $6,000,000, the reward of $10,000 appears quite insig- Dificant in comparison, Late last night no one seemed to think that the reward would help to secure the ar- rest of the ex-Boss. ‘The following 18 the official document :— $10,000 REWARD. Escaped from the custody of heriff of New York county, WILLIAM M. TWEED. The above reward will be oi to the New York Oounty Jago. “* be capture snd return WILLIA! NNER, . Wuuusan Donnan, Jallor, AM & CONNER, Sherif, TMPORTANT OPINION. An old lawyer, familiar with the relations of the events, to both its civil and criminal aspects, said:— “The defendant is liable to rearrest by the Sheriff on dail pleco, and by any private person on charge of fel- ony, because he is under indictment for forgery, The Sheriff will be liable to pay whatever judgment may in the civil action be recovered, Mr. Tweed can, how- ever, defend as well in escape as in custody, Tho Sheriff, although he gives bonds tn only $20,000, will be liable for the full amount of ultimate recovery. Ho will now have an interest in procuring a verdict in Tweed’s favor, The latter can be extradited, because he is tndicted for forgery, and ono which existed at common law. This distinction came up, {t will be re- membered, in the Lawrence case. Merely statutory forgery ‘9 not within extradition treaties; but the ilustrious defendant can be taken {n Canada, Groat Britain or France, bat not in Belginm.” Acurious circumstance was that Tweed and Law: Fences occupied the same coli or room. Ono was Presi- dent of the Americus Club when the other was secre. tary. Lawrence’s real name is Lazarus, Thus Dives and Lazarus occupied the same room, Now it is that Deves has gono to the bosom of some Belgian the great public, wmo are plaintiffs, "What are you #01ng 10 do about it?” Another coincidence is that while Mr. O’Conor, the legal prosecutor i dying, ‘Tweed, bis legal prisoner, is flying away. | INTERVIEW WITH EX-MAYOB VANCE. The writer called on ex-Mayor Vance, when the news of Tweed’s escape was first circulated, and asked what he thought of the report. “I think {t,” said Mr, Vance, ‘a great misfortune. If 4 is true that he has escaped I do not think he will be Canght very soon. I have said that his eseape wat a great misfortune; that is, because of the great mis- chief he wrought to the community. The ‘Ring,’ as it bas been called—and remember, when 1 name the ‘Ring’ I do not include Mr. A. Oakey Hall—has been a scourge to New York. The harm done by the members of that vicious cabal cannot readily be estimated. Tweed was tried, convicted and punished alittle, but only @ little—not enough to make amends for nis grave offences, “While 1 was Mayor I had frequent occasion tg look into circumstances connected with his ease, 1 can assure you that while he was on Blackwell's Island he had daily opportunities of escape. He was in no sense treated as a prisoner. His was a mere technical deten- tion, I know of a certainty—though not personally— that he visited this island while @ prisoner at Black- well’s Island TWEED’S WEALTH. “Now, there ts another circumstance of some !nterest— indeed, of more than ordinary importance in connec- tion with the present report: that ig the question of his possible wealth. Some who pretend to be familiar with bis means say be was worth about $3,000,000. “Well, that may be; bat there is one thing that must be remembered, If he was unscrupulous about the manner in which he made money he did not hesi- tate to spend {t freely. Many of those whom ho trusted got him Interested in schemes which really never paid. He placed his money here, there and everywhere, as they suggested, and often there was no proper return for the investmont, Many of these were real estate speculations, as, for instance, the Lake Mahopac Land Improvement Company. It was expected that by shrewd legislation this could be made avery paying nvestment, Other ventures of a like nature equally fell through.” MR. WHEELER H. PECKHAM'S STATEMENT. Soon after it became known that William M. Tweed had escaped a reporter was sent to the residence of Mr. Wheeler H. Peckham, associate counsel with the At- torney General, for information concerning the manner of Tweed’s escape and its effect on the proceedings now in progress in the courts. When Mr. Peckham’s home in Fifty-fifth street was reached the announco- ment was received that he was not in. Mrs, Peckham, however, when the statement was sent to her that it was necessary to the reporter to find him, came down and informed him that her hus- band was at the Law Library butlding, in Twenty-ninth street, industriously examining the legal tomes for mat- ter pertinent to the Tweed case, as it stands at presont in the courts, The reporter then made his way to the Law Library, On gaining admittance there, he was informed by the attendants that Mr. Peckham was engaged in one ot the upper rooms and that his presence would be made known to him. Almost immediately Mr. Peckham ap- ‘od and asked what was required of him. The reporter informed him of the escape of Tweed and also of the tact that his wife did not think he was aware of it After looking somewhat surprised fora moment, he proceeded to say that his wife was right, for the reporter’s announcement of the fact was the first mformation he had of it, He then asked as to the particulars concerning Tweed’s departure, He said he knew nothing of the particulars of the escape, of course, and, on giving the fact aserious thought, he found that he was not so greatly surprised as he might have been had be not been informed some days ago that Tweed had been allowed to go out to dine with his sons, and he had feared that what he considered gross carelessness on the part of the Sheriff's offic t first would grow until TP AMOUNTED TO 4 CRIME. In a case so important as was that against Tweed, where the temptation to escape was so strong, a8 in the progress of the case it must have become to him, there should not have been any leniency shown to him. The prison was good enough for him; be had been living well there and there was no good reason why he should have been permitted to go outaide its walla, Certainly not in the company in which he asually lef the jail and for the purpose mentioned. ‘The probabilities were that the movement to get him out with his relatives and friends simply to dino was commenced in order to allay suspicion gradually by the regularity of his retarn antil his absence would cease to excite as much concern as when he was first per- mitted to go. Even in that regard it was clear that by some means his influence over his keepers was vastly more than it should have been, and now that he had been permitted to escape it was clear that his Influence, in whatever manner he may have chosen to bring tt to bear, was superior to the virtue of some one Further consideration furnished the remark that {t ‘was not likely that he had been relieved from official charge early enough to havo been enabled to take any of the European steamers that left durtng the day, Mr. Peckham was certain, therefore, that if he had not secured a place on board a steamer that he would be hunted down, {f, a8 was believed to have been the case with Harry Genet, he tried to CONCRAL HIMSELF NBAR HOME, until search should coase inthis locality. “I shall,” said Mr. Peckham, “follow bim wherever he may have gone or go, anywhere this side of the tnfernal regions, for 1 do not care to follow him there, He must be found, however, and found he will be, either sooner or later, go where he may. Every effort will be mado to secure his return to the Court, and, if necessary, the effort will be a lasting one.” Mr. Peckham was now asked what effect the escape would have on the proceedings in court. His answer was that the proceedings would be con- tinued so far as they could be. A very serious feature of the caso as it now stands, however, was that the criminal proceedings could not be progressed unless he could be found and returned to prison. “How,” said the reporter, “will the effort to regain the stolen money be affected by his absonce?”” “Very seriously,” asked Mr. Peckham, ‘That he had & vast amount of property is well known. But the trouble is how to got at i, He had so covered up nis ownership of it that there was great difficulty in the way of reaching {t; in fact, almost the only hope was that by retaining him in prison we could force him to disgorge. In his absence, of course, that will bo exceedingly difficult, if not tmpossible, Thero- fore, he must be found, and found, I think, he will ba In the meantime, however, wo will go on with the caso as fully as we can, hoping for his capture to be ablo to complete, success- fully what bas been done thus tar and what can still be done, Whata reflection this is upon our officers! What ‘a disgrace itis to our government!" said Mr. Peckham, and then, having heard all of interest that he had to say on the subject at present, the reporter rotired. TWEED'S SECRETARY ABSENT, A Haratp reporter called at the Hoffman House last night to seo J, Foster Dewoy, Tweed’s private secre- tary, relative to the escape of the Boss, but that gen- tleman had not been at tho hotel since soven P, M., and no person know where he could be found. THE TWEED SUITS. Every reasonable presumption inclines, of course, to the supposition that the immediate cause Inducing Tweed to select the present time for his escape was his forthcoming trial, set down for to-morrow in the Supreme Court, This trial was of tho suit popularly designated as ‘the six million gui, It {8 one of the earliest suits instituted against bim, having tts incep. tion very soon after the unearthing of the gigantic frauds of the “Ring,” of which he was the reputed head and front. The echoes of that memorably defiant ; and now historic {nterrogatory, “WHAT ARB YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT Ir?” had hardly ceased their vibrations upon the astounded public car when proeeedings were begun to recover back some share of the stulen plunder. Difficulties pro- portionately gigantio with the gtyantio rebberics ob. structed this preliminary litigation, Titere was «long dispute over who wasthe proper prosecutor, and then the way® of the Corperation Counsel were a second sphMx Fiddle ” Bus there is no use at this late day ro- capitulating all the facta in detail, The “law's delays” have seldom found more cogent ilustrations, On the criminal suit Pweed went to Blackwell's Island. Seventeen months on that, not to him altogether in- Abraham, perhaps, But whorever gone, he js asking | hospitable place of sojourn, taught him that something OO could be done about it and that money 1s Laplhgisud nt to protect criminals. Relieved from the igno- ats of farther durance in the Penitentiary, bis position after all was but slightly improved. The INRXORABLE PETTERS OF THE LAW held him etill, with a firm, unrelenting grasp. Aspecial act, relieving the prior civil suit of its difficulties, bad been passed by the Legislature, the people were made the plaintiff and the State Attorney General was made the prosecutor. A new suit had been begun, and following his discharge upon the decision of the Cours of Appeals ectting aside the sentence of Judge Davis be was at once arrested under this new proceeding and bis bail promptly fixed at $3,000,000, From this point the story of the proceedings im con- nection with the ‘‘six million suit’? agaidst Tweed is a threadbare one enough. Scarcely a week has passed bat it has been before the courts in one form or another. There have been complaints and amended complaints, answers and supplcmental answers and motions and counter motions, AN OS84 ON PELION OF STRATEGIO SUBTRRPUGES. First came the motion to vacate the order of arrest or reduce the bath Failing in this was an application fora bill of particulara On the order of arrest and ball question the courte were inexorable, but the bill of particulars was ordored. The last was but a transient victory, for the order waa speedily reversed by the Court of Appeals, The same tribunal also sustained the lower Court tn refusing to reduce the bail Meantime similar proceedings, with like results, took place in regard to the so-called one million suit against Tweed. Allthe way through there has been a hand-to-hand fight between the opposing counse® It was a skirmish, it is true, but it was keenly, most bitterly fought THE GREAT BATTLE WAS TO BEGIN to-morrow, Tweed’s counsel had been disarmed. The caso had been put on thecalendar for trial Notice bad been given of ag intention to apply for a struck jury. ‘This was the hair that broke the camel’s back, What hope was there for Tweed? He availed himself of the only ground of hope left—flight, ACTION OF THE GOVERNOR. Superintendent Walling arrived at Police Head- quarters at about one o'clock this morning, having Just come from a consultation with Commissioner Matsell. The writer spoke to him to discover the yatest particulars in reference to the Tweed case and was told that Commissioner Matsell had sent information of Tweed’s escape to Governor Tilden, and had received an answer to. tho effect that the Governor would hold Sheriff Connor respon- sible for the $3,000,000 bail, in default of which Tweed was held, The Governor also declared that he would treat Sheriff Conner as if the latter were an accomplice of Tweed, until bis monetary resposibility was extinguished. It was understood later that Superintendent Walling bad sent word to the Captain of the police precinct in which Sheriff Conner re- sides to keep the latter official under surveillance. THE NEWS IN BROOKLYN. The news of the reported escape of William M. Tweed from his keepers created intense excitement !n Brook- lyn last night, and was the sole topic of conyorsation in circles where it was known. All the police stations and the Central Police Office wero thronged with per- sons making inquiries about the matter. The first tidings of the escape were received at Police Head- quarters at half-past seven o'clock in the following de- spatch:— OcctprxtaL Hore, N. Y. BROOKLYN :— k out for him, WILLIAM C. CONNER. The following despatch, from the New York Centra} Police Office, confirmed the intelligence :— To THe CrrEr or Poi Tweed has escaped, 8 P.M. ‘William M. Tweed has escal from Keeper Dune bam. ria cad T. Superintendent Campbell immediately sent the fol- lowing despatch to all the station houses:. To Oarrarn -——:— Look out for and arrest William M. Tweed; just es- caped from Keeper Dunham. Several detectives from the Central Office squad and those attached to the various precincts were despatched in search of the fugitive “Boss.” Sherif Williams, who was also tnformed of the escape, instructed a num- ber of bis deputies to be on the lookout for Tweed, THE NEWS IN PHILADELPHIA. Puttapeurmia, Dec. 4, 1875. Sheriff Conner, of New York, has telegraphed the authorities hore to look out for Tweed. COLLEGE ATHLETES. A CONVENTION FOR APPOINTMENT OF 4N ATH- LETIO ASSOCIATION. Sprivorte.p, Mass, Deo. 4, 1875. A convention of athietic college athletas, an athieti« association of American colleges, was orgapized this afternoon at the Massasolt House. There were repro sentatives from ten colleges, An ‘Athletic Associa tion of American Colleges” was organized at the Massasoit House this afternoon by delegates from ten colleges as follows:—Amherst, L. G. Beck; Columbia, Randolph Herny, James A. Renwick; Cor. nell, A M, Ensign; Harvard, G. W. Greene; Princeton, W. T. Kaufman, T. A. Marquand; Trinity, J. D, Mo 'W. ©. Skinner; Union, B.A. Heywood; Will- fal W. R. Platt, S. T. Stedman; Wesleyan, w. 'G Wallace; Yale, G ©. Webb, J. H: Hammond. The meeting came to order at half-past two, with Greene, of Harvard, in the chair) Marquand, Secretary. The committee for drafting a constitution was appointed, and the constitution was adopted after much discussion. The houso then se- lected the officers as follows:—G. 0. Webb, of Yale, President; Chairman of Committee on Games, Hussy, of Columbia; V. P. Greene, Secretary, and Plait, Treasurer, “4 ‘Adjourned to mect at Fifth Avenuo Hotel, New York, on January 4, at half-past ten A. A MURDEROUS HUSBAND, AN EXPRESSMAN KILLS HIS WIFE, ATTEMPTS THE MURDER OF HIS STEPDAUGHTER AND ANOTHER WOMAN. CizvELamp, Ohio, Dec. 4, 1875. About seven o'clock this morning William Aiden, aw Englishman, and an expressman for Cobb, Andrews & Co., who lived on Scranton avenue, quarrelled with his wife, and, becoming enraged, seized an axe and assaulted her, severing her head from her body and otherwise horribly mutilating her. He then went to the corner of Garden street, and there assaulted his stepdanghter with a hammer and an axe, cutting her in a fearful manner. A Mrs: Benton, whe attempted to interfere, was also badly injured with the same weapons. Both women are beyond all nop The house presents an awful appearance—dishes brokeu and cbairs upturned giving silent testimony to the fact of the terrible struggle. Aiden was arrested in Scranton avenuo while de- hberately settling up his affairs and locked up. The reason he gives for tho terrible act is that his wife, who was a widow when he married her, and his ste daughter were ‘stealing him out of house and home whon questioned further he said “he wished to put an end to all of them, for they drove him to it.’ Great excitement prevails here, PATRICK TOOHEY'S STORY. fire on last Wednesday night, at No. 31 Park street, and who has since been confined in the Tombs, was taken to the Morgue yesterday, where he made the subjoined statement to Coroner Croker, It will be seem that hig version of the affair differs materially from the statement which his wife made to Dr. Savage St the New York Hospttal just before her death "I reside at No. 31 Park street; the deceased, Margaret Toohey, was my wife. yn Wodnesday night 1 retired to bed about five o'clock, and do not know how long 1 was asleep, when I heard my Wife freaming. On getting up { saw her in flames. 1 fmmediately went to hor stance to extinguist the flames, but did not succeed. Juat then the neigh- bors came In, and, with their assistance, we succeeded in roo ont the fire, On the night aforesaid my wife and myself had been drinking freely, Whon I retired I was under the influence of drink, My wife was very drank. We wore in the habit of quarrelling oes On that night [ scolded her, but did not stri In my opinion her clothes must have caught fire while she was filling the lamp with kerosone ih My occupation is a laborer, 1 was last empioyed by Chichester & Co., at No. 10 Barclay street, but of Inte am out of employment.” ‘The inquest in the case will be held this week, ROBBING THE MAILS. William E. Brown, nineteen years of age, was yeo terday arrested by Officer Blackwood, of the Twenty: sixth precinct, for having at different tines stolen from the letter boxes In the Post OMce keys left iv them by the owners and opening the leiters, He has confessed to opening twenty letters, Ono letter addreser! to R. Vorea, of No. 85 Wall street, contained an order for $45, to which he forged the signa ¢ money. Ho was caught in the act of sinaly from the box of Robert Stobo, (rom wie « tara were stolen last works Patrick Toohey, who, it is alleged, set nis wife on