O'Brien, so far as the writer can learn, has never clearly explained the inner facts of his defection. At all events there was no open break in the spring of 1871,* when Connolly and O'Brien still professed mutual friendship.

One morning O'Brien called at the Controller's office and asked that an employee be removed and that a friend of hisone William Copeland-be appointed to fill the place. O'Brien assured Connolly that Copeland was "all right " and "safe."

Connolly was in a dire state. He was equally afraid to grant or to refuse O'Brien's request. Perspiration streamed down the fat face of "Slippery Dick" and he looked pale and old. Eventually he consented, and Copeland was installed. No sooner was he at the books than, by O'Brien's orders, he began to make a transcript of the items of the Ring's frightful and fraudulent disbursements, mainly charged as expenditures on the courthouse, then building. He worked fast and overtime to get these, and within a brief period the evidence of a guilt so vast as to be almost incredible was in O'Brien's hands. Another man, one Matthew O'Rourke, in a similar manner had been installed as county bookkeeper, and in this position had also fortified himself with proofs of enormous frauds, chiefly in connection with armory rents and repairs. O'Rourke had been a military editor and was especially fitted for this job.

It was afterward testified that O'Brien used the Copeland documents to extort money from the Ring. O'Brien, on the other hand, has declared that he immediately took them to the leading papers of New York City and that, until he reached the Times, not one was to be found who would touch them. That O'Rourke has recorded a similar experience, would seem to verify O'Brien's claims. Whatever may be the facts in the case, the reports did not reach the Times until July.

Louis John Jennings, who, as we have noted, had maintained It has been claimed that this occurred in 1870. O'Brien has given it as above.

an unceasing warfare, was one night sitting in his office, wondering what move he could make next. Over and over he had branded Tweed and his associates as criminals, pointing out the frauds that must exist, daring the Ring to produce the city accounts. His life had been threatened, and more than once he had been arrested on trumped-up charges. Like Nast, he had been accused of almost every crime in the calendar,* and once a 'tough citizen" had suddenly entered the sanctum with the information that he had come to "cut his heart out." The disturber had been promptly kicked into the street, but the experience had been far from pleasant. Pondering as to the possibilities, and the probable rewards, of American reform, the sturdy Englishman began writing, when the door suddenly opened, and James O'Brien entered.

66

The men were known to each other and O'Brien remarked that it was a warm evening.

You and Nast have had a hard fight," continued O'Brien. "Have still," nodded Jennings rather wearily.

"I said you have had it," repeated O'Brien, and he pulled a roll of papers from an inner pocket." Here are the proofs of all your charges-exact transcriptions from Dick Connolly's books. The boys will likely try to murder you when they know you've got 'em, just as they've tried to murder me."+

Jennings seized the precious roll and sat up till daylight, studying it all out. It was only a day or two later that O'Rourke came in with the added documents, and was engaged by the Times to assist in making the great attack.

Among other things, Nast was charged with having fled from Germany to avoid military service. The reader will remember that he was six years old when he reached America. It is a curious fact that this battle for American reform should have been conducted by two foreign-born men, Jennings and Nast-one of England, the other of Bavaria.

Interview with Louis John Jennings, M. P.-London World, 1887.

TAXES FOR THE

FOVENT DURING THE WAR
TO PUT, THE DEMOCRATIC REBELD

GRAND FAGUEN TO TAR-PATES: "WELL, WEAT ARE YOU
GOLFO TO DO ABOUT IT T

gat and perilous times, stand-points must be taken
The Tammany Society propose to be governed by

ADDRESS OF GRAND SACHEM TWEED AT THE TAMMANY WIGWAM

(Illustrated by Nast)

Immediately it became known to the Ring that the proofs of its guilt were in possession of the Times, and an effort was made to buy them. A carefully verified report of this attempt was published in Harper's Weekly for February 22, 1890:

A tenant in the same building (the Times building) sent for Mr. Jones to come to his office, as he wished to see him on an important matter. Mr. Jones went to the lawyer's office, and, being ushered into a private room, was confronted by Controller Connolly.

"I don't want to see this man," said Mr. Jones, and he turned to go.

"For God's sake!" exclaimed Connolly, word to you."

"let me say one

At this appeal Mr. Jones stopped. Connolly then made him a proposition to forego the publication of the documents he had in his possession and offered him the enormous sum of five million dollars to do this. As Connolly waited for the answer, Mr. Jones said:

"I don't think the devil will ever make a higher bid for me than that."

Connolly began to plead, and drew a graphic picture of what one could do with five million dollars. He ended by saying: "Why, with that sum you can go to Europe and live like a prince.

"Yes," said Mr. Jones, " but I should know that I was a rascal. I cannot consider your offer or any offer not to publish the facts in my possession.'

On July 8 was published the first instalment of those terrible figures that, having once been made to lie, now turned to cry out the damning truth in bold black type-black indeed to the startled members of the Ring.

The sensation was immediate. The figures showed that an enormous outlay had been charged as " armory rents and repairs" which never could have been legitimately expended. Ten lofts, mostly over old stables, had been rented at a cost of $85,000, and though these lofts had not been used, an additional $463,064 had been charged for keeping them in repair. Ten other armories had been kept in repair for a period of nine

months at the trifling cost to the county of $941,453.86. The upper floor of Tammany Hall, worth at that time about $4,000

THE

"WE DANK TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.
WAY THEY LIVE LONG. SO THAT WAY
PROSPER
GROWING POORER."

The Ring staggered and began to dread a break on the part of its constituents. "Never mind," said Hall. "Who is going to prosecute?" But, behold, on July 12 came another stroke of ill-fortune-a bloody riot caused by the Orangemen's parade. The Mayor had forbidden the parade, at the behest of the Hibernian Society, and public indignation had flamed up at this blow to American liberties. Leading papers that had hitherto supported the Ring seized upon the Mayor's edict as an excuse for rushing to cover-fiercely denouncing Hall. Even Governor Hoffman rescinded the Mayor's order, though at the eleventh hour, promising protection to the little band of Protestant Irish.

BRINGING THE THING HOME.

THE TAMMANY LORDS AND THEIR CONSTITUENTS