William Tweed, born April 3 1823 in New York City started out his career as a chair maker, but then got intrigued with politics. William served as an alderman in 1852 and 1853 and as a congressman 1853 and 1855. In 1870 Tweed was appointed as commissioner of public works in New York. With this power he could practically rob the city of New York blind. He could buy something for five dollars, yet sell it to the state for fifty. Tweed also organized the building of City Hall Park. Originally estimated to cost $350,000, by the time it was finished, expenses had reached $13,000,000. William did many more acts like this, and for a long time never was caught.
Thomas Nast, a cartoonist from the Harper Weekly was informed of the frauds that Tweed had been pulling. With the information he was given he started a campaign against Tweed and reveling all of his wrongful acts through his cartoons. When William discovered this, he was enraged.
With these cartoons out in public, people started to become suspicious. On 21st July, the New York Time’s published the records of the New York County ledger books. It showed that thermometers were costing $7,500 and brooms were being charged at an amazing $41,190 apiece. Tweed's friends were specially made to do the work. George Miller, a carpenter, was paid $360,747 for a month's labor, whereas James Ingersoll received $5,691,144 for furniture and carpets.
All of these things finally got some New York Officials to look further into the things he was doing and formed a committee. William (Boss) Tweed was arrested for corruption He was suppose to spend twelve years in prison, but because of all of the money he had stolen from New York City he was able to escape from it and flee to Cuba. From one of the cartoons Nast had made mocking Tweed an American who was in Cuba at the time recognized Tweed and turned him into the police who arrested him and sent him back to the United States. Tweed died in prison April 12 1878 at the age of 55.
I'm very happy that he got caught. I was really supprised that he didn't have to return the money. Hey got out of jail because he paid his way. That was shocking. I was curious as to why he died in jail though.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAtweed.htm
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