TWEED, William Marcy, politician, born in New York city, 3 April, 1823; died there, 12 April, 1878. He was the son of a chair-maker, and, after receiving a common-school education, learned the same trade himself. He assisted in organizing "Americus" fire-engine company No. 6, known commonly as "Big Six," and became its foreman; and it was his popularity in this capacity that first made him a power in local politics. He was an alderman of New York in 1852-'3, served in congress in 1853-'5, was supervisor of the city, and chairman of the board in 1856, school commissioner in 1856-'7, deputy street commissioner in 1861-'70, and state senator in 1867-'71. In 1870 he was appointed commissioner of the department of public works in New York city, and while in this office he organized, with others, the "ring" of which he was chief, he and his associates appropriating vast sums of public money. These corrupt practices were exposed, and on 28 October, 1871, Mr. Tweed was arrested on a civil suit that was brought by Charles O'Conor in behalf of the city. He furnished bail in $1,000,000, and in November of the same year he was elected to the state senate, but did not take his seat. On 16 December he was arrested on a criminal charge of fraud, but was released on $5,000 bail. The first of the suits against him was tried, 30 January, 1873, the jury disagreeing ; but on 19 November he was found guilty of fraud, and sentenced by Judge Noah Davis to twelve years' imprisonment on as many different counts (a year for each count) in the penitentiary on Blackwell's island, and to pay a fine of $12,550. In April, 1875, an action was instituted against him in behalf of the people of New York for the recovery of $6,000,000, and judgment was rendered for this amount with interest. On 15 June his further imprisonment was declared illegal by the court of appeals, on the assumption that the lower court had exceeded its powers in its cumulative sentence, and his discharge was ordered. He was then required to furnish bail in $3,000,000 pending the civil suits, and in default of this was confined in Ludlow street jail. He escaped on 4 December, 1875, succeeded in reaching Cuba, and thence went to Spain, where he was arrested by the Spanish government, and, being delivered to officers of the United States, was brought back to New York and recommitted to Ludlow street jail, where he remained a prisoner till his death.