"DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, _Oct. 10, 1876_.
"To his Excellency SAMUEL J. TILDEN,
"_Governor of the State of New York_.
"SIR,--Referring to the letter which your Excellency
addressed to me from the city of New York on the 19th Septr. last,
with reference to the case of William M. Tweed, at that time
understood to be held in custody by the Spanish government, and to
the acknowledgment of that letter by the Acting Secretary of State
on the 21st ultimo, I have the honor to state that in the month of
July last there were received in this department duly authenticated
copies of two indictments, found in the Court of General Sessions
for the city and county of New York, against William M. Tweed and
others for forgery and other offences.
"In the month of June last a person believed to be Tweed, but
passing under the name of John Secor, had clandestinely landed on
the island of Cuba, and the authorities of that island, with the
sanctions of the Spanish government at Madrid, purposed to deliver
him to the United States, but he escaped from the island on or about
the 27th day of July, and sailed for a port in Spain.
"The Captain-General of Cuba despatched a steamer in pursuit, which
failed to intercept his flight, and on his arrival at Vigo he was
immediately arrested and placed in confinement.
"Instead of returning him to Cuba, the Spanish government decided
to deliver him directly to the United States, and placed him on
board the U. S. steamer _Franklin_, which left the port of Vigo on
or about the 28th day of September with Tweed, _alias_ Secor, on
board, under orders to sail for the port of New York, where she
may be expected to arrive some time from the 20th to the last of
this month. After the news of the arrest in Spain became known,
the sheriff of the city and county of New York also addressed me a
letter, stating that he had process against Tweed, requiring the
custody of his person in the county of New York, from which he
escaped in December last, and requesting such action on the part of
the government as will secure his return to answer the behest of
the process in his hands, and offering to bear all the necessary
expenses of conveying him to New York.
"The uncertainty at that time attending a surrender by the Spanish
government prevented any definite reply to the sheriff, or any more
positive answer on the subject than that which was addressed to you
on the 21st September.
"But now, as the person referred to has been actually delivered by
the Spanish government to the government of the United States, and
as no doubt seems to exist that this person, calling himself Secor,
is William M. Tweed, the President, in pursuance of the intention
with which he decided to receive him, deems it proper to place him
at the disposal of the authority of the State of New York, and
instructs me for that purpose to inform your Excellency, as Governor
of the State, that on the arrival of the _Franklin_ orders will
be given to the naval officers for the delivery of Tweed into the
custody of the sheriff of the city and county of New York, such
being the disposition theretofore requested by you in your letter.
"Inasmuch as such orders must necessarily pass through the proper
channels of the Navy Department and should be explicit, and in New
York awaiting the arrival of the steamer, to be executed immediately
upon such arrival, I venture to request the earliest possible
expression of any particulars or details which you may desire
carried out to insure the proper transfer of the custody of this
person into the hands of the authorities of New York, so that the
instructions may be in the proper hands by the 20th of this month;
and I venture to suggest that it may greatly tend to facilitate the
matter if no public information be given as to the details of the
matter.
"I have the honor to be,
"Your Excellency's obedient Servant,
"HAMILTON FISH."