a village schoolmaster, and gave him a good common school
education. He was brought over to this country by an elder brother who
had been here for several years. He embarked in politics at an early
day, and was elected County Clerk before he could legally cast his vote.
He soon made himself noted for his facility in making and breaking
political promises, in consequence of which he was popularly called
"Slippery Dick." He gave considerable dissatisfaction to his party as
County Clerk, and soon dropped out of politics. A few years later,
taking advantage of the divisions of the Democratic party, he put himself
forward as a candidate for the post of State Senator, and was elected, as
is charged by the newspaper press, by the liberal use of bribery and
ballot-box stuffing. He was charged with using his position to make
money, and during his term at Albany was fiercely denounced for his
course in this and other respects.

[Picture: RICHARD B. CONNOLLY.]

About three years ago, he was appointed Comptroller of the Finance
Department of the City of New York. At that time the real heads of the
Finance Department were Peter B. Sweeny, City Chamberlain, and the late
County Auditor Watson, the latter of whom has been shown by the recent
investigations to have been a wholesale plunderer of the public funds.
The Comptroller was then a mere ornamental figure-head to the department.
In a short while, however, Watson was accidentally killed; and Sweeny
resigned, leaving Connolly master of the situation. He was suspected by
Tweed, and in his turn distrusted the "Boss." It is said that he
resolved, however, to imitate his colleagues, and enrich himself at the
cost of the public. He did well. In the short period of three years,
this man, who had entered upon his office poor, became a millionaire. He
made his son Auditor in the City Bureau, and gave the positions of
Surrogate and Deputy Receiver of Taxes to his two sons-in-law. All these
three were men of the lowest intellectual capacity, and all three share
in the suspicion which attaches to Connolly's administration of the
office. The _New York Tribune_, of October 25th, 1871, stated that a
short time before he became Comptroller, Connolly was sued for debt by
Henry Felter, now a liquor merchant on Broadway, and _swore in court that
he owned no property at all_. Under this statement the _Tribune_
publishes a list of _a part_ of Connolly's transactions i