ation of the armoury expenses furnished by O'Rourke
created a sensation, but the excitement over the Copeland evidence
grew into a fierce tempest. These figures, carefully tabulated and
printed in large type, showed that the new courthouse, incomplete and
miserably furnished, involved a steal of $8,000,000. One plasterer
received $38,187 for two days' work. Another, during a part of two
months, drew nearly $1,000,000. A carpenter received $350,000 for a
month's labour. A single item of stationery aggregated $186,495, while
forty chairs and three tables cost $179,729. In supplying aldermen
with carriages, mostly for funerals, two liverymen earned $50,000 in a
few days. Advertising in city newspapers amounted to $2,703,308.
Carpets purchased at five dollars per yard would cover City Hall Park
three times over. As these disclosures appeared in successive issues
the people realised that a gang of very common thieves had been at
work. It was a favourite method to refuse payment for want of money
until a claimant, weary of waiting, accepted the suggestion of
Connolly's agent to increase the amount of his bill. This turned an
honest man into a conspirator and gave the Ring the benefit of the
raise.[1286]

[Footnote 1286: New York _Times_, July 21, 1871.]

On September 4, 1871, a mass meeting of indignant citizens, held in
Cooper Union, created the Committee of Seventy, and charged it with
the conduct of investigations and prosecutions. Before it could act
vouchers and cancelled warrants, covering the courthouse work for 1869
and 1870, had been stolen from the comptroller's office.[1287] This
increased the excitement. At last Connolly, to escape becoming a
scape-goat, appointed Andrew H. Green deputy comptroller, and the
Governor designated Charles O'Conor to act in behalf of the
Attorney-General. Thus the Committee of Seventy passed into complete
control of the situation, and under the pressure of suits and arrests
the Ring rapidly lost its power and finally its existence. On October
26, 1871, Tweed was arrested and held to bail in the sum of
$1,000,000, Jay Gould becoming his chief bondsman. Soon after Sweeny
retired from the Board of Park Commissioners, Connolly resigned as
comptroller, and Tweed gave up the offices of grand sachem of Tammany,
director of the Erie Railway, and commissioner of public works. Of all
his associates Mayor Hall alone continued in office, serving until the
end of 1872, the close of his term.[1288