"Aside from these public considerations, I have private reasons which you would admit sufficient, if I could trouble you with them, to prevent my acceptance of the nomination. I should deeply regret it if these, in fact, interfered with the success of our party, but I am sure such is not the case. I regard them as insuperable, and I have written Mr. Manning a note, of which he can make public use, declining to have my name used at the convention.
"I write this that you may first and at the earliest moment know of my conclusion.
"Yours with the greatest respect,
"Samuel Hand."
THE SHERIFF OF NEW YORK CITY TO TILDEN
"Sheriff's Office, City and County of New York,
"September 14, 1876.
"To his Excellency Samuel J. Tilden,
"Governor of the State of New York:
"The recent publications in the newspapers of the capture of William M. Tweed, at Vigo, in Spain, are confirmed by a private telegram received by me.
"There are several indictments for forgery, found by the Grand Jury of this county, against said Tweed, which were untried at the time of his escape on the 4th day of December last.
"He was also at that time in my custody, under an order of arrest, issued in a suit commenced against him by the people of the State of New York, in which a judgment has since been perfected in an amount over $6,000,000, the execution on which has been returned wholly unsatisfied.