Thomas C. Fields

Thomas C. Fields
Member of the New York Senate
from the 7th district
In office
1864–1865
Preceded byRichard B. Connolly
Succeeded byThomas Murphy
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the New York County, 19th district
In office
1870–1872
Preceded byJosiah Porter
Succeeded byJames A. Derring
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the New York County, 17th district
In office
1863–1863
Preceded byEdward Jones
Succeeded bySidney P. Ingraham Jr.
New York City Park Commissioner
In office
1870–1872
Central Park Commissioner
In office
1857–1870
Personal details
Born(1825-11-09)November 9, 1825
St. Lawrence County, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 25, 1885(1885-01-25) (aged 59)
Saint-André-d'Argenteuil, Quebec, Canada
PartyDemocratic
SpouseAnnie E. Smith (m. 1847)
OccupationLawyer, politician

Thomas Craig Fields (November 9, 1825 – January 25, 1885) was an American lawyer, politician, and member of the Tweed Ring from New York. He served in the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate, and later became a fugitive from justice, dying in exile in Canada.

Fields was born on November 9, 1825, in St. Lawrence County, New York.[1] He studied law in Delhi, was admitted to the bar in 1846, and practiced in New York City.[1]

In 1847, he married Annie E. Smith.[1]

Political career

Fields was a member of the New York State Assembly (New York County, 17th District) in 1863.[2][3]

He was a member of the New York State Senate (7th District) in 1864 and 1865.[2]

He served again in the State Assembly (New York County, 19th District) in 1870, 1871, and 1872.[1]

Park Commissioner

Fields served as a Central Park Commissioner from 1857 to 1870 and as a New York City Park Commissioner from 1870 to 1872.[4]

Tweed Ring and impeachment involvement

Fields was a member of the Tweed Ring, the corrupt political organization led by William M. Tweed.[1]

During the impeachment of New York State Supreme Court Justice George G. Barnard, among the charges it was noted that Barnard denied alimony to Annie E. Fields on behalf of her husband.[5]

Fleeing justice

In October 1872, Fields fled the country to escape prosecution for his role in the Tweed Ring. He first went to Cuba, then to Europe, and finally to Canada.[6]

In May 1873, a verdict was returned against Fields at the suit of the People for $554,062.73 in connection with the firemen's claims.[7]

Death

Fields died while a fugitive from justice on January 25, 1885, at his residence "The Priory" near St. Andrews in Saint-André-d'Argenteuil, Quebec, Canada. He was 59 years old.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Thomas C. Fields Dead" (PDF). The New York Times. January 26, 1885. p. 5. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Hough, Franklin Benjamin, ed. (1870). The New York Civil List. pp. 443, 498.
  3. ↑ Murphy, William D. Biographical Sketches of the State Officers and the Members of the Legislature of the State of New York in 1862 and '63. pp. 317–318.
  4. ↑ "NYC Park Commissioners". NYC Parks. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Documents of the State of New York Volume 6 - Charges Against Justice George G. Barnard, and Testimony Thereunder, Before the Judiciary Committee of the Assembly". Weed, Parsons and Company, Printers. 1872. pp. 8–9. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Tom Fields Gone" (PDF). The New York Times. October 12, 1872. p. 1. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  7. ↑ "The Firemen's Claims; Verdict Against Thomas C. Fields at Suit of the People for $554,062.73" (PDF). The New York Times. May 21, 1873. p. 1. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.