The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-03-16
supreme Court.
r. r. B5UNUhs FINANCIAL OPERArToNS-HIs DIF-
EcuLirEs AND THEIR CAUSE, AS DETAILED BY

HcuLi'Es AND THEIR CAUSE, AS DETAILED
nsMsELF.
Jcs.ra Cu, tfsg rs Phireas r. Barnum- Esreser
Uksom as The Sc StmeGeo. A. Wells me Some-This 70
ssucpemtntai ,,roeeediDg. The examination was take
bssoss COUNSEL by order from Judge Roosevelt IN
.xsuinA ton obi Vted to by the defendants counsel
sr. w. Jerrsrd, Jr on the ground hat the sfidavi
which the order sotsned does not state that tn
jsnsnsnt cestor has s.v property whstever whici
usy be made the aeject Of examination, q
Iseosssd ssary by the stute to confer jurisdiction
aI B~lnum, in, srrossorss says:-I resid,
o. Pss<ns IN New York, and we no particular %
sen; am In DO business; ! wss ~ t,ms IN,
owner OF the contents Of what called BArnam's Mu
-eam; ! have owned Il for the last fourteen year,
ytw wn TO the 9th cay Of last No, cnoer, whom solo
u TO John Greenwood Jr., and II, sry ID. Butler; the
cosatidersuen double what "a We for IL; gave
sl2 COO, ana sold II ior s24,loo; | sold it ON
csdss cf seven years; took the Ivornissory note.
VI sbese parties, pa, able annually. Ve,ured by .
ctiesicu OF juf greut these notes have 10 my posses
ssoD and ready 10 make disp s,tlos ~ tuem
he Ccuys nsy direct; the contents o. this Msssua oad
~c fveptoried short time previouf for lh purpose
Insurance snd the sale effected In bona 6d
M such inventory Mo- Greenwood and Natter
pow In h' Actua posses, ion of the Museum; hare
rteress IN the daily receipts not arthirg; nc He Of
the building belongs the widow omsead and t~ wife
ct hJ saTgeaut, f Fisbk landing and the caugt OF
Mr. Olms,esd
Cross examined BY Mr.. J. ". wilson, own some real
assignment for the benefit Of my creditors
flbis question objected BY defendants counsel
on ne ground that under these proceedings he Court
csnpet compel any assignment convey OF real
Q WIN you specify WI the real estate il (object-
street and Broadway cwn about so by ao et in deoth
there is an incumbrance by way Of mortgage
and no above b i
think u would not bring much, If any more
than than the incInmbrsnce ,nI subject 70 my wiies
tie city Of New York; pie,e of property ia Bush
wick corssting Of 20 Of land which cost me S25
ALSO ESPECIALLY assigned for the benefit OF my creditors
and the real estate that have specially assigned Ii not
half enough TO pay the specific eeets for which such real
there were judgments against me to the amount of $2
O. What has become of your real estate In Connecli-
cuts Objected to- A. tits there yet; own IT.
kider had the control IL. that 1t worth rom
$500 COO TO $7CO0 gsged for between 5000 900
ano $500 eco, which is PROBABLY more than 1t would
bring at ced tae besides which In the hands Of
cannot 60 to Connecticut my creditors there
threaten to imprison me- and control of the
property there was very little stock in the place the
oxen fatened and sold, AID also sold the and
horses.
Q Please give me the details of your failure, the
amount Of your liabilities at the time and the value Of
your assets.
A. In June last considered myself fully worth $780,
600; the principal part Of my estate In Bidgport
Corn.; 1t consisted msstly Of building lots, houses
factories, &c.; have expended $50 GOO per aDnum
pally IN building houses, bridges, docks, openiug
At eets and planting trees &c. sold lots there on
proved by me In the month OF June 1866 sou,ractsd
with the jerome Clock Company upon certain conditions
to endorse and accept their paper for an amount little
posed, for renewals, until found at Iast my utter
amszenent, that my name their paper
paper was ssred BY me Il blank, co not % know that
there not 81 eco against me; they called In
December last to raise them $10O 900 in cash, by
fhauo
months and to psy all and sacrifice which mxds ~
the Ieaon with this intent borrowed to- them nearly
and Counties; but upon having business fsna T.
investigate the matter, he found them bankrupt,
and asc.si ed to me that was ruined beyond lS al
they would release from all labii.y; this they
found impsactica BILE was then compelled to sell the
debts also paid and secured Liza btes for the Clock Com
pany to the smount Of $50 000 my hands
tied my property Is stripped frem me, and my pow
O. Wher did you fall and what is the amount Of jour
liAb'liiess A. do not ider that have failed -
ng You mean MY Inability to pas oet dsS
that occurred IN Germany, cannot tell; my person
al liabilities is ties w;re .omething like sSooooo there
pose from half to million OF dollArs. The value of
my assets at that time subject to my CONTROL
fully $500 00 held Crystal Palace bonds to tbs amount
OF $50 COO $40 000 furniture In house In Come i
cut which cost eco bond against d. Beach for sl2
%d s money 90 IN. IN tv ns hsnd S
them by mortgage in Connecticut and BY Psquannock
Bank stock; had 67s lots in Cypress Hill Cemetery,
which Epii at $50 each; had debt against the Fire
ADnih1r Of 10000, besides other debts amounting to
several thousand dollars.
Q. What assets and property bave you now on hand
have three hun dred and fifteen Crystal Palace bonds
at $780, all the Cemetery lots and the claims against
Beach the Annh,lAtor Company, and others which
don't remember all the bonds for which mortgaged my
Connecticut land disposed of have claim against
Dunt' n & sherman for about $17 900.
Q. Please state the nature Of the csim against Dun
~ An iniu ion hrOu
sganst the Crystal Palace by Orson D. Mann and others
to their payifg to Duncan sherman the sum Of
get that Injunction removed by promising with plain
tiff, MIR. Sherman agreeing to indemnify against any
less by certain agreement to be made with Mann;
the agreement Mann sued me on 1t and recovered
Judgment the case Is still pending appeal but the
judgment is lien upon real estate in this city, and
oio Duncan 4 Sherman responsible for any amount
O. Have you any other claim due your if SO, please
rpecy the tame. A. have claim or Judgment on aen.
corsi.er good for about 81 000 Bateman is conducting
theatre At St. LOUIS have written out there lawyer
in reference thereto and am informed probably can be
phis Tepp for 81 900. (Mr. Barnum specifies several
other claims of tridpg anount.)
O. With regac to the Museum have you not since you
have owned It, greatly increased its value by repeated
improvements ar additions to ts coectonp A. 2pose
have sso eco in enarsug and Gee ,ratiug The
haf Of the lecture expires in year the
first of May next the entire contents thereo, would
mol pIOpdpy oIDB pl.VVV
O. ri, you not make large and valuable addition to
the contents Of the Museum by the purchase of the
Chinese collection at Philadelphia A. No cir it
belonged 10 to he susuem 1t hired high
rent Of the Of Alderman Peters Of this city.
O. When yon ssy you sold out all your interest in the
Museum fer S 000 does that include the good will of
the estabshment2 A. Yes what there is-but there is
not much good will to it, for the that the most
preftabe part OF the Museum must be broke up In
year.
@ Show me how you live and where you get your funds
for immediate use Iom cay to day. A. 1--we In fur
Ished house In Eighth street. OF this city and keep
bcaIders; and that Is the only of present sup
port except that ON furnished with meat by my SON.
inaw from Connecticut and vegetables raised last year
my farm in Connecticut. l have also some friends
lef who will not let stsrve this year. ] have
ceived letters from friends at distance Offering
to send me money.
Mr.. Rarnum then stated that he now owned pro-
perty in Alabama, but had mortgage slaves In
tennessee He had mortgage some real property In
Cleveland, Ohio, 10 secure debt Of $4,000, which
had been assigned to the estate Of s. f. Stratton,
the father OF General Tom Thumb. He added
own other property In any other part OF the
United taies except 600 worth o stock In the Water
vile Cutlery Company, which / consider worthless