Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1872-08-02
Grant Sold the Same Property Twice.

The Washington Transcript gives the fol-
lowing detailed account of a Transaction
short reference of which went the rounds OF
The press several months ago.
In November, 1868, Cen Grant entered
into n sealed contract with S. j. Bowen, then
Mayor Of this city, witnessing that he had sold
to sad Bowen his residence on | street. which
had. been presented him by A. r. Stewart,
Moses II. Grinnel, Thomas Murphy, General
Butterield and other citizens Of New York as
n future residence for himself and his family
The priced named in the contract with Mr.
Bowen was $40, coo. This contract was duly
recorded among the land records of this dis
trict and will be found in Liber d, No, T., To-
lios 10, etc. Having heard of this sale and
| the failure of its consummation we took the
trouble 10 examine the record, and find the
contract dated Nov. 81, 1868. and signed by
Kilbourn Il Latta, agents for Gen. U. S.
| Grant, "U. S. Grant, and rs. j Bow
en-" On the contract is a receipt duly signed
and stamped, for $1,000, which appears to
have been paid as 'earnest money" on the
signing OF the paper.
| The contract goes on to state that for the
sum Of $40, 600 the party of the first part Gen.
Grant, has sold lot three and four, in square
&c., the conditions Of payment being $1,000
on executing the contract, $4,000 on March 10,
| 1862 lat which time possession was TO be Civ
en- to Mr.. Bowen) and the remainder $3.50 000)
| in ten years. with interest at the rate of 6 per
cent annum. With this contract on record
unannuled with the ST. coo paid him by
Mr.. Bowen in his pocket, Gen. Grant, assum-
ing II military prerogative, subsequently sold
the property to Gen. Sherman for 500, 600,
received the cash, and executed and delivered
| deed for the conveyance of the same, thus
| pocketing $25 000 more than he WAS to have
from Bowen, who WAS legally and honestly
entitled to the property, and who could have
compelled Gen. Grant to deed it TO him even
after he had decided it to Gen. Sherman, had
he chosen to resort to the courts for justice.
Mr.. Bowen had been put to considerable ex-
pense for searching title, executing and record
ing papers, and Gen. Grant had the use of the
s. 900 for five months before it was repaid.
Not a penny of this has ever been refunded
and now we understand that Gen. Grant alb
solutely refuses TO pay the interest on the
$1,000 or any Of the expenses Mr.. Bowen incur
red, although he has several times been re-
qutstcd to do so. Were we to put in type
what has been told us by those who are be-
lieved to know whereof they speak, how Gen.
Grant apparently forgetting he had signed
the contract himself, denied his having au-
thorzed kilbourne & Latta to act for him
plead that he was mad when he sold the pro-
perty, as excuse for re-selling it; that he
had sold the property to Mr.. Bowen at too
low figure, told General Butterfeld he had
never sold the property TO Bowen, or signed
any contract or paper of any kind for its sale;
threatened Mr., Bowen with political ostracisn
if he did not concel the contract; how the
difference of S25 coo was used by Corbin in
gold operations prior to g Black Friday in
New York - the Infamous falsehoods that
have been circulated from the White House
concerning this transaction, etc. should we
attempt to publish all this our paper would
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