Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-01-11
The Man Who Tried TO Impeach
Grant.

The Man Who Tried TO Impeach
Grant.
Fernando Wood recently under.
took to have Congress impeach Pres
ident Grant. 10 the Congressional
library at Washington, the official
catalogue Of its books has one with
this title:
History Of the private, political and official
yilIanies Of Fernando Wood, svo.New York,
[ls57.l
A gentleman asked of one of the
librarians, to see that book, when
the following dialogue ensued:
ave haven't got it, sir, 1t has been stolen
out Of the library was the reply.
''By whom"
"By Mr. Fernando Wood. He sent for that |
volume one day, and has persistently refused |
20 return it, although we have made frequent |
demands for it,
.'What reason does he assign for retaining |
the book y
He SAYS he won't permit any such book to
exsist if he can help it, and therefore stole 1t.
"But is there no way of compelling restitu-
ton :"
"Oh. YES, We could do so by invoking the
power of the courts, but we are so busy that
we have had no time to attend TO the matter
We may do so one Of these days, however. IL
is bound volume of miscellaneous pamphlets,
Won know so that there are other pamphlets
in it besides the biographical sketch OF Mr.:
Wood. In my opinion, it is clear case OF
petty larceny
The gentleman then sent to New
York aud obtained copy of the book
1t begins a with review of Woods
private life, in which the fact is stat
cd that his mother in-law bequeathed
certain pictures by eminent artists to
tho Corcoran Gallery at Washington,
in her will stating that her object in
this disposition was to preclude the
possibility of their desecration by
falling into the hands of Fernando
Wood, late Mayor Of Now York.
In 1913 Wood formed partner
ship with Edward Marvine, by means
of a forged letter purporting to be
written by L. o. Larkin then U. 5.
Consul at Monterey. When Marvine
agreed to the partnership Wood per-
shaded him to pay $4,000 for one
half of an old worn out bark that
Wood had purchased entire for $4,000
representing that he had paid SlZ'
900 in cash. This deception was
brought about by means OF forged
bill of sails. He then made purchases
of goods of various parties to ship to
CaIifornia. He sent the bills of pur-
chase to Marvine, having first altered
the figures from small sums to large
ones. Marvine discovered the i'm.
positions and brought suit against
Wood. The accounts were put into
the haads of William NJ. E7arts,
Henry Hilton, Gen. John Cochrane,
all names of national repute. as re-
fereea. On the trial Wood swore to
declarations which were proven TO
be periuries. He produced man
named Tho1. S. Larkins who swore
that ne wrote the letters with which
Wood had deceived Marvine, but
Marvine proved that this Larkius
was not then in California and that
Ia could not write in the hand they
were written. The referees report
established these facts and other
such. The case was appealed and
again went against Wood. Wood
was indicted. The indictment was
three years after the crime and
Wood pleaded the Statute ofLimi-
tations.
Ia bank account he defrauded
the bank by use of check that did
not belong to him. This also was
proved against him, on trial, by re-
ferees
10 1857 when Mayor of New York
he used his position in such way as
to alarm the people and they sought
and obtained protection through The
Legislature. He then sent q mes
sage to the Common Council recom-
mending the secession of the city
from the State. This resulted in q
bloody riot and ended by Woods
being put down by means of the bay
onets of the famous 9Th Regi.
ment. He was then arrested on
twenty different indictments. He
got out of these sorspes by help OF
his own and others perjuries, which
were SO glaring that the Judge in
discharging him spoke in severe lan~
guage Of the absolute falsehood and
and perjury he believed him guilty of.
The book goes on to review his acts
in filching from the city treasury va
rious sums ranging from $4,000 to
$40, 900, all proven. 1t has been
shown that he was in the habit of
selling offices which were at his dis
posaI. He frequently appointed the
lowest sort of characters to positions
of trust, most OF whom became de-
faulters in large sums. He leaned
money on valuable property to Ste
,han A Douolas. and sfter Douglas |