Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-01-09
>nit Against Gcncral Grant.
BECGINs CLAWS slo.ooo p,s,Grs or rpE ,x
PRESIDENT

;
ASYLUM and subsequent TRANSFORMATION 30
Europe Tor which he claims slo.oa1 damages
was taken ur: Mcssrs. \. X. Browne, ioIn Il -.
Mcconnell aud II. II. t;OldsbnrouCh, counsel Tor
lhe pauilE. aud NeSSrS. \. :. WOuhia <tOn ana
A. {. Htald Tor defendant.
7uE Jury
The following were selected As fHr iufy.-.
James 'so0ilfd. ". Scott Chew. Edward &
Younger. James I. oyster. Mlgl3fn "A t-a,int--
ten, John tamtnac6. John 4. Lewis. Henry J.
tilef. Charles Gran. John tas5. GrGr-, T.
RChrer. samuel h. Clements.
orkNfNG >TA4ENENr FOR rIa-NTgrp
MI. hruNEe OPENED the ol~c. stating .nat the
pdlhliU brought this suit IN NaIcH. 80: that
he was citizen ci The District. and had Tor M
teen years been successful grocer ana had
accumulated about s2ou,a worth of property
BY those who kseW him best hC had been re-
gaTdCd - u pClvC2h!G. quiet. good fuTri man
The defendant was perhaps the most popular
man now living. Counsel then rccnUutcd that
The piainiu WAS uNc led INTO a carriage. taken
10 tie police headquarters, kept IN y co... over
night. then sent In the insane Sylun where,
he was kept for eight months. during which
time. when asking about his release. hc WAS
lold thai unless lac would consent II ~ -
Europe he would not be released. and he finally
consented: tiai he was then taken IN hiS home.
when he badc lis family farewell and was then
taken 10y guard 10 New York who accomna-
med him 10 Europe being compelled Ia nav noi
only his Own expenses. but those of hS guard;
aiid ht returned II his home December 24th
lst+. They we're satisfied that they had A good
case. He ilnther sad that they expected 10
prove thal me arrest was made AT ths instance,
OF The defendant
The defence waived their opening
TESTIMONY or THE rG.rNTIr.
Inc plaintiff. ThoS. higgins a Father tine
Io"hing man OF about 81 or - wear, of a.re.
weighing ia the ncighborhood of pnn pounds
Wa sworn ana testified that he h0l resided
mere - years ana was doing business AZ fbs
corner oi I'D and streets aud had consider
AZ az piol,eItS M that neishoorhond; tha; on
the 2iSt a. March. lN14, he WAS arrested taken
10 EeadquarlelS. placed in ccIl whp-e ne Was
htl1 uhtll icNt morning, when he 3vas called
tul ana tW0 doctors questioned him and a..
MAS somewhat excited and they rof1 MIN a.,
was GONG Ia The aSN Uin. and they were going
10 take hlm there. He was taken over There
and llr. Chase said he had orders To keep him
uhtlI ne had further orders lie had 10 20 10
Europe before he could get away from there
MI. McEUi eSh was the party Who arrested him
and tod lin that he had 10 20 to he insane
asylum. and witness said he would like to have
Il tllal on II. MCEilreSh said his orders NPre Ia
take bllu 0Ncr. lie estimated hi~ damages to
business ana expenses Al nine or ten thousand
dollars. MT. NOrthlngion-Thcn there has
Ueel multiplication by Ia Witness then rX-
p'alned that during his absence some oi his
teLants Jailed 10 pay rent. The party Who
went with him from the asy lum was one Ryan
Cross-cNanined by Mr.. Worhlnyion-IIad
seen Gen. Grant before tie arrest once. M IN.
Treasury; saw him TWO or three times about
BUSINESS. Gen. Grant had sent several ines
sageS 10 him about business. once bv Il lady
then by her husband. Witness went 10 see him
IN ponSe 10 these messages.
Mr. GOldsbOrOugh wanted 10 know Wndf yyuS
the Object Of these questions
listening.
MI Wolthington said that they were irving
TO lind whether there was probable cause Tor
the arrest.
The Court said these questions were peril
henl, ana they were going TO nud out all
The plaintiT noted an exception.
Witness resumed. and said that the meSSen-
ger said Gen. Grant wanted 10 make a settle
= i,.ttH - "a n
was about. lie sent a lawyer after linl-I.aw-
yer hruIy-to ind out what il WAS about. Don't
femelHber that he made out a statement and
gave IL TO Mir. Drulg. Witness asked General
Grant what ii was about, and he said at one
time he didn't know what il was about. IJwas
Mrs. Cunningham who first brought the mes
sage, and then Mr. Cunningham came MIR.
Cunningham said that Gen. Grant had told his
Wife To tel Mrs. Cunningham 10 tell her hus-
band 10 tel him (witneSS) that hc would paw
hlm $1,000 or something like that. Don't think
he told tie officers or the asylum people about
the claim. Witness TccoectS being before a
Congressional committee. (rhe plaintiff again
objected, but was OVefTuled) witness was
only eight days in Europe; recoll"cttti that h,
was before the committee: did not tell him
that Gen. Grant came through Tie keyhole
MIS-. cunningham Il now dead, bGt Nr. Gun
ningh2m is living. Gen. Grant had big Stick
and threatened something on the Thursday be-
fore the arrest. When he went 10 Gen CRAM
TO see what the messengers meant he got no sat
lsfact.Un as 10 what was meant by the claim
RecollectS Df. Elliot and Magruder were TO see
ltg tLtln about the Claim he had seiISt ten.
GIANT.
WHAT DETECTIVE NCELFRESH KNOWS AF0TT Ir.
George :. McElfreSh testified hat he was
detective officer and on the 2lSt OF March, 1874
with NeSSr> ClarNOe and Sargent. np arrested
plaintiff. II was al the Instance Of President
Grant CrCSS-eXamlned:-AbOu four DAYS pre-
yiOusly lie received a note from the private
secretary Cf the President. and ia compliance
he went 10 see the President, who said. thas Tor
four or hvt weeks man had been following
him. and II had become annoying Witness
suggested that they follow hn in his walks.
and they did 80 Tor several days. The President
said he could not remember The mans name
and the last time lac saw him was In front of a
magistrates Office, above Eth street. He twit-
ness Mentioned the name OF Justice prury.
Wh' he President said that was the name OF
lawyer who had presented the mans
claim. They then told the President that
he uhe PrcSidenU need give himself no
further trouble, "a they-would md out
about il. Witness subsequently SAW Mr.
Drury, and asked him about, when he laughed
This interview was in front OF tie Riggs
House, and fIOm what he learned the arrest
was made. MI. DTuTy going with them. The
President had stated that Biggin> was eI ident-
ly insane: that he had accused hlin q III PreSi-
dent OF entering his house, ana ne lad asked
BigginS how he could get in his house II he
locked IL up. and higgins said he Thc PreSldentl
came through the keyh0le. Mr.. sargent con-
verSed with higgins. The bO0lS showed thai
he was arrested for threats. Gen. Grant did
not direct The arrest, but simply said he would
Ike 10 have The annoyance stopped, and VIII
hess said lie would do il. They took Biggins TO
heaGaUarerS and intended 10 have him exam
fned. Witness thought the man was ulSOund
III mind. With Mir. Sargent witness took plain
ufi to the insane asylum; did not have a com
mitmenj then, but the papers were forwarded
the next Gay. Defendant had nothing 10 do
with plaintiff being sent TO the insane asylum.
on the way over higgins asked where they were
taking him, and they said tO q note! across the
river where he could stay until lie got his
money. He appeared well pleased and taking
a half dollar out OF his pocket handed IL 10 wit
ness, telling him 10 treat his friend when he
came back, and witness did 80 ana got drink.
Laughter
Re e-dfrect:-WitneSs had no warrant then.
RYAN'S TESTIMONY.
Francis Ryan testified that he is employed at
the Insane asylum; was there in ls14; knew
BiggfnS. who was there from April TO NOyen-
Der 20; on the afternoon OF the 18th witness
went with BigglnS 10 his house 10 give him an
opportunity TO settle his affairs; he was there
three hours. and returned TO the asylum and
the next day went 10 New York: saw him aboard
the steamer. and saw him sail; higgins paid the
expenses OF witness.
Mr.. Morthington stated that they had not yet
shown defendant S connection with the sending
10 Europe.
Mr.. Goldsborough.-We shall contend that if
he was Illegally arrested he was responsible for
the consequences.
Mr.. WoIIhington.-Then II he was decaptated
over there defendant should he held fOrmurder.
At this point-l2 30-the court ordered a recess
for thirty minutes. remarkfng that they should
come prepared 10 go on with the case or 20 out