The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-17
PrNANcIER FREDERICK WARD.
How He Kept Gen. Grant and Mr.. Fish
Apart to Further His Schemes.
..o..h,.,, Nav YORK Letter.

Of the Marine Bank, whose failure was the first
Of the fiscal troubles in this quarter. For sew
eral years 1 had kept small account in this
bank, and lost few dollars by its shutting up
The president, Mr.. James D. Fish, had known
for years. Seeing the bank open as ] went by,
walked in and inquired what they were doing
was told if had any claim which had been al
ready settled on the pass book that must prove
it Proving found, meant swearing to bal
ance already drawn for me by one of the re-
ceivers clerks. swore to this balance, yet
even here an oath is rather too severe thing to
put to man. know that had little money,
and guessed what it might be over Like most
men with banks kept the general figure only
in my mind Now, suppose l had refused to
swear that every dollar and every cent in that
balance was true, from my own ignorance, the
law might not have allowed me to take my
money I did swear because had to trust the
book-keepers Yet some bitter enemy might
have made that oath perjury. This shows US
that we should be somewhat liberal in our opin-
ions Of each other An oath has to be made to
every sort of paper in any way connected with
the law, and yet in nine cases out of ten the
oath only means that the man himself ID of the
impression that the figures are right
looking young man, whom had taken for the
perfect ideal of receiving teller, called me
from another window and said he would make
up my claim. then was taken to another man
and sworn. IA forth man gave me a certificate
of the amount of deposit, and said that the divi-
dend would soon be declared and notice would
be sent me- Everything seemed orderly. l
looked around that bank, where had been so
often when it was the center of enterprise,
vivacity and confidence, and thought in the
wards of old John of Barneveldt: What, then,
Is MANI
The president Of the bank had several ODE
Aient sons and brother or two in possession
there They were all orderly, methodcal men,
none of them spectators. The Christmas be-
fore the bank failed the sons received presents
from their father. each getting more than my
father ever owned in all his life. Isuppose that
this money was put into the bank stock and lost,
for / said to my friend: lis Mr.. Fish worth
anything nowp
Nothing at all Idon't suppose he could pay
for suit Of clothes"
Has he any prospects in businessP
II hardly see where. He may yet be trustee
for one or two estates which he managed for
many years. and which have nothing to do with
his own failure
Have his sons got anything leftl'
II doubt whether they have anything. He
had one son in business, but am afraid that
business has not been as good Of late. An
other son is laboring in this estate, trying
to straighten it out The boys and the father
*,
ever they separately had they put it right in
here, and down it went with Mr.. Ferdinand
Ward
Said I: ''What has become Of the paying
telerqo
s'Ah, that was Mr.. Fishs own brother,
John. That is a very hard case He had
saved his salary since he was boy, with the
idea of retiring when he got $4,000. He
meant to go back to Connecticut and spend
the close Of his days modestly on a little
competence. He had about $37, 900 in this
bank-every cent in the world. When the bank
closed its doors it cut him off from all his saw
ingss
clerical force had not the least idea of what was
coming
You are right said the receiving teller
1--WE had twenty-five clerks in this bank. We
had rs fine an organization as ever was seen
in this country. Every clerk had to give bond.
We know our affairs from long habit. had
been nearly eighteen years in the bank and
was president of the Bank Clerks Insurance
Company. Now all those young men, with
the exception of three Of us who are here
helping the receiver, are walking the streets
They have lost their positions and their money
too, and at the present time can find nothing
to do
Said l. rs it to the prejudice of any clerk in
m unfortunate bank when ne tries to find work
alsewherel'
1T ought not to be- because no clerk in this
bank was guilty Of any act of omission COM
luI6SIOD, yeb IN my OWL case a Ir1e0Q some IlIQ6
ago asked me to write to certain warehouse
man for the place of cashier. / received no re-
ply. When l asked my friend why got none
he said that had been in this bank OF course,
there is nothing to do but to submit to such an
unjust reflection as that am acquainted with
the banks of New York, and / am sure that
when the Marine Bank failed it had a staff not
surpassed in this city in efficiency and charac-
teri
'How do you account for it?p said l. Chow was
Mr. Fish so deceiyedfn
'sWhy, thi young Ward played one Of the
deepest gam es ever known in swindling He
got hold Of General Grant on one side and the
benefit of his acquaintance and reputation He
got hold Of Nj. Fish on the other SIDE and the
benefit Of his commercial standing and capital
can now look back and see through his game
from beginning to end. Having got those two
men, one on each side of him, he kept them
from each other. That was the study of years
with that man, that General Grant and Mr.
Fish should never have any confden-
tial communications with each other
If they had got together ten minutes
they could Laye discovered his duplicity In
point of fact they barely know each other Con-
sequently Ward told Mr. Fish that ne was max
ing all that money, or most of it, out of govern
ment business, which Grant influenced for the
firm, and that General Grant was a little proud
and sensitive on the subject, and it ought not to
be preached. On the other hand. he told Gen.
eral Grant that the money was being made in
banking, bonding and other enterprises, which
were ratn0r Oeilcale matter with Mr. FISH as q
bank president. SO Fish thought the money was
coming from Grants side, and Grant thought it
was coming from Fishs side
THAT is a most remarkable statement" said
J. How do you know that he desired to keep
them apart
ssWel will give you one illustration have
thought back over this matter since the collapse,
and what am about to tell you isNas clear to me
rs that sunlight The Erie railroad had made
the Marine Bank its fiscal agency The bank
paid of the employees, raised the funds to meet
payday, etc A little excursion party was got
up among the Erie people to go to Niagara Falls
and make q little round, and General
Grant and Mr.. Fish were both asked
10 60, and both had accepted When
Ferdinand Ward heard of this he tried
IN evesg way he could to break the excursion up
He ga that Fish and Grant would get together
An that io,,rna,t MIGHT com I'll,