Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-07-26
PRED GRANTS STORY.
The Statement Made by One Of the House
OF Grant & Ward.

Col. Fred Grants countenance wore a
careworn and pitiful appearance as he
said to a Wurld reporter:
eyes, l am absolutely pcnniless,'
said he in sad tones. Ward has
ruined uS all.
1.-The secret Of the whole trouble Is
the false representations made to lis by
Ward and his rashncss in speculation
When the firm WAS established, three
years ago, Fish and Ward represented
to my brother Ulysses that they We're
each worth at least $4,000. Ny bro
tler was possessed Of about the same
amount Of money. For n year the firm
did a good business. Ward so completely
won the confidence OF my brother that
he gave Ward the privilege Of signing
all the checks, Of looking after the
hooks, and, in fact, Of attending to
nearly all the business. Ny brother
was not so grossly negligent as the pub
lie have been given to understand. For
the past three wears, almost from the
very beginning of business, in fact, his
domestic affairs have consumed a greater
portion of his time. When the firm be-
gan business he was exceedingly atten-
tive to all its details. He Dor became
foolish enough to trust in Ward. When
my father and brother Jesse learned of
the success of the firm they both ill.,
vested large sums of money with it.
Ward assured them. that they would
have a bonanza
"a short time ago my father was in
duced to become q general partner. AT
the same time he placed something like
$4,000 in the firm. I came on from
Chicago about q year ago. My wealth
all told then amounted to about S57, coo.
| was introduced to Ward, and induced
by visions Of enormous profits promised
by him placed nearly the whole of it in
his hands for investment. Neither the
General, my brothers nor myself ever
took a cent from the firm, excepting for
actual expenses. Ward, on the con-
trary, has been living fast and taking ell
he could get. Although [ was hnt a GUS
toner, / on Tuesday morning last o n
sidered that [ was worth at least $780,
600, nearly all of which was on deposit
with the firm at the time of the crash.
/ must say that neither the General, my
brothers nor myself ever suspected that
Ward was specializing SO rashly as re-
cent developments indicate.
"Since the crash we have ascertained
that TO n person he would reveal start
ling intelligence of prospective profits
when possibly the money invested had
Tong age been lost. To another he
would confde the most alluring and de-
ceptive secrets in order to secure his
money for his own Investment. As far
back as two years agu wU lv~ra ta~t ho
had held out inducements to- investors
based upon the secret influence which
Gen. Grant had at Washington for Sc
curing profitable Government contracts.
When this report reached the ears OF
my father he communicated it to Ward
and threatened to withdraw from the
firm. Ward assured him that he had
ncver offered such inducements to any
one"
NOBODY NOW ANYTHING.
"IIave you any idea as to what the
assets of Grant g. Ward are Z"
None whatever. tThey do not know
themselves. We hafdly know where
tlrr\money is gone. For my part,
have been SO blind that Jam unable t'
say where the $500, 600 / had q week az,
is. ! suppose Ward could give more an
tllentic information upon the suhjec
than | can. All | know is that my br,
theirs and myself have lost eycrythin!
we had in Ward', blind pool Wha
mount that may be il still q mystery t
ne and many Others"
1t was sent TO her House.