Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-21

mad time 10 make an examination Vi INC
books and papers. / have been IN MI:
Grants Office a great deal to-day. but it
will take some days 70 ascertain Wnat ali
the liabilities amount TO-"
"Win they amount to $3.50, OoOf'
II think not. but my opinion is not hay-
ing made an examination Of the books
that they will be $4,000 less than the sum
YOU have named"
sWhen do YOU think Mr.. Grants trou-
bles began"
.sWell, not a year ago, as has been init
mated. but about three months ago.
''What do you think was the chief cause
Of the embarrassmentE
sHe made advances on turpentine and
rOsin and failed to realize an amount suf-
dcient to make the advances gOod.'
Ibid not Mr.. Grant borrow $4,000
from yous"
yes. sir: but not all Of that amount at
one time, nor recently
linen you loaned him money first
several months ago, and other amounts
afterwards: ?"
Yes. l loared him money because
he was my friend. In fact, we were like
brothers, and l believed his credit good
and his character unassailable."
"There are different stories IN clrcula-
ton as to the time when Mr.. Grant left
here. Do you know when and how he
went away;"
u do not know how he went away nor
when, except from hearsay."
MR.. GRANT SHOWS THAT HE Is WORRIED.
About a week ago a gentleman arrived
here from Brunswick, Ga, and called at
Grants office. where he and Grant lad
private interview. The gentleman was
the Overseer on Grants rice plantation
on the Altamaha river, Were there was
a considerable quantity Of rice, which
Z a nd
housed. and which. it appears,
was destroyed by fire about ten days ago
hut was fully covered by insurance. Early
last week the Overseer, it is said, sent
Grant a telegram giving some details of
the loss. and mentioning that he Grant,
would have to come to the plantation to
see what the losses were and look over
other matters. This dispatch Grant
| exhibited to several gentlemen during
/ the week, to whom he mentioned that he
I would have 10 20 away probably on Fri
/ day. On Wednesday evening Grant was
/ clOseted with MS lawyer several hours IN
1 Grants Office, on Bay street, Alter the
lawyers departure, Grant appeared to
/ he detected, and when asked by callers at
! his office what was the matter. CON-
/ planned of feeling unwell and of suffering
| from headache. On last Thursday after
room he was again cl0seted with his
! lawyer some time.
/ On Friday it was remarked by those in
/ his Office that he was in more eXuberant
/ spirits than he had been Turing the two
I previous days. and it was then thought
/ that his detection was caused by some
i physical aIlment. No one in his
I office ever dreamed that he had
/ any financial trouble. Friday
4 evening be went away, Ostensibly to
/ Brunswick to look after the plantation,
/ and nothing further was thought Of the
matter by those in his office until some
/ account Of his disappearance and his af-
/ fairs came to light in the News.
1t is said that William Sexton, a young
/ man for several years in the employ
/ Of the firm, had his savings, amount
/ ing to some $4,000, to his credit
! with Grant and it is not known whether
/ he is one OF the preferred creditors, but it
! is thrOght he will lose it all. y cargo of
/ rice arrived here on Saturday night,
| amounting to 100 bushels, by the slO0p
/ Hartford, which was ordered to
/ be consigned to Grant by the
/ simmer. Mr.. Pelot, who had
/ ing for its arrival, but as the slOOp was so
/ long in getting here from the Ogeechee,
/ being four days on the passage, Mr..
I pelOt died not wait for it, but left instruc-
/ tions at the mill for the CAPTAIN to turn
/ over the receipts to Mr. Grant, and that
/ he would sell il tor Mr., Pelot's account.
THE STORY OF THE FLIGHT.
/ The incidents of Mr.. Grants departure
/ from the city are hidden behind a cloud
! II uncertainty which the most careful
I Investigation has as vet tailed to fully
I solve. Numerous theories and stories are
atlOat. but none OF them rest on fOunda-
/ ton much more substantial than air.
One which finds considerable favor
/ with those engaged in trying to
1 solve the mystery Is to the effect that
/ Grants departure from the city was made
/ in a buggy in which he drove to one of
/ the near by railroad stations before board
/ ing a train. Among Mr.. Grants per-
/ sonal possessions was a small one
/ horse ph8ton. 1t is in this convey
/ ance that the disciples Of the theory men,
/ toned picture Grant as having
| fed. Other wise-acres incline
/ to the theory that a departing sailing
/ vessel was boarded from a small boat
/ down the river, and that Grant left the
/ city in that way.
THE PORTER'S STORY.
James Davis. colOred man who has
! been in Mr.. Grants employ for the past
/ fifteen years. is probably the only person
/ in the city who Is familiar with
all the details of his masters departure,
but nearly everybody to whom he has
! given his version Of the affair appears in
clined TO take il with a very large grain
/ OF allowance. Davis was found by arepOr-
/ ter Of the MORNING NEWS at late hour
Yesterday afternoon. He is a ligbt-cOlOred
man of more than ordinary intelligence
and progressing appearance for one in
bis station. From all that can be gath
cred. his employer repOsed much more
confidence in his porter than is common
with most business men. Davis, on his
part, appears TO have strong affection
Tor his master.
GRANTS CONFESSION OF HIS RUIN.
1T was Friday night" said Davis in
reply TO the NEWS reporters interrOgatO-
~. when received the first intimatiOn
from my master that crisis was ut hand.
| had gone for the night to my rooms in a
structure in TIE rear Of my masters
house. He came home about ! O'Clock.
By the light of a gas jet, saw him pacing
nervOusly to and fro across the room. His
face was haggard. Every now and then
he clutched his hands cOnyulsiyely
over the top Of his head. About i0O'clOck
lie came to the door and called to me
from the threshold to come over to the
house. l can never forget the expression
Of his face. Grasping me by the hand he
said: Jim, I'm ruined. l haven't got a
dollar in the world. L must get out of
this the first thing in the morning. You
must help me-" Davis promised to do
anything that was in his power.
GRANTS LAST NIGHT AT HOME.
Then Mr.. Grant led him into his bed
chamber and begged him not to leave
him. Davis complied with his masters
request. A bed was improyised for him
in corner Of the room, but neither of
them slept. Davis says that
at times Grant did not
appear to know what he
was talking about. Near o'clock, &C
cOriing to the negroes story, they left
the house, and went TO the Savannah,
Florida and Western Railroad depot.
OFF FOR wAYCRoss.
Grant requested Davis to accompany
him to WaycrOss, and purchased two
tickets for that place. Very little, ac-
cording to the negro, passed between
them on the trip to WaycrOss, but
shortly before reaching that place
Mr.. Grant gave him instructions
To 20 to Bryan county on his way back to
Savannah, and request his father-in-law's
brother, Mr.. W. H. Rogers, to come to the
city Immediately. In an unfTequented
part ofthe railroad platform at Waycross,
master and servant babe each other good
bye. jim" said Grant, 81 hate
to run away, but l can't help
it. | couldn't stay there and let
them throw me into jail like a dog.
l am ruined. and they would have no
mercy on me. They wouldn't lose an hour
in arresting me-" A few minutes later,
putting mis- hand in his pocket, he drew
forth $95 in bills, and showing 1t to Davis
said: Jim, that is every dollar l have
got in the world. would divide it with
YOU if l could, but L can't. 1t is all l
have got and have got to use it,"