New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-26


what they were represented to he.
Il do not think 1t all probable that any process
will be issued against me in any ofthe State courts
United States DistTict-AttOrney Root, through
whom any process in the United States Courts
would have to come, or any Judge, OF the
United States Court who may issue such process,
may think upon information they may receive that
a warrant ought to be issued. can only say that
| am ready for it when it comes, that shall take
steps to avoid arrest, and that the Marshal VIII
know where to find me when he wants me. nave
especially requested my friends not TO attempt 10
procure bail for should be arrested, for prefer
to await hearing.
HIS LAST INTERVIEW WITH WARD.
"On the morning of the failure found that we
were debtor to the Clearing House about 100000,
and that this was caused by the checks of Grant &
Ward against which we held no balance. Early
that morning went 10 Wards house, No. 81 Pierre
pont-st., Brooklyn, and said | wanted to see MI.
Ward at His wife came down.
stairs and said that Ferdinand was very
tired that he had been uplae the night before ana
that he begged to be excused replied that must
see him. and started upstairs to go to his room.
found that while his wife had delayed me by ehgag
ing me III conversation, Ward had left his room Oy
of a basement door. He went to Stamford ana
remained there the rest of that day. Later, some
days after the bank had closed its doors; Ward
came to the bank while was there, and we had an
interview i'll one OF the upper rooms of the bank
building 1t was hot one can tell You. SAID
things to him that would not Ike any man
u
along at all WELL and our interview was snort
one. / told him frankly what Thought, OF hun
and the character of the business that he had peeh
conducting; and pointed out to hlm the results
which were then plain enough to be seen.
"In the few months preceding the suspension I lndd
negligent. For instance, he called in at the Dank
and asked me to 60 into pool Sdd TO otSCI SGy
stock II tho sSSf Wss dHs GnSF
of It"awav above par and told
hlm that it would be, foolish, but he in in,
sisted that he knew what he was abont, and gave
him two checks OF 81, 900 each to take me INTO the
pool / have never heard from that $4,000 since
or did anything with that money other than aPpro-
pirate it to his own use. | had like experience
on some stock exchange certificates from wnich no
received no return, and | believe he also appro,
priated the proceeds himself. There are several
other instances of a like character
IL am barely acquainted with Mr. WORK, but
have never seen Mr.. Warren TO my khoWiedge III
my life
HOW WARD DECEIVED HIN.
"By what methods did Mr.. Ward get you and
Others iuto the eyed Government contract busi-
ness ~
Ward would come to with slips of paper on
which were written, for instance Wanted by the
Government Asa, 900 bushels of oats, or so many
bushels of wheat, or so much hay, or so
much of this that the other which the
Government was supposed to want Within
the past year he has come to me
through whose influence he got these contracts or
bought them he gave me to understand that senator
Chailee, General Grant, President Arthur,
and various people who had political power
were assisting him. He told ME directly that
President Arthur was in with him on some OF
those contracts seldom & bW went did % tS
found there General Grant, Senator Chatee
aud various people whom he told me as
sisted him about these contracts. Ward told me
that they were there to talk over this business, and
believed him. L as completely deceived IN
Ward as any man could DO IN anpIhfr, % T.
had not the remotest idea that the busl-
ness was Olher than he represented ~
to be. placed great reliance on the statement OF
General Grant and those letters of his to me threw
me off my guard more than anything else could
"Of course should be severely blamed by the
matters to get into the state in which they
did. | may be guilty OF negligence
and have certainly contided too much IN ward
but there is not the shadow of shade OF ground
Gu which | can be shown to have had criminal
knowledge of these matters, or TO have been gulty
of any intentional wrong. When the proper uo uno
faction of everybody. This thing has swept away,
so far, as l can see every ootibar thar nat
family had. / am on Grant * Wards notes which
are now outstanding for over 81 900. HOW
these notes may be looked upon hereafter, Wnetnfr
they will have to be paid IN full as beng IN the
hands of innocent holders, do not know; pnt ~
any rate | consider it has cleaned Inc out ol
eyeTything.'
! WHAT Is SAID ABOUT THE DISCLOSURES.
A TRIBUNE reporter called on several Of the gem
| tlemen who were named by Mr.. Fish as having
copies of the letter TO General Grant. Each one
expressed the greatest surprise that the existence
| of the letters had become known. lawyer pr0ml-
nent in this matter said: " have done all that l
could to prevent the publication of these letters,
because did not consider the time ripe for their
production; but suppose that they will have to
come out now. They will show think, not that
General Grant deliberately attempted to mislead
! Mr. Fish in regard to these Government contracts,
but rather how completely the General was under
the control Of Ferdinand Ward, for |
believe that he consulted Ward before replying
| TO Mr.. Fish, and governed 10y what
! Ward said. Stu it is certain that Mr.. Fish relied
on what General Grant said, and felt that he had
| assurance from the highest source that everything
about these contracts was right and proper Know
ing as do. what the letters contain, am Tree 10
say that they go far toward vndcatng Mr.. FISH
and freeing him from the charge that he knew
what was going Oh and was III collusion with
81 want to say word about those outstanding
| notes of Grant X Ward which ale put IN ag1lst |
that firm as claims They notes for profits from
contracts and valueless, for there were no con
tracts That Is, they were either gwen lOr PIohlS'
tainted with usury as to be value
! less If the assets taken from the hTn
! OF Grant d Ward 10y w. ;. Warner and >. H. MOlk
and others are returned il will lead TO tins there
will he less than 500 900 TO be paid 10 legitimate
creditors of the firm outside the Erie Railroad and
| the Marine Bank. These men who have taken the
profits cannot hold thes and it would he q good
idea 10 bring suit against the lot and treat them as
general partners"
! Francis ~ Bangs said last night at y O'Clock thal
he thought that he would have something to say
later. At 1890 this morning he SAID that he could
! say not hing lie had not the letters IN his pos
session.
! All the other gentlemen who were seen refused to
! say ANYTHING on the subject.
POLICEMEN AFTER JOHN i. SULLIVAN.