The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-04-08
GRANT & WARD.
GEN. GRANTS INNOCENT CoNNEC
rroN WITH THE FIRM.

Fish, OI1Clal StenOgfapuci va tuo
Court in which the trial OF ex-Pres-
ident Fish, of the Marine Bank, is
proceeding, was read yesterday in
court. General Grant testified as
follows, upon examination by coun-
sci for the defendant:
BY Mr.. Clark-You were a part
ner in the firm of Grant d. Ward
A.-Yes sir, i am informed i was
at the time the failure took place. /
never knew that / was anything
else than a special partner clear to
the end. i paid $4,000 first, and
then afterward $4,000 more. /
don't remember dates. | paid in
100000.
Q.-On the first of May, 1884,
what did you understand you were
worth-about what?
Al supposed that / was worth
well nigh 10 81 100000. | had no
suspicion of rascality, and, there
fore, there was nothing to confine
NV mind to any such dates regard
ing my first acquaintance with Fish.
/ suppose il was upon introduction
bv nv son OF Mr.. Ward. / suppose
if YOU should go clear back that it
was nv son who got acquainted
with Ferdinand Ward through
Wards brother, and that acquaint'
ance was led on to in that way. The
man was supposed, as far as ! ever
knew, TO be a reputable banker un-
I'll after the failure, and it was not
astonishing that a person should
make his acquaintance. | had a
dim recollection. after the failure,
of receiving a letter from Fish while
/ was living at Long Branch.
went down there about the middle
of June. / don't suppose that |
ever saw the one that was publish
ed. have a recollection of receiv-
ing letter and sitting down and an
swering it at once; and the substance
of my answer was that / had good
deal to do that day, and that it was
doubtful when / should be able to
see him; that if / could l would,
but that / believed the matters that
his firm were engaged in were all
right. Something like that.
CARELESS WITH LETTERS.
Q.-Haven't you any recollection
as TO what became Of that letter of
Mr.. Fish's?
A.-No sir; have not. / never
have been in the habit of preserving
private letters, and if | was to try
/ suppose / should make a poor
record. Ny business in life has
been such that somebody else has
always taken care of the letters that
had TO be saved, and the only way
1 have now of preserving letter
that / wish TO preserve until | do
something with it is to put it in my
side coat pocket, or put it in the
drawer where | write, and then
when | want to look for letter it
is about the last one i find. /
might state here, although | don't
know whether it would have any
effect or not. that at the time | went
in the firm j had very small in
come, but had some money that
my son had saved for me while i
was gone abroad--some money that
/ had left, and which he had so
managed that / had saved some OF
it, and he proposed to let me have
halt his interest in the firm, so
would have an income TO live upon,
and there was afterward an income
raised for me, and after that the
firm generously concluded to let me
in as half partner, and then after.
ward as whole partner-special, not
general-generously, as l thought
at the time.
THE CRoss-EXAMINATIo
The General was cross-examined
by counsel for the Government.
By Mr.. Root-Q.-General Grant
what was the hour at which you
were accustomed to reach your of
flee in the morning when you were
staying at Leng Branch in the sum
mer of 1882?
A.-Ten o'clock was about my ar
irving time at the Office.
Odd you observe in the lettel
which you received from Mr.. Fish
and 70 which the letter which has
been identified by you, and which
is entirely in your handwriting
was an answer, any reference tC
Government contracts?
A.-No, there was not. / hat
told Mr.. Ward when it was men
toned there never must be any Gov
eminent contract there. There j.
nothing wrong in being engaged il
Government contracts more than il
anything else, unless made wrons
by the acts of the individual. but
had been President of the United
States, and / did not think it wal
suitable for me to have my nam,
connected with Government con
tracts, and I knew there was NJ
large profit in them except by dis
honest measures. There are som,
men who get Government contracts
year in and year out, and whethe
they managed their affairs dishon
estly to make profit or not. they ar
sometimes supposed to, and l die
not think il was any place for me
Q.-And you did not find in tha
letter you received any refereno'
10 anything of the sort?
Al did not find anything o
that sort, or I should have stopped
but as q matter of fact I may neve
have seen that letter. Mr.. Wart
may simply have given me state
ment of the contents of that lette
when at his Office.
WHAT HE KNEW ABOUT WARD.
Q.-what did you understand t.
be the relations of the firm Of Gran
d Ward to the Marine Bank?
A.-Well, ! knew Ward was /
director there, and seemed to hav,
q great deal TO do with it, but
never suspected there being any
thing wrong about it.
n-nsr rxos, - 80, 49, 1~.-