The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-04-03
GENERAL GRANT
The Deposition of the General Taken in
the ]. D. Fish Trial Put
In Evidence.
He Never Knew He was Anything Else
Than a Special Partner in the Firm
of Grant s. Ward-He Lost
Everything.

He Never Knew He was Anything Else
| Than a Special Partner in the Firm
| of Grant s. Ward-He Lost
Everything.
THE TESTIMONY.
| NEW York, March 2S-The testimony
in the trial of j. d. Fish, President Of the
| Marine Bank, was unusually intel esting yes
| terday Mr. Fish took the stand and was
/ examined as to the relations between the
| bank and the firm of Grant & Ward. He
! said that he first met Ferdinand Ward in
| 1876. He was introduced by Wards
father-in-law, Mr. Green, Vice President OF
| the bank. Ward told Fish he was a young
| man of limited acquaintance and small capi-
| tai, but ambitious to succeed in business and
J he solicited Fish'S advice. At the same
| time Ward told Fish that he had opportuni-
| ties, through acquaintance, to speculate
| pFoftably in certificates of membership in
| the Produce Exchange, buying them for $500
and selling them at from $3.50 to $3.50 each.
| Fish lent Ward money from time to time to
carry on this speculation and afterwards
Ward got Fish to go into various other
| schemes Ward afterWard got acquainted
| with U. S. Grant, Jr., and introduced Fish
| to him. The firm of Grant & Ward was
AOA4AASh 4OOOs OLdliU3 w 1lINl 1911
| supposedly contributing 100000 to the
| capital. After this Ward wrote often to
| Fish. The letters We're read in evidence
! In them Ward assures Fish that he had
secured Government contracts and expected
| to get larger ones. The letters almost in
variably suggest that Fish send certain
amounts to aid in working up these invest
| ments. Ward also sent Fish each month
statement of the profits and a check for
Fish's share, ranging from few hundreds
| up to $41, 000 Many of the letters are per-
sonal and speak of Wards success which
he attributes to Fish's giving him a start.
He calls Fish his second father. On March
2, 1882, Ward wrote: ''The general contract
business progresses well, but we must keep
it mum, OF the papers will give us fits"
Referring to large contract which
he had taken, he writes: eve may
not be in favor long, so I take
these orders when I can get them.
There is to be large order in April which I
may try for if you say so. Now word as
to the General If some of the fellows
down there Tin Washington who opposed the
bill for his retilement should get wind of
our having these contracts, they would use
it as tool to defeat the bill, so 'am very
careful, and I have cautioned Smith against
saying anything. AS long as we keep quiet
and do this business on outside names and in
a quiet way, the General will stick by u.s."
After recess the deposition recently made
by General Grant was put in evidence. In
answer to questions put by counsel for Mr..
Fish, General Grant, according to the depo-
gition, said: 81 am informed that I was
partner in the firm of Grant & Ward at the
.Ine the failure took place. l never knew
| that was anything else than a special part
| ner. have dim recollection of receiving
letter from Mr.. Fish about July, 1882, and
| of answering that had good deal to do
| that day. That it was doubtful when I
| could go and see him, but that believed
| the matters his firm were engaged in were
| all right. The letters, of which photographs
| were published, do not believe was the let
| ter | answered. I don't suppose [ ever saw
| the one that was published. I suppose Mr..
| Ward took very good care that should not
| have it. have searched for the letter | did
| receive, but am unable to find it. / have
not been in the habit of preserving letters"
The General was shown another of the
! letters purporting to be written by him. He
said the body of the letter was obviously not
written by him. He did not remember the
letter at all and could not identify the sig
nature as his, though he was not able to say
it was forgery. He frequently signed
letters, when very busy, for Mr.. Work and
Mr.. Ward and others connected with his
| companies, without reading them. Hemight
have signed this, but without knowing its
contents. The direct examination extended
only tothe Identification of these letters.
| The General then made brief statement
to the effect that at the time he went into
| the firm he had very small income, but had
some money that his son had managed and
added to for him while he was abroad, and
at his sons suggestion he went into the firm
and WIS to have half his sons interest to
| live on. There was afterward an income
| raised for him, and after that the firm gen.
erously concluded to let him in as a special
partner, he understood.
| On cross-eXamination the General posi-
| lively denied that the letter from Fish, the
| reply to which has been photographed, con-
| tanned any reference to Government con-
| tracts. He had told Ward when Government
! contracts were mentioned that there must
never be any engaged in. He had been
President of the United States and did not
think it suitable for him to have his name
connected with Government contracts. He
knew there was no large profit in them ex-
cept by dishonest measures. Henever knew
of but one Government contract by the firm,
and that Ward told him that consisted
simply in buying 100000 bushels
of oats on the Chicago market.
I1e saw nothing wrong in it. Afterward he
heard rumors that the firm had Government
contracts, and questioned Ward about it,
but Ward denied it, and said he would do
nothing to injue the General Afterward
Ward, when pushed, explained that he
simply lent the money to the contractors.
General Grant further testified that he did
not draw out his alleged enormous profits,
but let them lie, except small amount, and
his So, 600 or IS, 900 per month He lost
everything he had in the world by the
failure.
The night before the failure Ward told
him they had over 50, 900, 900 in securities
and asked him to get S150,OOO from Mr..
Vanderbilt, which he did, borrowing it per-
sonally Ward told him the firm was in
danger because of the critical condition of
the Marine Bank, which held $3.50, 1000 of
the firms money. Mr.. Fish never warned
him of overdrafts and he did not know that
Fish was raising money for the firm ondis-
counts until after the failure.
One of the lawyers who was present when
General Grant made his deposition in the
case, yesterday, says the General spoke
as clearly as any one with an ordinary sore
throat or bad cold, and could be easily I'M
| derstood. The gentleman thought his face
| showed hut little wasting Sinra he saw him