Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-03-28


terday by James II. Fish, official stenogra.
pher of the Court in which the trial of ex-
President Fish, of the Marine Bank, is
proceeding, was read to-day in Court
General Grant testified as follows, upon
examination by counsel for defendant;
By Mr. Clark-You were partner in the
firm of Grant 4 Ward
Answer-Yes, sir; am informed l was
at the time the failure took place. never
knew was anything else than a special
partner clear to the end paid in $4,000
first, and then afterward $4,000 more. ]
don't remember the dates. I paid in
100000
Q.-On the LIST OF May, 1884, what did
YOU understand you were worth-;lbout
what?
Al supposed that l was worth well
nigh to Il million dollars. ! had no suSpi-
ciOn of any rascaiity, and therefore there
was nothing to confine my mind to any
such dates. Regarding
MY FIRST ACQUAINTANCE WITH FISH,
! suppose it was upon an introduction by
my son and Mr. Ward. I suppose, If you
should go clear back that il was my son
who got acquainted with Ferd. Ward
through Wards brother, and that acquaint-
ance was led on in that way. The man was
supposed, 50 far as | ever knew. to he q rep
utable banker until after the failure, and ii
was not astonishing that person should
make his acquaintance. | had a dim recol-
lection, after the failure, OF receiving q let
ter 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 published.
l have a recollection of receiving letter
and sitting down and writing an answer at
once, and the substance of my answer was
that | had good deal to do that day, and
that it was doubtful when l should be able
TO go to see him; that if | could / would
but that l believed matters that his firm
were engaged i'll were all right. Something
like that.
Q.-Haven' you any recollection as 10
what has become of that letter of Mr.. Fish?
A.-No, sir; | have not. | never have
been in the habit OF preserving private let
tiers; and if l was to try suppose | should
make poor record. Ny business i'll life
has been such that somebody else has al
ways taken care of letters that had to be
saved: and the only way | have now of
preserving a letter that | wish TO preserve
until | do something with it, is to put it in
my side coat pocket, or put ii in a drawer
where | write, and then when | want to
look for the letter it is about the last one
| find. | might state here, although ! dent
know whether il would have any effect or
not, that at the time | went in the firm |
had very small income, but | had some
money that my son had saved for
Inc while | was gone abroad-S0me money
that ! had left-which he had so managed
that | had saved some Of IL and he pro-
posed to let me have half his interest in the
ytrpttll I,ay-4 on m, 1.-Two
upon, and there was afterward an income
raised for me. After that the firm gener-
oUsly concluded 10 let me in as half part
ner, and then aftcrwardSfas whole partner
special, not general. Generously, as
thought al the time
Cross EXAMINED By COUNSEL FOR TIE GOV
ERNMENT.
BY Mr. Root-General Grant. what was
the hour at which you were accustomed to
reach your office in the morning, when you
We're staying at Long Branch in the sum
mer of 1883?
A.-Ten o'clock was about my arriving
time.
Odd YOU observe, in the letter which
you received from Mr.. Fish, and to which
the letter which has been identified by Won,
and which is entirely in your handwriting,
was an answer, any reference to a Govern |
ment contract?
A.-No. There was not. ] had told Mr.. |
Ward, when It was mentioned, that there |
never must be any Government contracts !
there. There IS nothing wrong in being |
engaged in Government contracts more /,
than in anything else, unless made wrong |
- The acts Of individuals bat had been |
President Of the United States, and did !
not think it advisable for me 20 have my !
name connected with Government con- |
tracts, and | knew there was no large profit |
in them, except by dishonest measures. |
There are some men who get Government |
contracts year in and year out and whether |
make profit or not, they are sometimes |
supposed to, and | did not think ii was
any place for me.
Q.--And you did not find in that letter
that you received any reference TO anything |
10 that sort?
Al did not find anything of that sort. |
or should have stopped it; but as a mat |
ter OF fact, ! may have never seen that let
ter. Mr.. Ward may have just simply given |
me statement O" the contents Of that let
ter when at his office.
Q-What did you understand To be the !
relations of the firm-Grant Il Ward-to
the Marine Bank?
A.-Well, l knew Ward was Director
there, and seemed to have a great deal to
do with it; but | never suspected there
was anything wrong about IT,
Odd you at any time know or undcr-
stand that the firm of Grant & Ward had
engaged in Government contracts, or in fur
nishing money 10 be used in carrying out
Government contracts?
Al never knew Of but one contract
that is. where he said there were transac-
tons of that kind, and questioned him
about it, and he said he had just been out
and bought S500 bushels Of oats think !
it WAS, and there was quite large
quantity more to be purchased in Chicago
To be delivered-he told me the date when
it was to be deiivered-and that the CON
tractor had not the money to do il with, and
that he was doing it for a certain amount
a stipulated amOunt-but the contract was
TO other parties, and said that | did not
see that there was anything the matter with
that The man had a contract from the
Government Tor quantity of oats, and oats
was an article that could be purchased very
easily on the Chicago market, and said |
did not see anything wrong in that as we
had no contract. Then afterward | began
10 hear-and that was not long before the
iailure-whispers around that he was saw :
ing he had Government contracts, and
questioned him about it. and he said he I
had no such thing. He said he would not
'4p Llis4t Wis 7ptil- ~ lbluEC mt,
or anything requested him not to; and ne ;
said be had
No CONTRACTS ANYWHERE.
Ii had been said he had city contracts
and he as much as said TO me that he was :
very well acquainted with city official,
and that made it easy for him to get con- !
tracts from the city, and told him didn't ,
know whether there was much difference /
in contracts for New York city and those !
made by the Government of the United l
States so far rs that is concerned. Then I
be told me he had never had Il contract at ;
al of any kind with the Government Of the |
United States, or with the city Of New |
York; that the way he did was-and he /
ave me an instance. He said Now, I
lere is a man has section of railroad - =
don't know what road it was. 1t was a /
oad going through Pittsburg, and think :
connected with the Bedding road. HI said
here was n man had a section of that |