The Portland daily press., 1885-10-27
EerdInandW Wards Trial.

NEW YORK, Oct 26.-The trial of Ferdi-
nand Ward was continued this morning
The counsel for the accused, and the State
examined witnesses to fill the places left va
cant by jurors II and II, who were excused
by consent Saturday last. Ward looked pale
and weak as he sat alongside his counsel
looking over papers bearing on the case.
The jury was completed this afternoon,
and District Attorney Martin opened the
case. He said Ward had been indicted for
larceny, and read the statute covering the
crime While the district attorney was
speaking James d. Fish with his custodian
and was removed to a private room until
wanted as a witness The district attorney
said that Ward, on May 5, 1884, In this city
presented check for $71.800 to the Marine
bank by means OF check for $4,000 OF the
First National Bank. Ward received the
money from the Marine bank. The $4,000
check was not honored by the First National
bank, and Ward was guilty of grand larceny
by procuring the Ss71 800 on it from the Ma
rine bank The jury must remember that
Ward was not on trial for running General
Grant, and sending him broken hearted TO
the grave, or for sending to state prison Tor
ten years gentleman highly connected IN
banking circles, but was merely on trial Tor
grand larceny.
James D. Fish was the first witness called.
He leaned over in his chair and glared saw
agely at Ward who lowered his eyes.
Wards counsel moved the jury be dismissed
attorney regarding General Grant and Fish,
but the motion was denied. Fish said, 81 am
66 years old and a convict at the Auburn
statepriSOn, to which / was sentenced for
ten years at hard labor lsaW the check now
handed me on May 5, 1884. 1t was handed
me by the paying teller. | directed it certi-
fed, after which | went to the telephone and
rang up Ward"
Question-Is the prisoner here the Ward
you mean?
Fish-L Leaning over again. l would like
to see him. Yes, that is the man." Con
temptuously)
Continuing the witness said: II said over
the telephone Ward, | ns have oeo your check OK
uncertified check for $4,000. Ward tele--
phoned back it was all right and certified
it. / saw Ward, May 4, about 8 O'Clock. He
came in Monday morning before business
hours and asked for the withdrawal OF the
certified $71,S00 check because the $4,000
check against which the former sum was
drawn had been withdrawn. John III. Carr,
the receiving teller, was present and IN
structed him to Withdraw the check, When
the exchanges came in | found the $4,000
check, which Ward said had been Withdrawn
had been presented and paid by the
bank. / rang Ward up and told him. He
said it was strange but would be all right: he
was too busy to come and see me then"
On cross examination witness said he did
not know Wards account had been over
drawn on May 5, 1884. to the amount OF $780,
600. 81 knew Ward often had his personal
account overdrawn, but Ward told me the.
money was deposited in the Grant d Ward
account on April 1s, 1884: told Ward it
seemed to me that our affairs were drifting
in way could not understand. Carr, the
second teller had charge of the cash account
May 5th. expected Ward all day, according
to his written promise to make deposit to
relieve the $4,000 check which did come in
though he assured me it was withdrawn. We
waited for Ward at rhe bank that day until
o'clock. Ward had promised to raise the
money and understood he was trying to
ing him hard for the money as the bank
needed it in order to get through the clear
ing house that Monday morning. On May
Sd / wrote Ward: sect in all you can and
% hope g to see better ba days. meint he f0F cdad n@
Vanderbilt check for $15Oooo
which was credited to his personal account.
do not know that at that time it was extra
hard for Ward to borrow money on the Sc
curitieS he had | do not remember ever
soliciting loans for Grant & Ward on their
securities, though / believe once went to
Seligman. 1t was because could make bet
ter terms. At that time the Marine Bank
was carrying a load for the Erie Company,
and l wrote Ward would leave If the bank
was not relieved of some of its securities,
which the other banks would hardly accept.
Ward, think, became director in January
and was one at the time the bank failed
was member of the firm of Grant u Ward.
Ward, the witness continued often made de-
posits as late as $50. | believed Ward to be
an honorable, truthful man, one to whom |
trusted everything had in the world. On
Monday, May 9Th, expected Ward to raise
large amount of money, as much as $400,
600 or $500,000. He had been trying to raise
money for ten days before this.
At this point the witness was excused un-
til tomorrow.
BENZ. Fish, brother of the previous witness
testified On May Sd and 9TH, | was paying
teller of the Marine Bank. On May 9TH / re-
ceiyed this $71, 800 check over the counter for
certificates, and passed it to the receiving
Of $4,000 deposited against it. / then took
the $71, 800 check to the president, who tele-
phoned Ward, and heard Wards reply over
the telephone. When | received the SS1 900
Monday, May 5, | took it to President Fish,
who telephoned Ward again, and received
the reply that it would be all right.
On cross-examination, witness said: On
May 5th by direction of the president, GER
titled Wards check for 100000, though his
account had been overdrawn. April 21sthis
account was overdrawn $4,000; April %, $1S,-
April 26, $4,000; April 20, 1900; May 2,
$19,s36.75; May 8, $114, ,33075 and May 5,
$59,326.75. l certified all these checks with
out knowing that Ward had overdrawn his
personal account, as the president had in
structed me Grant & Wards checks were al
ways good, and | believed them so. The
$4,000 check which l certified May Sd,
showed to the president because there was
trouble at the Exchange, and their account
was getting very low. was very careful
about it. Adjourned.