Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-11-05
5lally Tsss aaa 9aka1aiaa
NOT AN ANGEL.


Fred ward Getting Ugly, and Gives
Away Those Whom He says Profited
by His Swindling TRANSACTIONS.
New York, Nov. lin an interview at
the Tombs Saturday, before he was sen
tened, Ferdinand Ward said:
/ want to say right here that the
statement that i bays lots of money is
not true. Every cont chat came into
Grant 4 Wards Golfers or vent out
were put on the books. A person can
not take money and leave absolutely no
trace of 1T anywhere.
Where did the money 60?
Wait till Warmers check book ia look
ed at; that will tell many tales. He did
pretty we'll. His original Investment OF
$1,000 brought him more than $~1,00O,0O0.
Does any man mean to say that he was
d fool, and thonght everything was be-
ing done fairly? One prominent person
lnaming him) says he holds $4,000 OF
Grant & Wards paper. Well,
he got $250,000 Of money from
us, 30 he is just $4,000
ahead. WhydoL't he give it up? He
will risver give up a cent: and, mark me,
he will never be indicted. He was get
ting from twenty TO forty per cent a
month, and does he mean to say that he
did not know the business was not all
right? II he did not, he ought to have
known 1t. He also says that he did not
ask me to take him partnership. but l
repeat that he did. But my word now
amounts to nothing. No person seems
willing to believes word / say, but in
this case I have the original letter
giving the namel was the worst per-
son | had to deal with. Why, sir, be
used to como into the Office, get alot Of
revenue bonds, take them out and get
money on time at ~ per cent, and
bring the money back to me and charge
the firm twenty per sent q month Tor
the use Of our own money. Then,
tnaming another person) wrote to
that the business seemed funny but as
long as the profits were all right, let it
gop
How did you get into this troubled
swell, that is q broad question, but
will tell you the facts. / began running
the business, but being urged and driv.
en- all the time for money by everybody
/ gave it up. Idon't mean to say | an
az angel, bus / do say that certain men
got o hold on me and | did not want the
firm to fail, SO | borrowed money every.
where and paid enormous interest for it
These men feathered their nests and
nm doing penance. | thought probably
4 could pull through. No, / didn'i
think I would go up to my home in
Stamford that night. / knew I had to
pay $2,000,000o or $3,000,000 the next day,
but I thought | would not be behind
about it at all. / determined to take a
drive, and was convinced everything
would come out ok right. I intended
to have the loans renewed or borrow the
moasy somewhere. 1t seemed to me ]
was dreaming, and sometimes | believe
when 1 look back at some of the trans
actions, that | was out of my head
Are you going to remain silent re.
garding this matterT
aMy position Is Just this. / am will
ing to snffer for all I have done; but ]
do not want to bear the burden of every.
body else IN this matter. All / can say
is, wait until Warmers check book !,
opened"
In further continuance OF the inter
view Ward distinctly and in detail
charged various well know persons who
had relations with him in business o
knowinglH participating with him il
his crimes. He gave the names and as
serted that the persons named knew al
we'll as he did that the business wa
fraudulent. He even mentioned partition
lar transactions. and told how the per
sons named in them joined in perpetrat
the frauds.