Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-10-27
Not for Running Gen. Grant and
Sending Him
BROKEN HEARTED TO THE GRAVE,
Or for Making a Convict Of Fish, but fOI
Simple Lareeny---Flsh on
the Stand.
FISH TELLS OF A CERTAIN DEPOSIT.


he said Ward had been indicted for Lar
ceny and he read statutes covering the
crime. While the District Attorney wal
speaking, James D. Fish with bis custo
todian entered the court room. He
glanced at Ward, and was removed to
private room where he remained until
wanted as o witness. The District Attor
ney said Ward, on May 5, 1884, in this
city, presented check for $7l 800 TO the
Marine Bank drawn against check for
! $75, 900 of the First National Ward
received money from the Marine Bank.
The SIS, 900 was not honored by the First
National Bank, and Ward was gully OF
grand larceny by procuring 81, 900 on i
from the Marine Bank. The jury must re-
member that Ward was not on trial for
running Gen. Grant and sending him
broken hearted to the grave, or for sending
to the State prison for ten years gentle
man highly connected in banking circles,
but was merely on trial for grand larceny.
FISH or THE STAND.
James D. Fish was the FIRST witness. He
glared ssvsgely at Ward, who lowered his
ewes. Ward's counsel moved that the
Jury be dismissed on account of the state
ment of the District Attorney regarding
Gen. Grant and Mr.. Fish. The motion
was denied.
Mr.. Fish-"I am sixty-six years old, q
convict at Auburn State prison, 20 which
| was sentenced for ten years at hard
labor. l saw the check handed to me on
May 9TH, 1884. 1t was handed me by the
paying teller. directed it certified after
/ went to the telephone and rang up
Ward"
Question-"Is the prisoner here the
Ward you mesnT
Fish Cleaning over again u would like
to see him. Yes, that is the maD, icon
temptuously) Continuing, the witness
said: IL said over the phone, Ward,
have your check here for certi6cstion for
81, 800 sgsinst an uncerti6ed check for
$75,OOO.' Ward 'phoned back it was all
right, and certi6edit. Issw Ward on May
5 about 9 o'clock. He came in Mon
day morning before business hours and
asked for withdrawal of a
certified $4,000 check, because $1,000
against which the former snm was drawn
had been Withdrawn. Mr.. John 81. Carr,
Receiving Teller, was present, and | iu-
ssructed him to withdraw the check.
When the exchanges came in l found the
$Sl, 900 which Ward said was drawn was
presented and paid by the bank. / rang
Ward up and told him; he said it was
strange, but that it would be all right. BE
vas 900 busy to tome to see me then.
On cross-exsminatiou. witness said he
did not know that Wards account had
been overdrswn on May 5, 1884, to the
amount of 100000. l know that Ward
often had his personal account overdrawn,
but Ward told me the money was deposited
in the Grant h Ward account on April IL,
1884. l told Ward that it seemed to me
affairs were drifting in q way | could not
understand Mr.. Carr, the second teller,
had charge Cf the cash account On May
5th, 1 expected Ward all day, according to
his written promise to make deposit to
relieve the S8l, 900 check which did come
in though he assured me 1t was ithdrsWn.
We
WAITED FOR WARD
at the bank that day until FIVE o'clock
Ward had promised to raise the money and
l understand he was trying to borrow on
the 9TH. was pressing hard for money as
the bank needed in order to get through
the Clearing House on that Monday morn
ing. On May l wrote Ward, Get in sll
you can and hcpo to see better days" l
meant for him to get al the money he
could, and on Monday morning he depos'
tied the Vanderbilt check for $780,
900 which was credited to his
personal account. | do not know
that at that time it was extra hard for
Ward 10 borrow money. do not ever
remember soliciting loans for Grant 4
Ward on their securities, though believe
I once went 10 Seligman's. 1t was be-
cause | could make better terms. At that
the Marine Bank was carrying q load for
the Erie Company, and l wrote Ward that
would leave If the bank was not relieved
of some of its securities, which the other
banks would hardly accept. Ward, l
think, became 9 diEecter in January, and
was one at the time of the bank failure
| was o member Of the firm of Grant d
Ward.
LIFE IS SHORT.
Counsel then read the following lette':
PRIVATE
OFFICE OF JAMES D. FISH, WALL ST.,
80. March 80, 1884.
MY DEAR Ma. WARD:-LiIe is short os
We have il often quoted to us. Tbs Erie
business and some other matters IS alto
0ether too much for me. We carry an i'm.
meuse burden that no other bank would
for this company and many OF their em-
Movers. and on collaterals that no other
bank would recognize. If the bank can.
not be relieved of some of it shall leave
as soon ss anything in this world. | see no
prospect of things getting better with them.
Yours
]. D. FISH.
"Wsrd," the witness continued, often
made deposits as late as $50. When l
heard that the $Sl 900 check had been
ussd though Word had assured me that it
/ had been Withdrawn, l rang him up on
,ke phone and said, sharply: Ward, how
IL this that $Sl 900 has been used2 He
Ieplied; I cannot understand il, but it will
bs All right / believed Ward to be an
honorable, truthful man, one to Ehom
trusted everything ! had in the world. On
Monday, Nay 5, 1 expected Ward to raise
q large amount of money--as much as
s40O, 600 Or s5OO,OOO. he had been try
inc 70 raise :s.nDeY tor ten days before
that"
At this point the witness was excused
until tomorrow, to allow counsel for de-
fence to examine the books ct the bank
BENJAMIN FISH,
brother of the previous witness, testified
! On May Sd and 5ih ] was paying tellel
OF the Marine Bank. On May 5 l received
this 1900 check over the counter fol
certi6catioD. passed it to the receiving
Ill. L. ,hn-vad ma n hon-corfihpd checI