Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-28
Grant & YARD.
The oenerai Gives MIS- re.ssmsay - 70 MS
eCsnneesssn VITA the Fivu.

| The General Gives Ms Tesssmsay ~ 70 Ms
scsnneessss VITA the Firu.
TBy telegraph TO the Dispatch.l
NEW YORK. 5Iarch 27.--The testi-
mony of General Grant in the trial Of
lex-President Fish OF the Marine Bank
has been given to the public. II is in
the form Of questions by counsel and
replies by witness. Some extracts are
given herewith.
Question by Mr. Clark. counsel for
defendant :. You were partner in
the firm Of Grant & Wardi"
"Yes. sir. | am informed that l
was at the time the failure took place"
sYou became a member Of that firm
on or about November /. 1892"
~ don't remember; suppose so. If
the books say so. never knew that |
was anything else than special part
ner clear TO the end"
AT or about that time you paid in
$500 900 to the firm"
Yes; | paid in 100000 first. and
then afterward $500, 900 more. don't
remember the dates
"And the second 100000 was short
ly after the first?"
"Yes, SIR
$50 that in all you actually paid in
Ell, 200, 000!"
II paid in 81 900, 600"
"On the LIST of May, 1884, what did
you understand you were worth about
WHAT"
II supposed that | was worth well
nigh to million dollars
General Grant testified that he had
a dim recollection Of receiving letter
from President Fish about July, 1882,
and photograph, but he had not been
able to find it, and he was under the
impression that the letter made public
by Fish was not received by him
Grant. He had made diligent
search for the letter and had
hoped to find it, but all his life his
habits about preserving correspondence
had been careless. He advanced the
suggestion that the letter about which
information was sought had been cared
for by Ferdinand Ward.
General Grant concluded his replies
to Mr.. Clark with the following state
ment:
Witness: | might state here, al
though don't know whether it 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 me while | was
abrosG-some money that | had left
and which he had so managed that
had saved some Of it, and he
proposed to let me have half his
interest in the firm, so that |
would have an income to live upon,
and there was afterwards an income
raised for me. and after that the firm
generously concluded to let me in as
half partner, and then, afterward, as
whole partner-special, not general
generously, as | thought at the time.
Questioned by Mr.. Root. counsel for
Government Did you observe in the
letter which you receive, from Fish.
and to which the letter which has
been identified by you ard which is
entirely in your Handwriting was an
answer, any reference to Goycrement
contracts!
No. there was not; | had told Ward
when it was mentioned that there never
must be any Government contracts.
There is nothing wrong in being en-
gagged in Government contracts more
than in anything else, unless made
wrong by the acts of individuals; but |
had been President OF the United stdtes,
and | did not think it was suitable
TO have my name connected With
Government contracts. and ! knew that
there was no large profit in them, ex-
cept by dishonest measures. There
are some men who get Government con-
tracts year in and year out, and
whether they managed their affairs dis
honestly to make profit or not they
are sometimes supposed to, and ! did
not think it was any place for me.