New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-12
s. HASTINGS GRANT HEARD.
HIS RELATIONS WITH GRANT & WARD.
sr,rL REGARDED As IN coxrTMpr-xo NO DIsEr-

STILL REGARDED As IN CONrFMPr-NO NO DlsHt-
sPECT INTENDED.
The room at the Morton House used by the Gibbs
Committee was filled yester lay morning, as II was
known that eX-COluOller Grant would TESTIFY con-
corning his relations with Grant u Ward. General
Shaler was frat called 10 explain discrepancies oe
tween ms testimony and that Of Mr.. Wilson and Mr.
Schell relative to the purchase OF lois tof atmoleS'
He insisted that while n" had helh MANY cohN
ti1ns with Mr. Wilson about properties ne dld nor
regard hin rs an interested agent, but believed
that he was urgent because OF his friendship fOr
the owners. lie declared that no personal or olher
considerations entered the matter OF the CHOICE VI
sites. 60 c.,,. - -.uo, o,d
asked more specifically as to instructions received
by him from Mr. Iapp1n in re gard TO funds III the
Marine Bank. His first instructions were TO draw
a check for 5000, 900. These we're followed by
reorcsf Ia make The amount 1900, COO Mr.. Tap
pan told him that Ward sad he had taken Slouo :
900 of revenue bonls, and therefore did not want
the deposit in the Marine Bank so heavily reduced
Or Nav ) some one telephOned to the witness from
Grant Il Wards saving: have taken pl,uop',,
600 of revenue bonds from the city today, ana
wish You would send me down the rccelp's: ms
was an unusual request and he Went 10 tn9 CoH,
troer He thought this was The hi3t lluc ne liu
ever seen Mr. Grant. Inc oG bonds ar ALL He
replied that this knowledge reueNeu nun au" Lo
returned 10 the telephone ana answsIed ,' VIZ VIZ
remarked these facts to Mr. Tappan who SAID he dld
not like the idea of Ward making the request ao'uC
the Marine Bank deposits and that ne proposeu 10
reduce the balance at once Mr.. Gillg Wehl on
ast.d Mr. rapna, once why he made the Marine
Rank ih" sec.nI bank of deposit and he replied tnat IT
was one OF the banks in the city tlat ware
was ono of the smaltes IN the city; that ne was
that he had an almost nn n9o hi, m
Auence was very great ana that 1t was growing lhSu
tuliOu.
$ Hastings Grant. accompanied by his counsel,
w H. ATnoux had sat from the beginning aHtt' 10
the M It of the witness. He was serious IA malhe
aud his movements betrayed aervUusn IS. At last
%iSnar,o was called bv MIR Gibbs. Mr.. Grants faIl
ure 10 respond 10 questions at pieNlohs session
was reviewed hy Mr. Stra'Ian. and he was aS"ea II
he was now prepared To answer lie leP'ou J." "
trembling voice
Nv declining to answer at that time was without a
thodght Of dsrespec to the c"mni'tce: ID ga ot tbc
WAS empOwcrel to investigate me so'ernnc"t -. o
cry but 1t was not warranted III CONG iG NM. t i
private affairs of any Official Hu' waive ny ii"N'' III
that resp
Tie then read this sworn statement addressed to
MI Gibbs:
In response to the inquiry by your committee OF
me respecting my transactions with Grant ware an"
Fer lluaud Wari. | answer follows: have hid l1uf
irlns,ct,ors with Mr. Frriinaud ward one of which
wa. c"Isninmatcd with Grant Ward. and these ionr
comprise II my dra!in-s win nm OF b bnrI -" y
ehangc on which he loaned moneys from time to iime
amounting or Nav 4, 1883. TO 81 700, tne crl,lnc"W
then being the value Of 5000. ~ an ere. ~
Tor raising ca,ile jointly Til was originally entered
into IN Of I NAY Produce ExchanSo and continued for
three years when il WAS closed 10 orr mutual SlSu
lion. Subsequently, in October ls~, II vas renewed
for three wears and Nc WarI invested $1,000 a. ms
share of the capital; 3l In January - wi, " it
i'm NewJersey 1T per cent This was consunmatr1 ~
the name Gr,nt 4 Ward. Thi5 money was apphcd 10
The dlscharg of mortgage for the sane amount on Sld
preR1>es at I & - oo6 on bond and mortgage on
other properly in New-Jersey at per ce1t lntCest
The money was piG 10y him directly to the Mutual LIE
insurance Company to discharge mortgage M me same
sum on the same premises at : pr cent l"trIc'|
After some questions regarding rates of interest
paid by Grant a Ward OH revenue bonds the exam
lnatIon proceeded:
O-Duriug the time you were Controller there was
setiirment made 10y you of large claim for taxes
against the elevated railroad, who applied 10 you 30
n, Ike that settlement A.-rhe matter was one that
IA hppu uuier
thu Coutroler for year before al lca,L
mink several rsons waeI upon the MAYOR IA regard
To IT, but cOnd tell who they were. though MINK
the Mayor tod mr. H. d. Armour h4d been to see him
Q.-What relations hal Cyrus W; tled WIN ln rams
action ! Ave had some interview in regard TO II at
Which he with others was pre<ent ,.,,,. -.,,..,
poinlment vc",president OF me ank III %H,t" pr.
Ter was entirely closed that propositions were made
loosng to my entering the bank.
Senator Mccarthy wished TO know something of
the method of disposiug of revenue bonds before
MIR Grant became Controller. The witness could
NOT tell hun. The Senator asked IL i was not Il
fact that Grant Il Ward, wnlie the witness was
Controer enioved special privileges IN TINS dlrcG-
non The witness sail they offered 10 take DoUdS
at n lower rate than others. After entering nice
he offered the bonds to me Tuo &c nf,atST ne
thought that fair way to do. ne amount was
mai taken however and he felt that II wonld not
do for the city 10 fer bonds III That way ana be
uuaUie to place them
O-Ddn't It strike you strange that all the bonds
Of Tie city should pass through the HANDS OF sinie
firm brokers A.Ihey did not not get all the bohd
The witness denied that while Controller ne had
told MIR DlkemGn TO refer applicants for bonds 10
Grant q Ward. lie was not Influenced oY TREND
shin acquaintance association III seeming 10 give
that FIRM the preference. Al who offered TO take
thr bonds on the same terms cOulG have them. lie
;ntroduced a statement showing that while he ned
office other institutions and ndIv duaS were tax
ing nds at tie same interest and Tor the
same time He also submitted statement
from the con jrOler's office showing the denosts
made IN the Marine Bank from January |, 1851 10
the dav of the failure. he total was S20O4OG2 %
in forrtren dep, sits. OF these, three CepOSlts,
onouutiug 10 $3.50, 600 were made on the counter
Signature of the Controller and eleven by the
Chamberlain .., r,-...-
Mr. Grants counsel submitted a form OF letter
eor PRESENTATION Dr the commit tee to the District
ATTORNEY recommending his re ease from the charge
of cantempt MIR Gibbs said that wnlle ne did not
wish to lie severe on Mr. Grant he nevertheless con-
s,dered him in contempt. 1t was decided to accept
the oaper and consider the subject IN executive
session. -
William H. Jasper, secretary of the Board of As
sessors was examined respecting the work Of that
bndv The objective point of the committee III this
direction is the discOntnuance of the Board on the
gronnd that a the work now done by 1t can as
vel he performed by one man directly under the
con. roI of the Tax Commissioners. Charles +.
Wendt a member of the Board of Assessors, fol-
lowed Mr. Jasper. b 9TH endeavOred to impress the
com1nl tee with tine importance of the body when
they represented -, -,
Another session of the committee will be held
to-day at O'clock.
GENERAL MCCLELLAN'S WILL.