Huntsville gazette., 1885-10-03
POSING AS A MARTYR.

Eerd Ward Thinks He Has Been Harshly
and Unjustly Judged-He Proposes the
Public Shall Know How the Money Went
and Who Got lille Fully Exonerates
General Grant.
NEW YORK, September 29.-Ferdinand
Ward sat in large easy chair in his
comfortably furnished room in Ludlow
Street Jail and looked in sad aud abb
sent-minded manner out of the grated
window upon q number of children who
were playing and singing upon the op-
posite side of the street "There is a
picture of innocence ana happiness" he
said, pointing to the prancing little ones.
Turning around in his chair in nervous
manner, be continued, "No one will ever
know the load that have been CARRYING
tor the many long, weary months that I
have been within these walls. have
heard and read many statements that
have been made in reference to my deal
ings in the firm of Grant & Ward that
have reflected in most dam
aging manner on my char
actcr. Under the most biting
criticism have kept still and uttered
nothing in reply to my accusers. II the
many things that have been said were
true, l would and could have no word Of
complaint to utter, but from my own
knowledge of what 1 have done it has
made me shudder at times to read of the
debasing and mean things l am said to
have done-satements which have not
| had the slightest foundation in fact. The
time is coming whenI will be able to do and
say something for my own benefit. Since
my Imprisonment I have been laboring
all knew how for the benefit of the
creditors of Grant & Ward. For eight
months worked by day and by night to
make out statement that would show
the condition of the affairs of the firm
at the time Of the failure. The state
ment that l made, which showed
the name of every person who had any
business with Grant & Ward, the amount
OF money that was advanced by him and
the amounts that were paid to him as
profits, was given to Mr.. johnson, receiv-
er of the Marine Bank, and Mr.. Davies,
the receiver for Grant & Ward. This
statement shows what was done with
| every penny that came 10 my hands while
| the firm of Grant & Ward existed. Mr..
| Davies has written that the Indebtedness
| OF the firm was SlG,000,0 900, and that
| S1l 100000 of this amount had been
paid, leaving a balance Of $1,000, 900.
These are round numbers. Now the i'm
preston has gone forth that 1 absorbed
the $4,000, 900; that it went into my
pocket for my individual benefit"
"It ismy dosiye to aid any of the creditors
of Grant & Ward in the recovery of money
that may have been unlawfuly paid out.
l have worked diligently to accomplish
this, and it makes no difference what may
become of me will continue to until the
end. If the Illegal claims against
Grant & Ward were pressed the
amount of Indebtedness might reach
$50, 900, 900, but there are many people
who will hesitate long time before they
will present their claims to the receiver
and ask that they be paid. l have been,
and am now, condemed because / have
not made public the statement that pre-
pared l have not done so because did
not think that it was proper for me
! In the position that | occupy to do
| so. The statement should be made pub
| lie by the receiver, and l believe that it
| is his duty to do so, and do not under
stand why it has not been done, but /
| have been given the credit for it. There
| is one thing certain, that the statement
will have to be made public. 1 am get
ting tired. There is a stain upon my
name and family that must be
removed. 1t is believed by
every one who has no acquaint-
ance with the facts that made millions
out of the firms transactions. l did not,
and to-day am not worth a dollar. am
made the scapegoat, and everything is
laid at my door. 1t is not right. There
are others who must be held responsible.
If the statement, which, to large ex-
tent is my justification, is not made pub
lie will be compelled to give 1t to you.
In the Warner suit l could not bring it
out, and in the criminal suit that has
been brought against me will not be
able to show my real position. | have
been under a cloud long enough, and it
is only Justice to myself that it should
be known who shared the profits
with Grant & Ward. The books
of the firm show every transaction.
There is the account of Mayor Grace.
He used to discount notes of Grant &
Ward for five per cent, and in addition
was paid 81, 200 that he advanced. He
got in round numbers, as remember it,
Sl0o, 900 in profits. He says he made
nothing out of the firm. My statement
taken from the books Will show that he
holds notes Of the firm for $4,000 but
this docs not approach his profits"
'sDid the firm of Grant & Ward ever
have anything to do with the fund Of
$3.50, 1000 given to General Grant and
held in trust by Messrs. Morgan, Hoyt &
Jones?"
"Yes, but no part of this money was
lost. Mr.. Hoyt at one time loaned
Grant Ward about $4,000 on call,
against which he held securities worth
twenty per cent more than the loan.
This, I understand, was part OF the trust
money. The loan was paid of before
the failure of Grant & Ward, and since
then we never held a cent of the
money to my knowledge. General
Grant knew nothing about the business
of Grant & Ward. He had no knowl-
edge of it's affairs. If l could
have gone 10 see him after the
failure and explained to him the
nature of MANY transactions he would. I