New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-10
FTSHS TRIAL NEAR IT'S END
THE ARGUMENTS OF COUNSEL BEGUN.


now THE LETTER OF GENERAL GRANT Was i"N
PARED BY wARp-ALL THE WITNESSES HEARD
In the Fish trial yesterday the examination OF
witnesses lasted only an hour ecee nisbed this
week To that end he would keep tne coui III SCI
sion until later hours and would hold court Oh car
Ored messenger of Grant a. Ward was caliea as "
witness for the defence. HIS name irequene! anpd
pears the books Of the bank as s those men
fioned in the indictment. He is thin, mddIe-ageo
ard not extraordinarily intelligent IN appssart;;i
He testified that he was MI WAR; tSat few DAYS
before the failure he went with Ward to the safe OF
fhs firm in the Safe Deposit Company IN the onle e1
Bank Building and Ward took out securities. wieh
which he and the witness filled canvas satcheli
and two bundles The messenger took the saTcn nd
and one of the bundles and walked ahead oI " the
who had the other bundle till they arrived at tne
Marine Bank where the securities were ie'u U
table in the presidents room. Distrlct:AttotthetS
Root and Assistant DstrlctAttorney poSe 70 saw
cross-examined the witness lie was unapie ~ say
Just what kind of bonds were put III , 'ne Sn,orn
He thought of them might have peen Oof ,oaad
when II was at the bank, though Mr.. Fish and Mt
Daboll had testified that the satchei was open a'
Mr. Fish was recalled to the witness-stand ana
his assignment to John ii. Morris on May Z, 1851
was shown to him. Judge Benedict, VINO nau un-
dor consideration the question of admitting tne as
Ggy@ent in evidence said that he was not entirely
satisfied that II was competent eviuen0o, s IT,
had concluded to receive IL. Mr.. FISH was aSNou'
Was all your property delivered under 'na' aS''sH'
menu 10y Mr. Roc-Dd not refuse to swsar to the
schedule OF your property under that assignment A.
Yes: did under the advice OF counsel IA
Here are deeds Did you not by them on r De
ceT,ber o. 1888 convey real estate TO members vi
family without consideration A-Nes, ST.
Hs said in answer to Mr.. Roots questions that
there was no connection between TINS tansIeLi y,
nronertv and the change made soon after by when
the bank ceased to loan money TO Graht q Ma ware
on notes Endorsed by him. Tue witness saiu ,nde
hs Supposed s sond e. we aoTd to make the
fers. as he believed himself to be worth
100000 and the property conveyed was "or'h
'Gsoree +. Spencer, the head bookkeeper OF
Grant & Ward was the only witness calied Dy MI.
Roct in Iebuta Ihe tSr famous ne letters
Mr.. Fish on July 6, 1882. which they nave treas'
ured with extreme care, but was I0una ,nar ~
tben with fhe other evidence and they could not
be found at the moment. Mr.. Spencer was SHOWN owl
copy Of the letter IN %ach tS Mr wr ls is wiling
to have Ward use his name aud lnnu encec my ~
the signature of the original Is N ira
HANDWRITING Mr.. Spencer said that nc relhom-
bered the letter and he gave this account Oh 1t:
when arrived at the office that morning between Werh
9so 90 and was sts sp Written in pencil on
slip of paper torn from MEMORANDUM pau, ~, nc oMv n
iet Ws for me-. This Is the letter copied The memo
randum had several interineations ana ohanges ~.
making the copy Then he took it and went back 10 ms
desk saw the letter lying there unsigned Tor
hours 1t was there at lunch time. zen ~
eral Grant did come to the once IN
the morning, but he stopped at the Once W Ward
talked together for moment and saw MN slt uGm
mt Mr. Wards desk for "a moment and write something
He went away having been in the office only minute
or two. did not the letter afterward
Mr.. Spencer said that he remembered the mel,
dsnt becanse that was the only time that he COPIED
a letter in that way for Mr.. Ward The time at
which Mr. Ward drew the answer referred 10 was
apparently before General Grant could nave re-
csiyed the letter of inquiry from Mr.. Fish.
Edwin B. smith. one of the prisoners counSsei,
began the closing appeal to the jury lie sala tnat
sessioi every book and scrap of paper belonging 10
the Marine Bank and had access to all tne CORE
spOndence and after nine months mad Deeh aoie
only to find material for the charges contained IN
the indictment. He read the section nnder wlc ci
the indictment was found and reviewed the Hs'i-
meny as applied to the various counts OF
menf. He denied that Mr.. Fish had made OF au-
thorlzed the making of any of the particular en-
referred to i'm the indictment. He VIII continue
his summing up to-day.