Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-04-03
GEN. GRANTS TESTIMONY IN COURT
Not Aware that He was More Than Spe-
Cial Partner Ignorant About the
Firms Dealings in Government
Contracts-He Put Everything
lie Had in the Concern.

NEW YORK, March 21.-The trial of eX-
President Fish was continued to-day in
the United States Circuit Court. The
defendant testified that it had been a com
mon practice in New York for bank of
ticials to be interested in business outside
of their respective banks The witness
lent Ward money from time to time to
buy the certificates and at very short in
tervals he would make accountings of the
profits. Gen. Grants evidence was read,
after which the court adjourned until
Monday Gen. Grants testimony was
substantially as follows: | never knew
that was more than special partner in
the firm of Grant * Ward to the end. |
paid into the firm 100000 on May /, 1854.
| supposed | was worth nearly million
dollars. At the time went into the firm
had very small income, but had some
money that my<son had saved for me
while was abroad-Some money | 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 afterward an income raised
forme. After that the firm generously
concluded to let me in as half partner and
subsequently as n whole partner-special,
not general-as thought at the time.
Mr. Root i'll croSs-eXamning the Gen
eral asked: Did you observe in the letter
which you received from Mr. Fish and
which has been identified by you as being
the letter first shown you, and which is
entirely in your handwriting was an an
swer to any reference to government con-
tract
Ans.-No, there was NOT. had told
Mr.. Ward when it was mentioned that
there never must be any government con
tracts there. There is nothing wrong in
being engaged III government contracts
more than III anything else unless made
wrong by the acts of the individuals but
| had been President of the United States
and did not think it was suitable for me
to have my name connected with govern
ment contracts and knew that there was
no large profit i'll them except by dishOn-
est measures.
Q-And you did gnot find in that letter
that you received any reference TO any
thing of that sort
Al did not find anything of that sort
AS a matter Of fact | may never have seen
that letter Mr.. Ward may just simply
have given me statement of the contents
of that letter when at his office.
Q-What did you understand to be the
relations of the firm of Grant & Ward to
the Marine bank
A-Well, knew that Mr.. Ward was Il
director there and seemed to have a great
there being anything wrong about it.
Odd you at any time know or under
stand that the firm of Grant & Ward had
engaged in Government contracts or in
furnishing money to be used in carrying
out government contracts.
Al never knew but one contract and
that | saw. When he said there was a
transaction of that kind questioned him
about it and he said he had just been out
and bought $4,000 bushels of oats and
Al. -,
more to be purchased in Chicago to be de
liyered. He told me the date when it was
to be delivered and that the contractor
hadn't the money to do it with and that he
was doing that for certain amOunt-a
stipulated amOunt-but the contract was
to other parties and said that did not see
that there was anything the matter with
that. The man had contract
from the government for guam
tity of oats and oats was an ar
ticle that could be purchased very
easily in the Chicago market and | said !
didn't see anything wrong in that as we
had no contract Afterward | began to
hear-and that wasn't long before the
failure-whlspers around that he was say,
ing that he had government contracts and
] questioned him about it and he saiu
that he had no such thing. lie said that
he wouldn't do anything that was going
to injure me or anything that | requested
not to and he said that he had no con
tracts anywhere auu never hau contract
of any kind with the government of the
United States or with the city of New
York
Odd James d. Fish ever ask You any
question about government contracts
A-No, sir; ! am very sure he never did
know that if he had asked me | should
have repudiated them and said that il
could not be possible,
Gen. Gcant states further that Fisl
never consulted him regarding the bust
ness of the firm. The General drew out o
the firm $1,000 a month during 1888. liz
put everything he held in the concern anC
left his share of the profits there. HI
never got them out.