The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-01
"aIE AND GROVER"
A Queer Firm that Has Been Doing Large
Business in Washington Bar-Rooms.

A Queer Firm that Has Been Doing Large
Business in Washington Bar-Rooms.
7. C. Crawford, in New York World.
All winter long there has been a detective in
this city, coming and going between here and
New York, who appeared to have very substan-
tial recognition and employment from the Presi-
dent This mans name is Harry Granger. He
is member of Broadway detective firm. His
brother has charge of the New York Office, and
it is said that recently this detective firm has
tablished branch offices in London and Paris.
This special detective appears to be very great
and intimate friend OF the President
Whether he has personal employment from
him or not there is no evidence beyond
the word of this man. who is as earrulous as the
average detective. This detective friend of the
Presidents is man in the neghborhood of forty
years of age He is slightly above medium
height His figure is well-rounded He has
good large, bulletshaped head. His complexion
is high colored. His eyes are clear blue-gray;
his nose large and curved. while the heavy
broad part of his lower face is sm0oth-shaven,
with the exception of grayish blonGe mustache,
which curls in at the corners of a fulllipped
mouth. His hair is cut short, and is nearly half
gray. During his stay in Washington, he was
always dressed in a brown gray plaid sack
suit He generally wore black or brown der
by hat, cooked we'll over oneear.
When he first came here it was remembered
that Granger was employed by the Democratic
national committee during the campaign to look
after certain private interests which were then
involved. He had charge of the most conf
Dental work of the committee, and judging by
letter which this detective has shown all abouJ
the lobbes of the hotels at Washington to his in
Inmates he must have earned the confidence re-
spect and esteem of the President gentle
man who has talked with the garrulous de-
tective says that he has in his possession letter
which reads about as follows What is given
below is an exact reproduction Of its spirit and
idea:
EXECUTIVE MANSION March To- 1886.
This is to certify to all whom it may concern that
through long acquaintance, know Mr.. Harry Gran
ger to be worthy Of all confidence and trust. He is
thoroughly honest and reliable.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
Granger has shown this letter, should Judge,
from the stories have heard about it, to nearly
everybody who has come to Washington with
any interest to serve Every applicant for Office
within the range of the hotels has been APP
preached by this ingenious detective, who has
shown him the letter and then said: Il
have performed very peculiar and valua-
BILE service for the President and am very
solid with him. If you want to get on to good
thing why you want to square me first, and then
will tumble to your racket and you will bowl
ahead in style that will beat all these chumps
that are working on the outside This peculiar
style of dialect is not always understood by the
unsophisticated ofice-seeker. The detective,
when necessary, translated it, He said to one
gentleman who had certain interests before Con-
gress: Now, want to ask you if you are
through, because. if you are, can fix that thing
for you at the White House. will go up and
see the old man, and tell HIM there is friend
of mine in this thing, and he is to keep his veto
paws of, and then you can bet your head there
will be no veto work"
During the winter he hung about the Hobbies
of the Senate and the House. He was the friend
of pension agents. He was the intimate and con-
fidential advisor of all claimants. The Office
seekers from the country looked up to him. He
la RI fho
Mail Steamship Company to help them get a
subsidy. Every time anybody doubted his
transcendert abilities and influence he would
flourish under their noses the letter bearing the
stamp of the Executive Mansion and signed with
the fine running signature of Grover Cleve-
land. The display of this document always
settled any doubts in the mind of the questioner.
This detective, whenever he was away from the
hotel for any length of time. would always as
sert to his associates and friends when he re-
turned that he had been up to the White House.
AS matter OF fact he was often received by the
President. He used to talk about the President
so much that some of the people around the ho-
tells used to speak of him as the firm of me and
Grove" He said he never went to the White
House and stayed less than two hours, and that
often he spent entire evenings with the Presi-
dent. He used to go back and forth between
New York and Washington during the winter
1t is noted he disappeared just about the time
of the Presidents marriage. He told one of his
friends that he did not approve of that 'smar-
riage racket" and that he thought under the
circumstances he would have business abroad
Very soon afterward he told his friend that he
was going to London upon secret service for the
State Department 1t is possible that he is now
ably assisting Mr.. Phelps in preparing new
treaties At any rate he is in London and he is
in the employ of the government in some
capacity This mysterious babbling detective
has been the hero of the Washington bar-rooms
all winter and now that he is graduated
into the secret service Of the State Depart
ment he is looked upon as one of
the principal figures of his time. 1t would be
very interesting to know exactly the true status
of this detective who carries about with him the
autograph Endorsement of the President This
detective was not at all reserved about the ma
ture of his employment He spoke of different
tasks assigned to him by the President, and
there was hardly night when he was with bis
friends that he did not speak of something he
had in hand for Grover. OF course, he asserted
at various times that he was engaged in business
which it is certain that no President would en-
gage in. If there are ever any ridiculous stories
about the President in Washington during his
first year in Office they can be directly traced to
this detective, who carries in his pocket and is
probably fourishing to-day in Europe the per-
sonal Endorsement of the President to the eff
feet that he is reliable and worthy of all conf
dence.