The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-07-08
UNWRITTEN HISTORY.
The Connection Of Grant & Ward
With a Big Scheme.
Five MiIlion and a Half in Mexican
Bonds.
The Extensive International Opera
tions of a Smart Curbstone
Broker.

New YORK, July THE World, Wednes-
day morning, published some hitherto un-
written history of most startling nature IN
regard to the forger Bries, Mexican bonds
and how Gen. Jose NJ ]. Carvajah, Governor
of the States of Tamalupas and San Luis
Patosi was commissioned in 1865 by Presi-
dent Juarez Of the Mexican Republic, and
obtained money, arms and supplies for his
starving troops from the United States to
enable them to continue the struggle that
eventually ended in the death of Maxi
milian's army, and the restoration of peace
to the Mexican republic.
Gen. Carvajal was sent to the United
States with authority to negotiate for money
and munitions of war upon terms which
even Charles the Second would have refused
to King Louis. Gen. Carvajal had power to
sign away to individuals enormous land
grants, telegraph monopolies, canal monopo-
lies, mining monopolies, railway monopoiles
and franchises The story turns on the fact
that at the time of Grant & Wards failure,
Ward held in the firms safe for redemption
$5,5000 900 worth of Mexican bonds that had
already been repudiated, and If these could
have been pledged the crash would haye been
avoided, but the bonds came into the pos
session of the firm too late to be of any use.
1t is now thought that the reference con-
tinually made by Ward to his government
contracts referred directly to these made by
Gen. Carvajal with the men who supplied
him with money and means to save the re-
public and defeat Maximillian. The con-
nection is vigorously denied by all those con-
cerned and veil of mystery hangs over all,
but the World publishes the story and facts
gathered during long and careful investiga-
tion.
When Gen. Carvajal landed in New York
ON his urgent mission of salvation he fell in
first with one Daniel Woodhouse, one OF the
Dick SWiveller type of curbstone brokers, so
numerous at the close of the war. To this
schemer the General unfOlded his plans
Woodhouse formed company known as the
UNITED States, European q West Virginia
Land and Mining Company, and to this
company was given enormous and rich MeXl-
can franchises, and the right to issue nil
lions of dollars worth of bonds. Woodhouse
drew up and Gen. Caryajal signed a contract
said to be the most extraordinary document
ever executed by State. Under it the
Woodhouse Company was given wide tracts
of land and carte de blanche authority to
build railways, telegraphs and canals, and
to operate mines in Mexico.
Almost every valuable franchise within
the gift OF the government was donated TO
the delighted curbstone operator. His COM
pany was authorized to issue bonds in the
house and his company soon went to work.
An issue of 100000 worth of bonds was
made, and the Mexican government drew
drafts to order of the company. These to
the extent of 81, 300 900 were paid but specu-
lation in them ruined many reputable
brokers. The General next fell in with the
broker Carlies, solid financier and man
of repute. Negotiations were at once opened
with Carlies for money and war supplies,
which ended in another liberal contract.
Carlies bonds to the amount of something
in the neighborhood of So, 600, 600 were placed
largely in England. What the Mexicans re-
ceiyed from Carlies is not known.
WOodhouSe and his company claimed that
in addition to the S2,9OO,0OO of notes en-
dorsed they sent shipload of arms to Presi-
dent JuareZ. The ship sank at sea. 1t was
insinuated by the MeXicans that there were
no arms on board the ship, and that it was
fact. Finally the Mexican republic triumphed
over its enemies and Maximillian was shot
to death. and the present government was
established. Then Mexico repudiated the
bonds issued in New York
AS Mexico became more rich and affairs
there more settled, the holders of the Wood
house & Cartier bonds clamored for their
money. They were treated with contempt:
The Cartier bonds were all in the hands of
second parties, but of the Woodhouse bonds
while nearly $5,500,000 remained in the GUS
tody of the Manhattan Engraving Company,
unused. At last the bonds became the
laughing stock of serious financiers ana
W6I6 u Uidtt6I VI dbttublUu UDlJ W CuIUobOAC
brokers.
The history of these bonds is given in
detail. Those disposed of to Englishmen by
Cartier were eventually paid after row had
been made over the matter by the holders.
Company, only 100000 worth were placed.
The balance, $5,500,0O0, were held by the
Manhattan Engraving Company, the sue
ceSsOr of the United States Company. When
this company failed, j. Sedgwick secreted
+barn dc fnrr fbar xxrifh hn tN1at
were printed on Woodhouse brought suit
to recover them, alleging that the bonds and
plates belonged to him, and the company
only acted as custodians. While the suit
was pending he died, leaving the bonds and
contract, and all pertaining to them, to his
widow
Soon the great scheme was forgotten, the
history of Emil Ii. Bries is worldwide. He
is incarceratcd in the tombs to-day, convict
ed of uttering forged Missouri bonds. He
was at one time one of Gen. Ben Buffers
war secretaries. He heard of Englishmen
getting their bonds redeemed and at once
hunted up Mrs. Woodhouse, she was found
at Lynn, Mass.
She had assigned bonds to Matthias c. Ea-
ton. Bries offered Eaton $25, 900 for his in
terest in bonds and the offer was aided by
Archibald G. Huestis, whose Office is now at
No. 70 Temple Court. BrieS formed plan
to sell bonds to syndicate of wealthy brok-
ers who were to use their influence
to have them redeemed. Bries now bios
omed out as man of wealth and told his
friends he had just received $4,000, and in
two months would be worth 100000. He at
once bought house at Stanford Ferdinand
Ward was his neighb0r and Mrs. Ward now
lives almost next door to the house owned
by Bries.
Bries now went openly into the United
States district court in this city and sued
Chief Justice Sedgewick possession of Wood
house Mexican bonds. He filed his petition
on April 10, 1883. The case was fought with
great fierceness on all sides and finally result
ed in Bries gaining possession of bonds by
ed to deliver to MessrS. Roland n Hazard
and Stephen F. Moriarty the Mexican Wood
house bonds, plates, dies, etc. Roland n.
Hazard, who was to receive bonds under or
der of court, is a well known druggist who is
also president of the American loan and
trust company.