New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-12
JAMES D. FISH A FREE MAN.
BROUGHT BACK FROM PRISON 10 HIS
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
STARED AT BY A CROWD OF MEN At THE GRAND
CENTRAL sTATIoN-GREETED by An IN.
TEREsTING GROUP IN THE DOOR OF
HIS BRoTHERIN.LAw'S HOUSE
IN BROOKLYN.

reached the Grand Central Station iH this CITY, on
his way home from the Auburn Prison, at 3 80
o'clock last night. A large crowd awaited the
tram, but it was composed almost entirely OF
people who had come out OF curiO iy to see how an
old man looked who had spent some years in u
convlcts cell The former friends OF Mr.. Fish
were not there TO welcome him. Hundreds Of men
gathered around the narrow exit, almost blocking
1t, and policemen had to make q narrow passage
way in the crowd, through which the passengers
emerged.
There he comes!' That's himl7 were eX-
clamations uttered by some of the curious, as an
extremely pale old man, whose thin white hair
hung Below the rim OF his black
slouch hat, appeared. It was the
convict, but there were few there who
under other circumstances would have recognized
him as the once trusted lnancier and president Of
big bank. Mr.. Fish walked down the platform
between the trains with firm, Springy step, ac
commnied by his daughter, Miss Anna Fish, and
nurse, carrying little girl OF three years. the
daughter Of the fnancer and Sallie ltcbcr, the
actress.
The first to greet Mr.. Fish and grasp his hand
was A. H. Dudley, his brothcr-in-hw. The two
men were at surrounded by curious star
ing crowd, and Mr. Fish evidently shrank under
the ordeal. Let us go,7 he said, pulling his hat
lower over his face. Mr. Dudley took him by the
arm and led him to the station door, where Ia was
warmly greeted by Detectivc-Scrgennt Cosgroye,
of Inspector Byrnes's staff who escorted him TO
q carriage.
HOW THE RELEASED MAN LOOKED
IS he pissed under the gaslights outside the sta
tion, Fish appeared old for his slXty-nine
years, but his elasticity Of movement showed that
age had little weight in tho overwhelming delights
81 frn. -, ,b.l a . in md M
thctcnlly pale and wan. As he passed out into III"
open air Of the city, he seemed daHcd, and acted
as II he scarcely knew what TO do. lie glanced
up and around and drew his breath quickly many
times. Once hc started 10 go out into Forty
5rcond-st. and was checked hy the detective Then
he started again for the interior Of the station
and gently guided 10 the side exit by Cos
grove As Lc passed across the narrow carringe
drive outside the station he smiled and when he
entered the carringe il" sank back on the cushions
with his eyes hnli-closCd, as II contcntmtnt had
cnvclopcd him absolutely.
His attirr WAS calculated 10 screen his identity.
hut IL failed TO deceive the reporters. Mr.. Fish,
Enrring his extreme pilrncss and white hands
might have been taken for n prosperous farmer
Of advanced years lie wore black lrock coat
hlack trousers and black slouch hat, tho sombre-
ncss Of his gnrb rather adding 10 the almost
startling effect OF his r1lcnrsS
Mr. Dudley. Miss Fish, the nurse and the child
entered the carriage with the Oh man, and the
vehicle was driven rapidly down Fourth-ave. and
Broadway 10 the Brooklyn Bridge. Crossing into
Brooklyn, the carriage was driven has
tily the residence Of Ar. Dudley.
60 25s IIenry-st, Bruoklyn. Here Mr..
Fish was awaited by his other Children,
among whom were his two sons and II married
daughter As soon rs the carriage stopped. the
door OF the handsome house wRs hung open, show
ing family group in the hall. 1t would have
been hard for an uniformed outsider 10 tell
whether the Jcoplr within were weeping or max
ing merry. IIanIkcrchefs were indEstri0uSly
applied 10 moistened eyes, yet there were ocea-
sional little bursts Of laughter that sounded half
hystcrical II would he safe to assume that the
tear, which were she'd were those Of Joy. Mr..
Fish ran lightly up the steps Of tic house, the
last one 10 leave The carriage, and WAS received
with an outburst Of welcoming greetings hy thos
within The ioyous cNCamations were shut OIL
from the hearing Of those IN the street hy fEc
uuick closing Of the door. l. WAS o o'clock when
james ID. Fish was restored tn lis family, n free
man, after an absence IN prison OF four years
ncling a little one month.
HE ONLY WANTS TO ENJOY FREEDOM NOW
Mr. Fish has no plans for the future lie win
live at his brothcrn-aws house for several
weeks and perhaps permanently lie has no busI-
ness prospects as yet, and does not intend 20 trouble
himself about such cares for the Pre- ent. lie
has denied himself to all reporters, and declares
that he will not be interviewed under any CIR
Cumstanccs.
Indirectly. however he conveyed 20 Tribune
reporter brief message IN regard 70 his iuturc.
What he most dr lrcd lac said, WAS b. be Let alone.
lie Ind always loved his home llic, bhi hai shiN
missed the gentle surroundings Of his family. For
a time he would he perfectly happy IN ;hc MIDST
OF his dear ones He could imagine he Sl,l, NOM
ing swectcr than 10 be at nome hshll, listening
90 his daughters as they sang ana pRNeu. lIo
would not visit his old hauntS but would receive
such OF his old friends rs chose TO call upon hlLn.
Ills urison life had been left behind him, end he
would not care 90 discuss IT, yet, ne Shl", lr hdu
had experiences there worth fcmrmhrrhS one OF
the prisoners who had impressed nun "S pJ'hR
worthy man was Que VINO n'u O."
life sentence for killing ms witc. She
was young woman VINO hM u'htFltu
hfn and was gone for seven years. Ihinlang she
was dead he married again, but one day sc ap-
pcnrCd and became perforce M lhmar OF MS nome
or course wife No oh ecicd, ana me house was
kent in n turmoil 10 the husbands distraction
Al the dinner table one day, the shrcwish hrst
wife so exaspcrated the husband that be seized u
dish and flung IL nj her ne missile StrucH her
on the head fracturnR her skull ana klIlilS heF.o,
" You couldn't blnmc him much, could youY
remarked Mr.. Fish, in telling the Story.
The only cngn gem cnt Mr.. Fish has madC Is one
for o'clock tomorrow morning wh'n nc WIZ
visit n dentist Ills teeth hnNc ncedcd LOOKING
after badly for some months, and an hPpointmentt
with Brooklyn dentist was maze TOT hiih Sc'cI"
days ago.
WHY THE BANK PRESIDENT WAS SENT TO
PRISON.
Mr. .Fish's trial on chnrgcs of Incorporating
the funds of the Marine Bank, aud OF making
false entries on the books with intent to detraud
the bank and deceive the Bank Examiner Is one
Of the most celebrated Cuscs III the criminal an
mails Of the country. Involved as IL was with the
GrantWard failure, IL had noioriety second TO
that Of no other In criminal history JuSI ne
fore this failure, in which Fish was deeply In
volved, his fortune exceeded ST. 100000 lie was
| convicted Of the charges against nm on ApIll
~. 1885, bel fore Judge Benedict, in the United
States Circuit Court. The original Indictment