PRESIDENT GRANT’S BROTHER CONFESSING HIS FRAUDS.

Evening Star, Issue 4145, 9 June 1876, Page 3

PRESIDENT GRANT’S BROTHER CONFESSING HIS FRAUDS.

The brother of the Piesident, Mr Orvill M. Grant, was examined on Thursday before two committees of the House of Representatives—the Committees on Expenditure in the War and Navy Departments. He made a pitiful spectacle of himself before both committees. He testified unwillingly with prevarication, but the truth was dragged out of his reluctant lips at last. And the truth was that the President, his brother, had enabled him to pi under the Treasury aud to swindle the Indians. Tiiis is the plain English af the matter. Mr Grunt, when before the Navy Committee, admitted that he was the paid servant of Messrs Basshor and Co, engineers and contractors, in Baltimore. His pay was not large-only 200dol, or S4O, a month. But What did he do for the. firm 1 Well, he got contracts for them from the Government. His brother, the President, kept him informed of what was going on, and perhaps “ a little influence” had been occasionally used. On being further pressed he admitted that his salary of S4O a month did not represent his whole income from this source. He had obtained for Bassfior and Co., for example, a contract for supplying oak ship-knees for the Navy Department, and he received one-half the profits resulting from this job. Further inquiries elicited the fact that by this contract “knees” which Were worth 3dol. in the market were sold to the Government at 6dol. 30c., and other “ knees,” worth and purchased at 6d01., were sold to the Government at 27doi. ’Boc. This was a profitable business, but Mr Grant had other strings to his bow. When taken before the committee of the War Department he was asked whether he had ever obtained post-traderships for himself or his friends, and he flatly denied that be had. But on being pressed, and certain names being mentioned to him, his memory was refreshed, and he called to mind the fact that he had had some transactions of this kind. How did he get the post traderships ? Well, the fact was that his brother, the President, had informed him in 1874, in reply to a question from himself, that these posts might be made vacant, and that he could get them for hjmself if he applied for them. He did apply, and he got themi Being closely questioned as to the means by which he had obtained so many appointments and contracts, he replied that he “ had influence with the President to manage such matters to some extent,” and he “ had always felt grateful to his brother, the President, for his influence.” He confessed that besides these appointments for himself he had obtained some for other people, and has been paid for doing so ] but be did not tbink that the President was aware of that fact. It is certainly hoped that he was not.