The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-06-27 00:00:00

PIIDDLISTOWN.

THE MURDER 9f. A..PURDLETOWN WOMAN

_
IN TORONTO.
SENTENCE OF DEATH PASSED UPON THE HUSBAND,

Baaarrox, May 11.
The trial of Christopher Ward, charged with the
murder of his wife under circumstances of an extra-
"whims y character. was commenced to-day at Brampton
Assizes before Mr. Justice Moss. Intense interest was
manifwitsal in the prucetslings by residents of the district
for many miles roun I, and throughout the day the
I ',out-house WIL9 crowded by an excited audience.
. .

The main features ef the case 114 presented on behalf of
the Crown may be thus stated :—The prisoner is a fanner
in comfortable cin:urnstances living about three-quarters
of is mile from the village of Kilmanagh on the third con-
cession road in Caledon East. Ills relatives are old settlers,
and live in the neighbourhood. In Decensher last, Ward
woo married to an English girl named Mary Mayne at
Toronto, anti a few days afterwards the newly married
couple went to their home in Cale...lon. From the outset
their matrimonial life was an unhappy one. They
quarrelled within • few hours of their marriage, and the
breach between them grew wider until quarrels were of
almost daily occurrence. With the newly married couple
lived Mary Morrison, a girl 12 yeas-a of age, whom evidence
to-day showed that Ward frequently ill-trnsted his wife
and even threatened her life. The girl left the service of
the Wards shortly before the night of the disaster. On
the morning of April 6th Ward's house was destroyed by
tire, and a portion of the body of Mrs. Ward was
subsequently found in the ruins. The news of the lire was
Curriol by Ward, who was nude save his socks to •
neighbour who lived about two hundred yards distant. An
:slants was given, and the neighbours having checked the
flames, searched for the body of Mrs. Ward. The remains
presented a sickening sight The trunk was headless, one
.11-121 was wanting, and the lower portions of both legs
ere missing. The whole was a charred mass. Despite a
vb.,' examination of the debris made by police officers
mily two small bones belonging to the ancles were
subsequently found. The remains were lying on a bed,
the bathers of whirls were saturated with a liquid
resembling blood, but which medical experts have been
utsable to pronounce as such in consequence as they allege,
of the heat destroying the globules. A butcher's knife was
found inside the bed-ticking. The theory of the prosecu-
tion in regard to the disposition of the head and portions
of this Isnly not found appears to be that they were
severed, or at all events the head was severed from the
trunk, and burnt in the cook stove to conceal all trace of
the foul crime. In support of this view portions of the
stove which had been absolutely melted were produced in
court. Evidence was taken to show that such an occur-
rence uncoinnion when dwellings are burnt, and, more-
over, that such could only take place either by reason of
a strong current of air blowing through the burning
building or from some exceedingly inflammable material
being paced in or adjoining the stove. A sewing-machine
which was in the house was comparatively little injured.
A medical witness produced a portion of the neck in
Court, and gave reasons tor holding the opinion that the
head had hem severed. Considerable importance is
attached to the statement of the prisoner in recant to the
tiecurrence. The fire be ascribes to his wife having
knocked over the lighted coal-oil lamp when lying in bed,
mid he declares that he made vigorous efforts to Save her,
daring which he received many severe barns. To a
neighbour, however, Ward said in conversation, "She is
gone, and she was a bad ene anyhow." _ .

_
".fh."e-deleTc-e enters the general plea of not guilty. It is
also sought to be established that the missing portions of
the body may have been consumed by the flames or
reduced to ashes which were unrecognized as human
remains. Medical testimony will be called to prove that
the prisoner, if guilty of the crime, is not responsible for
his actions. Medical evidence heard to-day established
the fact that about ten years ago be was treated for con-
gestion of the brain, from which he recovered, and that
within the last few yews he has laboured under the
delusion that poison was placed in his food.
The trial was opened at 10 o'clock this morning, in the
Court House, Mr. Justice Moss presiding. Mr. Kenneth
Mackenzie, Q.C., and Mr. Mutton conducted the prosecu-
tion ; Mr. J. Hillyard Cameron. 1.2. C., appeared for the
defence. . .

The prisoner maintained a calm demeanour during the
proceedings, manifesting his anxiety as to the issue by
eager glances towards witnessear who testified as to leading
"ate in the cape. Hid face, which was somewhat marked
with burns received at the fatal fire, occasionally Hushed
into • deep crimson and wore an anxious look. Ward i.e
hearty man of about thirty years.
Evidence was taken on behalf of the prosecution. And
among the witnesses called where Mn. Stroud, of
Toronto, who said she had known Mary Ward in the old
country, she was learned at Mrs. Bessant's in Toronto,
on Sth December last, witness was in Calelion from 27th
January, to 12th February ; shortly after her arrival he
used dirty beastly language, and subsequently ill-treated
his wife In many ways.
Elisabeth Ileeaant, of Toronto, testified to Mr. and Mrs.
Ward being marries' at her house; when she next saw
Ward he we. seeking his wife whl had left him, for, he
said, he had been abusing lien; they commences' to
quarrel on the evening of the marriage.
Mary Morrisou, a girl of 12 years, who lived with the
prisoner from the date of his marriage up to within throe
;emirs of the tire, gave evidence as to quarrels which had
eccurred between Ward and his wife; on one night she
heard angry words between them, and saw prisoner push
Mrs. Ward out of heel; on other occasions, while talking
about her friends in England, he seized her by the hair of
the head, and when disputing about trifling matters, she
accused him of choking her and brutally treating her',
at other times he knocked her head agairuit the wall and
pushed her against the sofa ; prisoner one day pulled her
now and ears, and said, "Except for that thing (meaning
witness) I would kill you." Witness deacribed several
acts of brutality on the part of the prisoner towards his
wife. _ _

To Mr. Cameron: Ward complained that his food was
bed, and that his wife was attempting to poison him: if
lie was crazy, he was very polite to neighbours when they
called: be would not eat any food unless Mrs. Ward also
partook of it
Dr. Robinson, of Claude, gave testimony. He resided
four miles from the house of the prisoner, whom he had
known for twelve years ; he desaihed the condition of the
body—sullicient remained to prove finish* was pregnant.
To Mr. Cameron: Nine or ten years ago Prisoner con-
sulted him for congestion of the brain, from which he
recovered. Fours years afterwards Ward came to him in an
excited state: declaring that persons were plotting against
him, and hiW put poison in his food. Examined prisoner a
few days ago, and could not conscientiously sign a
certificate of insanity respecting him.
Amens; the evidence taken for the prisoner, John
Vailipbell, who resideA with the prboner's father, testified
to visiting the scene of the tire. The bowse was built of
iimobs-k logs, lined with boards: a strong wind was blow.
ing while it was on tire; noticed eccentricities in the
prisoner in regard to scriptural matters. Ward said he
was going to be the next Saviour, and was going to bs
offered to the world, he based this belief on the circum-
stance that there had been 14 generations from Abraltam
to Timid, and he was the youngest of Ii children in the
family, and he believed there was something in the
number It Ward also believed the Roman Catholics
would rise at some time and kill all Protestants.
T. Mr. Mackenzie: Am prisoner's step-brother. Ward
becomes wild when under the influence of liquor.
Matilda Faulkner, a neighbour to Ward, said he had
the belief that all groceries were drugged or poisoned'
he believed all doctors and Freemasons were murderer,'
that one-half the people buried were not dead but only
drugged by the doctors, and that afterwards they were
exhumed and made to tell their expedience'. ward

appeared sensible in wee, other war
To Mr. Boulton : Did not think he was crazy.
Alexander Dick, publisher of the Bramptit Banna
produced a posting-bill announcing a sale of stock for Fix
o'clock am. in October lost Ward would not have the
sale tied at any other boor.
John Ledlow and Donald Macdonald gave evidence of
trifling acts of eccentricity.
William Ward, brother of the prisoner, said that
I liristopher Ward had lived on his form for eight yearn;
had frequently seen him unsound in his mind; four
years ago lad March visited his farm to deliver a yoke of
fat oxen, and found prisoner taking mustard and water
its an emetic, saying he had been pinioned; his horses
and cattle were housed together; on a subsequent
occasion he said he was going to Brampton to buy • bulls
dog and a lion for his protection, also suits of clothes far
his brothers : his brother af lee-wards came down on home-
bark; the mare was covered with a white sheet, and a
red muffler round round its neck ; be wore a white blouse,
and rode without ,adilie or stirrepa; he wanted his bread
analysed, declaring it had been poisoned ; witness after.
wards saw prisoner riding about Brampton carrying a bag
of bread: afterwards had him arrested; he was telesoW
in a few days. the medical men saying his condition was
due to weakness; that occurred four years ago; during
that year be did not rains any crop on his farm his pre-
vailing idea was that people were endeavouring to poison
him; after visiting England be was married, and witness
did not know of any eccentricity since bin marriage.
To Mr. Mackenzie: Did not see anything extraordinary
in the prisoner on the morning of the fire; witness
obtained a power of attorney which gave control of his
brother's property after his arrest
This closed the ease for the defence. . .

Dr. Haggle, physician of Ilrampton gaol, re-called by
the prosecution : Remember prisoner being admitted to
Brampton gaol, and had attended him since; was now in
same condition as when admitted; had never seen
prisoner insane ; he had exhibited no symptoms of
insanity since he was admitted.
Mr. Cameron addressed the jury on behalf of the
prisoner.
Mr. Mackenzie. in addressing the Court on behalf of the
Crown, submitted the jury should consider whether a
probable explanation of the crime was not that Mrs.
Ward, knowing the diseased condition of her husband ,
refused to gratify his passions,and he in revenge murdered
her, remembering that she had resolved to leave him on
the following morning: They must also remember that
after her death the prisoner said " she is now gone, she
was • bad one anyway, and that he was jealous of his
wife during her life. The learned counsel quoted caves to
show that under the law, while the prisoner might have
bad various delusions, yet if he entertained a feeling of
resentment and iLl.will towards his wife and killed her,
he could not obtain shelter under the plea of insanity.
Although medical evidence had been called to show that
Ward was a dangeroos lunatic, no warning was given. to
ng
,t‘tfang
knife and killed his wife itntrisonewir
with
afterwards
destroying his nightdress and the bedding in order to
conceal all traces of the crime. That theory would explain
why the prisoner went to Davies' house in a nude con-
dition excepting his socks. As a general rule, the sane
men committing murders at once admitted their guilt,
bat no such admission was found in the present case. The
learned counsel invited the jury to calmly consider and
decide the questions as to whether the prisoner murdered
his wife, and whether he was sane when he committed
the deed. If the woman had knocked over the lamp and
caused the f.re, as was alleged by the prisoner, she would
have been the first to escape from the house.
His lordship charged the jury at considerable length.
The jury returned • verdict of Ouilty, and he was
sentenced to be hung on the 2Oth June.

WISILZHAY.
Couitry Perry Sessions, Tuesday, June 20th.—Before
Lieut.-Colonel Man•el and Mr. M. Rodgett