The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-11-24
The Murder in Louisville.

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| The Murder in Louisville.
1t is seldom that we publish any Of the
particulars of murders, as the taste which
leads the reader to select such articles for
perusal, is morbid, and one to which we wish
not to contribute. But the recent murder
in Louisville was SO peculiar and aggravated,
and effeeting asst does parties in "high lfe,"
that We wish to place the particulars on
record and note the progress of the trial, and
observe whether moral sentiment sets as
strongly against crime in that city as in Bos-
ton, where the criminals move in the high
walks Of life The Wards here mentioned
are brothers to the somewhat famous Salle
Ward. The following account is from the
Louisville Courier of 18th inst:
i Yesterday morning Mat. F. Ward, eldest
son of B J. Ward, Esq, went to the High
School in this city, near the cornerof Second
street, on Chestnut, accompanied by two of
his brothers-Rohert Ward, a youth Of six.
teen, and William Ward, smaller boy
and called for Mr. VIM II. G. Butler, one
of the teachers. A few words passed be-
tween them when Mr.. Ward pulled out
pistol and shot Mr. Butler down. The ball
passed through his left breast, over the
heart. and he fell to the floor, exclaiming in
his agony. Il am kilied-Oh, my poor wife
and child Ward then dropped his pistol,
and accompanied by his brother, retreated
from the school room.
Mr.. Butler was able to rise from the floor,
and left the room, assisted by some boys, but
when in the street he fell again and was
carried home. His physicians think the
wound will prove mortal. The ball could
not be extracted, and he bled inwardly. Mr..
Butler had corrected VIM. Ward, one ofhis
pupils. the day previous, for telling false-
hood, which led to the tragic affair.
Robert Ward, who accompanied his BROTH
er, drew bowie knife, and when Prof. Stur-
. CESS, the other teacher in the school, advan-
ced to the assistance Of Mr.. Butler, he made
such demonstrations that the professor re-
treated and made his escape out Of . win
dow. The scholars in the school room
were scattered in all directions BY the dis.
!, play Of such warlike instruments in their
, midst Mr.. M. F. Ward and Robert u
Ward, Jr.,were promptly arrested and lodg
ed in Jail.
II
very precarious condition, with but slight
fhopesof his surviving Till morning. HAaRna
suffering intensely, and the atiiiction Of his
family is described as distressing beyond
measure. Mr.. Butler.was one of the best
and most inof1ensive men in the world, aud
we can appreciate the anguish of his friends
at his being SO untimely cut off, and in such
La manner. The affair is generally regarded
as of most atrocious and unprovoked
character. and when it became known, the
deepest Indignation prevailed throughout the
r city.
4 The Louisville papers of late date an.
nounce the death of Mr.. Butler. The two
brothers, Mat. F. and Robert J Ward, Jr.
were examined at the police court on the
charge of having committed the murder
The facts elected were as above stated.
The circumstances that led Mr.. Mathew
F. Ward to the committal Of the act were
William Ward, his brother, a young lad
about fourteen or fifteen years of age, had
the day before some difference with another
boy in the school about chestnuts, and Mr..
Butler chastised the other boy. This boy
complained, and said young Ward ought to
be chastised as well as he. Mr.. But ler inn
medately made some inquiries, and found
that young Ward had told him lie about
the chestnuts; in consequence of which Mr..
B-t0ok him out also, and gave him seven
or eight lasles with strap. Young Will
lam Ward Immediately left the school, and
the winding up Of the affair is the lamenta-
Bile and unfortunate occurrence which we
now report.
Messrs. Z. P. Pope, Speed and Caldwell,
/ counsel for the prisoners, after the closing
of the evidence, retired into the clerks room,
and continued there some minutes. When
they returned, and stated they did not wish
any postponement IN the case, as they before
the trial asked for; but that his Honor would
give the judgement from the evidence as it
then stood.
Mr., Lancaster, City Attorney, then call
ed on the Court to return judgement of
murder in the first degree against Math-
eW F. Ward and Robert ] Ward Jr.
i His Honor, after having carefully perused
the statute in the case, Immediately said
I"Iet those two persons be recommitted to
ljail, to answer the charge of murder, on the
first day OF the next term Of the Jefferson
i Circuit Court"
/ The greatest excitement prevails at Louis
vile in regard to the above cold-blooded
murder. Mrs. Butter, the wife of the mur-
dered man, is said to have become insane
since his death and subsequent accounts say
she is dead The friends of Ward sent him
a drayload of furniture, victuals, etc, to the
Jail, but the iailor very judlcously refused to
receive them, declaring that he would make
no distinction with his prisoners
j HEINE-Henry Heine, the German poet,
has for many wears past been struck with
! paralysis His limbs, his body, his featurey,
even to his very eye-lds, are lame, and, to
, to all purposes, like those of a dead mon
Indeed it may be said that life only Fingers
, on the brain and tongue--the man is a mere
/ corpse the poet alone survives. An ex-
lie from his country for many long wears
past, too, a captive to illness in the back
, room Of small apartment in the Faahoun