Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-04-16
Confession and Sentence of
Ward.

SOAACSS1UH Gkllek SEQUENCE Ok
Ward
Return J. N. Ward, conv:: cted of mur-
dering his wife, Las been sentenced to be
hung on the 18th of June next at Toledo.
Previous TO receiving his sentence, Ward
made confession, which We copy from the
Toledo Cmnereial. 1t is supposed that
the confession was made with view of in
fuercing the Court to make his crime
man7slaughter. As has been seen, the at
tempt WIS futile.
CONFESSION.
On Tuesday evening, February Sd, Mrs
Ward and myself had some words, during
which Mrs. Ward struck me on the head
with fluid lamp, also on the right side of
the nose, causing the same TO bleed freely.
begged her not to strike me, took the
lamp away from her and went to bed
We arose between and o'clock on We'd
nesday morning. spoke to her about the
blow she had struck me, showing her where
she had struck me ON the evening previous,
also the blood on the bolster and tick
She said she wished had bled to death,
and picking up a stick of hickory wood,
she attempted TO strike me- l wardcd
off the blow, which fell on my right
thumb, laneing it severely. The stick fell
from her hand, and, as she stopped to pick
it up | seized a tiat-iron, and in the heat of
passion struck her ON the right side of
the head upon and under the ear, driv-
ing the earrings into the flesh. She fell
to the floor, exclaiming, Oh. Ward. you
have killed me- l dropped the iat-iron and
ran to her, she was lying on her side; turn
ed her over on her back, and placed petit
coat under her head, supposing she was on
ly stunned. used all my power to re-
store her, but in half an hour she died, hav-
ing only spoken once, 80, my Nellie"
meaning, as | suppose, her little girl.
After she was dead, wrapped her head
in petticoat and drew the body under the
bed, 10 conceal it in case anybody should
come in. About half past o'clock, VIM.
Nathan, mulatto boy, came to the door
with some milk came into the shop, took
the milk from him and he left. | then
went to Liba Aliens grocery; bought
pound of sugar; told him 1 was going away.
l then went to the house, and after short
time commenced cutting up the body. l
tore the clothes open from the throat down.
I then took small pocket knife and open
ed the body, took out the bowels first, and
then put them in the stove, upon the
wood; they being filed with air would
make a noise in exploding; so l took my
knife and pricked holes through them 70
prevent the noise; then took out the liver
and the heart and put them in the stove;
found it very difficult to burn them; had
to take the poker and frequently stir them
before they could be destroyed; found the
lungs very much decayed. l then took
the blood remaining in the cavity of the
body, by placing a copper kettle close to
the same and seooping it out with my
hands. I then dipped portions of her clo-
thing in the same, and burnt it together,
fearing if l put the blood in the stove
alone, it might be discovered.
l then made an incision through the
flesh, along down each side, broke off the
ribs and took out the breast bone, and
throwing it into a large boiler, unjointed
the arms at the shoulders, doubled them
up and placed them in the boiler; then
severed the remaining portions of the body,
by placing a stick of wood under the back,
and breaking the back bone over the same,
cutting away the flesh and ligament with
a knife. Then tried to sever the head from
the body; it proving inaffectual, put the
whole upper portion of the body into the
boiler. Then took large carving knife
and severed the lower portion of the body,
unjointed the legs at the knee and again at
the hip joint; cut the thighs open and
took out the bones and burnt them up;
they burned very rapidly.
On Thursday night l commenced burn
ing the body, by placing the upper and
back portions of the same together with
the head in the stove. On FRIDAY morn
ing, finding it had not been consumed, l
built large fire by placing wood around
and under it and in short time it was
wholly consumed, except some small por-
tions of the larger bones and of the skull.
The remaining portions OF the body were
kept in the boiler and in tubs, under the
bed, covered up with a corded petticoa:
and were there at the time the first search
was made on Saturday, by Constable Cur
It's. Hearing on Saturday evening the cit
liens were not satisfied with the search
made by Mr.. Curtis, proceeded on Sun
day morning to destroy the remainder of
the body, by burning the same in the stove,
cutting the feshy parts of the thighs in
small strips, The more readily to dispose of
them.
On Monday morning took up the ash
es in keg, sitting out the larger pieces of
bone with my hands, placing the same in
my over coat pockets, which 1 scattered
in the fields, at different times. Also took
the major portion of the trunk nails, to-
gether with the hinges, and scattered them
in different places. then burned her
trunk and every vistage of her clothing, dis
posing of small portions at time, to pre-
vent their creating too much smoke.
Il