Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-04-14
CONFESSION OF A WIFE MURDERER.
Busx,ss or THE BosY pY TIE HUSBAND.

We stated q few days ago that Return j. Al. Ward
had been convicted at Toledo, Ohio. Of tho murder
Of his wifs. lie has sirce, 1t appears. made full
confession Of the horrible deed to tho Editor OF the
Toledo Commercial, from which journal we copy it {:
CosrEsloK.-Ou Tuesday evening, February Sd,
Mrs. Ward aud myself had acme words. during which
Mrs. Ward struck ns on the head win o nulo lamp
also on ths right aide Of the nose, causing the can't
to bleed freely. l begged her not to strike me. took
the lanp away from her and went 70 bed. We AROSE.
between six and seven o'clock on "Wednesday morn.
ing, when | spoke to her about The blow she had
given MI, showing her where che had struck
ms on the evening previous, also the blood on
the bolster and tick. Shs said she wished | had bled
10 death. and picking up q stick OF hickory wood,
she attempted 10 strike me. l we'ded on The blow,
which fell upon my right thumb, tanning 1t severely
The stick fell from her hsnn, aud AZ she stopped 10
pick il up, | seiz-d u a.t.iron, and, In the heat Of
sassion. struck her with It on the right side OF the
head. up.n and under the eur driving the ear FIRING
into the fssh. She fell TO the t'or, enchanting Oh!
Ward, you have killed me" ldnpp-d the Il ,t-iron
and weIttn her; .h- lying on her sid-i lrurnedh her over
on her back, and placed q peitcuat under her head
suppos;ng she was only stunned. ] used all meaiir
in my power to restore her, but in half an hour she
died, having only spoken once. "O my Nellie"
meaning, as | suppose. hsr little girl.
After she was dead l wrapped her bead in a petit
coat and drew thu body under the bed, 70 %conc-sil; ~
caee any one should come In. About ha!f past eight
O'CLOCK WIN. II. Nathan. a lnula;;o boy, came to The
door with sone milk came into The shop, TOOK tao
milk from him and hs left. | then went 10 Liba Al
lens grocery and bought q pound Of sugar; told him
I WAS going away. then returned to The house, and
after a short tins commenced cutting up The body !
tore the clothes open from the throat down. l then
took a small pocket knife aud opened the body, took
out the bowels I-sr, and put them In The s.ove, upon
The wood; they being filed with air, would make q
nnse III exploding, 60 / took my knife and picked
holes through them to prevent the noiee; then took
ont the liver and heart and put them in the stov.;
found it very difficult to burn them; had to take the
poker and frequently stir them before they could be
destroyed; found the lungs v,ry much decay-d. |
then took out the blood remaining in the caviry OF
ID. body, by placing & copper Kettle close TO The
rane, and accepting It out with my hands. l hen dip.
ped portions of her clothing In the same and burnt il
together, f.aring, if / put the blood il The stove alone
tha, it might hi discovered. | then made an incis!on
through The flesh, slopg down each side, broke oil
,b. ribs and took out the breast bone. and throwing
II into a large boiler. unjoinied the arms at The shout.
ders, doubled them up and placed them in The boiler;
then severed the remaining, portions OF tbs body oy
placing a stick Of wood under the back and breaking
the backbone over the came, cutting away tho tesh
and ligament with g knife. Then tried 10 sever the
head from the body it proving Intellectual, ana l put
the whole upper portion Of The body into the boiler;
then took a large carving knife and severed the lower
portion Of the body, u~rj1in,ing the legs at the knee,
and again at the hip joint; out the thighs open and
took out the bones and burnt them up; they burned
very rapidly.
On Thursday night I commenced burning the
body BY placing the upper and back portions OF the
same, together with the head, in the stove On Fri.
day morning, fndipg il hsd not been consumed, l
built a large fire by placing wood around and uuder
il. and In a short time it YES wholly consumed, ex.
cept some small portions of The larger bones and OF
this skull. The remaining portioD5 OF the body were
kept In the boiler eud In tubs, under the bed, covered
up with a corded peticoat, and were there at the
time the hrst search was made on Saturday by Con.
stable Curtis.
Hearing on Saturday evening that the citizens
were NOT sntir6ed with the search made by Mr.. Cur
Tia, I proceeded on Sunday morning to destroy the
remainder of the body by burning the same III the
stove, cutting the heshy part of the thighs 10 small
strips. the more readily to diepose of them. On
Monday morning I took up thu ashes In 4 email keg,
sitting ont the larger pieces of bone with my hands.
placing the same in my overcoat pockets, which ]
scattered in various plsces in the heids, at different
times. Also took the major portion OF the trunk
nails, together with the hinges, and scattered them 10
different places. l then burned her trunk ana every
vestige Of her clothing. ~disposing OF email portions
at a time, to prevent their creating TOO mneh smoke.
On the 9Th inst. the murderer was brought INTO
court, dressed in a full suit OF black, appearing much
downcast. and as the court commanded hun to stand
up, be aroae. breathing heavily, his eyes liked upon
the floor, and only momentsrily seeking the face OF
the iudpe. With one hand hs leaned heavily on the
chair, while the other bung tremblingly at ha eide.
After The Judge had pronounced sentence OF death,
ito take place on the 18th Of June,) Ward knelt
down, and, leaning on the chair, buried bis face in
hi. haud', weeping and grooming until conveyed oacS
10 isil.