Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1857-04-18

| bat these "SWafnptfS lHsiSt 'iidt Ho 'a1t
of country can compare with theirs
"Chacun a son govt" but give me for
"daiing-place" the dear Old Dominion
the best land the sun shines on
Yours truly,
S. S. X.
Confession OF Wife Murderer-Bur.
ming OF the Body by the Husband. =
We learn from the Toledo Commercial
of the 9Th inst, tina, r. NJ. Ward ha:
made an unreseryed confession of ihe.mur
der of his wife. Being pressed for room
we simply make the following abstract
On Tuesday evening. February Sd
Mrs. Ward and myself had some words
during which Mrs. Ward struck me or
the head with fluid lamp, also on the
Oh, side of the nose. causing the same tr
bleed freely. ! begged her not to strike
me, took the lamp away from her and
went TO bed. We arose between six and
seven o'clock on Wednesday morning.
spoke to her about the blow she had Civ
en- 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 10 death, and picking
up stick Of Hickory wood, she attempted
to strike me. / warded off The blow,
which fell upon my right thumb, laming
il severely. The stick fell lIom her hand,
and as she stopped 10 pick il Up, | seized
flat-iron, and in the hea, of passion,
struck her with it on the right side of the
head. upon and under the ear, driving the
earring into The flesh. She fell TO the
floor, exclaiming, ooh ! Ward, you lave
killed me !" dropped the hat-iron and
went to her; she was lying on her side ;
| turned her over on her head, surprising
she was only stunned. used all means
in my power TO restore her, but in half all
hour she died having only spoken once,
30, my Nelly" meaning, as | suppose,
her lille girl.
After she was dead, wrapped her head
in petlicost and drew the body under
the bed TO conceal d. it in case any one
should come in. About half-past So'clock
VIM. Fl. Nathan, mulatto boy, came
into the shop, took the milk from him and
be left. l then went to Liba Aliens gro
Gerry, bought pound Of sugar, told him
was going away. | then returned TO the
house, and after short time, commenced
cutting up The body. | tore the clothes
open from the throat down. | then took
a small pocket knife and opened the body,
look out the bowels first, then put them
in the stove, upon the wood they being
filed with air. would make noise, in eX.
ploding, so took my knife and pricked
holes through them, to prevent the noise
then took Dat the liver and heart, and put
them in the stove found il very difficult
to burn them had to take the poker and
stir them, before they could be
destroyed; found the lungs very much
decayed. | then took on, the blood, re-
naming in the cavity OF the body, by pla-
cling copper kettle close 10 the same and
bnInt ii altogether, fearing, if | put The
blood in the stove alone, that il might be
discovered.
then made an incision through the
flesh, along down each side, broke off the
ribs and took out the breast bone, and
throwing il into large boiler, unjonled
the arms al the shoulders. doubled them
up and placed Them in the boiler; then
severed the remaining portions of the
body by placing stick of wood underibe
back and breaking the backbone over the
same, cutting away The flesh and llgament
with knife. Then tried 10 sever the
head from the body it proving neifectu-
al, put the whole upper portion of The
body into The boiler. Then took large
carving knife and severed the lower por-
ton of the body, unjointed the legs a, the
joint; cut the thighs open and took out the
bones and burnt them up; they burned
very rapidly.
On Thursday nigh. commenced bur-
ming the body, by placing The upper and
back portions of the same, together with
the head, in the stove. On Friday NOR
ming, finding it had not been consumed, /
built large fire by placing wood around
and under ii, and in short time 1t was
wholly consumed, except some small por-
lions 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 pet,icoat.
and were there al the time the first search
was made, on Saturday, by Constable
Curtis.
Hearing on Saturday evening that the
citizeLs were not satisfied with the search
made by MIR. Curtis, | proceeded on Sun
day morning 10 destroy the remainder Of
The body. by burning the same in the
stove, cutting the fleshy parts of the thighs
in small strips, the more readily to dispose
of them. On Monday morning took up
the ashes in small key, sitting out the
larger pieces of bone with my hands, pfa.
cling the same in my overcoat pockets,
LIE b;cb I sca.tsre1 ~ x,r;ous rJ.cas - ,ho