Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1857-04-21


OA Receiving Sentence OF DcaGh
"details OF Numbering amd
turning his Wife! rifH n
Return j. M. Ward, who murdered his
wife mt Sylvania, Ohio, on the 4th of Feb
ruary last, was sentenced TO death at Tole-
do on the 9th inst, the 18th of June next
being named as the day for the execution
of the sentence. The Court, in remarks
preliminary to pronouncing sentence, gave
the following brief statement of the Cir
cumstances of the murder: ."
The act was done in secret and created
no alarm; but the sudden disappearance
of Mrs. Ward required some explanation;
ance, and the improbability of-yo state
ments, with other circumstances, excited
the suspicion of your neighbors, and led
to the examination Of your premises,
which resulted in the discovery of poi-
tions of human bones in your stove, and
also, in some ashes, which had been de-
posted i'll the rear of your house liE
During the delivery of the sentence the
prisoner wept bitterly The Blade says
that when brought into the courtroom
Ward was dressed as usual, in a full
suit of black, appearing much downcast,
and rs the court commanded him to stand
up, he arose. breathing heavily, his eyes
fixed upon the floor, and only momentari-
ly seeking the face of the Judge. With
one hand he leaned heavily on the chair,
while The other hung tremblingly at his
side''
When he had received his sentence the
Blade says:
"Ward knelt down, and leaning on the
chair, buried his face in his hands, weep
ing and groaning. He was suffered to re-
main thus for few moments, as the forms
of adjourning court till afternoon were
gone through with, when Sheriff Springer
touched him on the shoulder, andhe arose,
apparently much more composed, and was
taken to The JAIL
CONFESSION OF wARD-How HE KILLED HIS
WIFE AND DISPOSED OF HER BODY.
The reporter of the Toledo Commercial
procured an interview with Ward, who told
the story Of the murder of his wife Gin
terruptng his disclosure by EXPLANATIONS
of deep sorrow and regret for the crime he
had committed.' 9- o.. fr..... rr.. G
CONFESSION.
On Tuesday evening, February Sd, Mrs.
Ward and myself had some words, during
which Mrs. Ward struck me on the head
with a fluid lamp, also on the right side OF
the nose, causing the same to bleed freely.
l 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. l spoke to her
about the blow she had given me, show
ing her where she had struck me on the
evening previous, also the blood on the
bolster and tick She said she wished l
had bled to death, and, picking up a stick
of hickory wood, she attempted to strike
me- / warded off the blow, which fell up
on my right thumb, laming it severely
The stick fell from her hand, and as she
stopped to pick it up, | seized tlat-lron,
and in the heat 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,
"Oh! Ward, you have killed me: - |
dropped the flat-iron and went to her; she
was lying on her side; turned her oyer
on her back, and placed a petticoat under
her head, supposing she was only stunned.
used all means in my power to restore
her, but in half an hour she died, having
only spoken once, %, my Nellie meaning
as suppose, her little girl.
After she was dead, l wrapped her head
in a petticoat and drew the body under the
bed, TO conceal it in case any one should
come in. About half past eight O'Clock,
VIM. II. Nathan, a 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 was
going away. Ithen returned to the house
and after short time, commenced cutting
up the body. l tore the clothes open from
the throat down. L then took a small
pocket knife and opened the body, look out
the bowels first, and then put them in the
stove, upon the wood; they being filled
with air would make noise in exploding,
sp L took my knife and pricked holes
through them to prevent the noise; then
took out the liver and heart, and put them
into the stove; found it very difficult to
burn them : had to take the poker and fire.
quently stir them before they mould be de-
stroyed; found the lungs very much de-
caycd. l then took out the blood remain
ing in the cavity Of the body, by placing
copper kettle close to the same and scoop
ing it out with my hands. then dipped
portions of her clothing in the same, and
burnt it together, fearing if put the blood
in the stove alone, that it might be dlscov-
cred. 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. large boiler, unjointed
the arms at the shoulders, doubled them
ND and placed them in the boiler; then sew
eied the remaining portions of the body,
by placing stick of wood under the back
ahdbreaking 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 Intellectual, and put
the whole upper portion of the body into
the boiler Then took large carving
knife and severed the lower portion Of the