Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1857-04-15
Confession of Return J. II. Ward.

OOI4CSa4on VI . III w hI
The following from the Toledo COhio) Com
rercial, of the 6th,is one the most horrid and
dreadful things in the annals of crime
Through the politeness of our worthy Sher-
If. l.. J. Springer. ESQ, we last evening paid
a visit to r. j NJ. Ward, who gave Us the
following confession OF the murder Of his wife
Ward seemed to be deeply affected frequent
ly interrupting his disclosures by exclamations
of deep sorrow aud regret !or the crime which
he had committed, aud giving US complete
disclosure Of the same. After taking down
his confession we read the same to him. when
he pronounced it correct and we give il to our
readers we had it from his own lips. in the
presence of the Sheriff and others.
CONFESSION.
On Tuesday evening. February 3, 1857
Mrs. Ward and. myself had some words, du-
ring 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, and took the lamp
away from her, then went to bed. We arose
between six and seven o'clock on Wednesday
morning. / spoke to her about the blow she
had given me, showing her whore she had
struck me til: evening previous; also the blood
on the bolster and tick. She said she wished
| had bled to death, and picking up stick OF
hickory wood she attempted to strike nae
warded of the blow, which fell upon nv right
thumb. laniDg It severely The stick fell from
her hand and as sue stopped 10 picl, it up, I
seized aatiron, and, in the heat Of passion,
struck her with It on the right side of the head
upon aad under the right ear, driving the
earring into the iles,l She fell to the floor,
exclainiing. ''Oh, Ward, you have killed me-
dropped The fatiron and went to her. She
was lying on her side I turned her over or
her back and placed petticoat under her head
supposing she was only stunned. | made use
o. such means in my power to restore her +;
butin about hall an hour after the blow was
given, she died. having only spoken once af-
ter tne first exclamation, 'tOh, my Nellie !"
meaning as I supposed. her littl} girl.
After sac was dead wrapped her head in
q. petticoat and drew the body under tie bed,
10 conceal it in case any one should come in
About half rast eight o'clocl, William H. Ma
than, a nuiatto boy. came TO the door with
some milk came in the shop. took the milk
from hiia and he left. I then went 10 Liba
him [ was going away. | then returned to
cutting up the body ; tore the clothes open
from the throat down; | then took small
pocket kaifa auli opened the body, took out
the bowels first and pot them in the stove upon
the wood; they were filed with air aud would
make noise in .exploaing; took my knife
ana pricked holes through them to prevent
the noise. then took out the liver and heart,
and put them in the stove found it very diff
ficult to burn them had to take the poker
and frequently stir them before they could be
destroyed; found the lungs very much decayed
Then took out the blood remaining in the cav
ity of the body, By placing a copper kettle
close to the same and Seoop;ug ii out with my
hands L then dipped portions of her clo-
thing in the same aud burnt it together, fear
ing if put the blood in the stove alone that
it might be discovered I then made an in-
cision through the flesh along down each side
aud brolo Of the rios and took out the breast
bone. throwing il into large boiler: then
uniointcd the arms at the shoulders, doubled
them up and placed them in the boiler ; then
severed tue remaining portion OK the body
by placing a stick OF wood under the back,
ana breaking the backbone over the same
cutting away the flesh and lgament with
knife then tried 10 sever tie head from the
body it proving Intellectual, then put the
whole upper portion of the body into the boil
or. Then took large carving knife and sew
cred the lower portion OF the body. unjointed
the legs aud knees, and again at the hipjoint:
cut the thighs open and took out the bones and
burns them ups they burnt very rapidly.
On Thursday night commenced burning
the body by placing the upper and back por-
ton of the same. together with the head, in
the stove On Friday morning, finding tina.
it had not been consumed, [ buit large IRE
bv placing wood around and under it, and in
a short time il was wholly consumed except
some portion of the larger bones of the skull.
The remaining portions OF the body were kept
ia the boiler and in tubs under the bed, GOV
cred up with corded petticoas, and were
there at the time the first search was made on
Saturday by Constable CARTS. Hearing on
Saturday evening that thc citizens were not
satisfied with the search made by Curtis, |
proceeded on Sunday morning to destroy the
remaining portious of the body by burning
the same in toe stove, cutting the fjesiy part
of tue thighs IN small strips, the more read
ily to dspose Of them. On Morday morn
ING took up the ashes in small keg, sitting
out TIE larger pieces OF bone with my hands
placing the same III ny oyereoat pockets,
which / scattered ii various places in the fields
at different times Also took the major pr
ton of the trunk nails, together with the hiG-
ees. aad scattered them n different places /;
then burnt her trunk and every yesugc OF
her clothing, disposing small portions at a
time to prevent their creating too nu "a smoke.
EF- The Washington correspondent OF the
Exeter 1Yers Letter says that Gen Pierce has
had the good sense to avoid eztravagance in
the Presi !ential mansion during his term OF
Office, and the consequence is. that he retires
with one-haif Of his tour years salary in has