The New York herald., 1870-09-05
REMARKABLE DRAMA IN REAL LIFE.
The End OF u Wealthy Desperado-A Man
Who Has brought Down Eleven Victims
Thrilling Narrative Of Family Diniruities.

lfrom the Memphis Ledger, August "a.
The death Of John II. Ward at the hands Of DR..
o. B. Knode, at Hot Springs, last inesday.
was the result. indirectly. of a deliberate and
cold-blooded attempt made by Ward some weeks
ago, to take the life of his own SON. law, Mr.,W.
A. Ammons of this city.
The Ward-Ammons family History has been de-
cidedly eventual and abundantly unpleasant. Mr..
Ward is Kentuckian by birth, though he has
lived in Tennessee, Arkansas, New York and Cali
fornia and various other places. lie has been
desperate man, and always In difficulties, gene.
rally killed his man and always managed to get
clear, so he boasted. He is said to have killed
eleven men in his day. Twenty years ago he
separated from his wife she lives at Helena, Ark.
Some time before the war he bought II 900 acres
of lams around Hot Springs. Mr. Barnes, of
Shreveport, alleged that he advanced the money
10 buy the land on speculation, and was
10 nave ocen an equal partner The deeds
however, were in Wards name, and Mr..
Barnes was the loser In long succ essful
law suit, Ward went to California, aud is said to
nave been conspicuous on the vigilance committee
IN the early history Of that State; but he came
back, probably during the war. His daughter
Miss Jennie Ward, was married about the break.
ing out OF the war, to Mr.. Lewis JONES' of SOmer-
vile, Tenn, young man OF wealthy and highly
respectable connections. They removed to
in land. Jones and his wile's brother, young
Ward, belonged to some Confederate command
but operated chiefly near home. About or during
the year 1864 band Of Confederatss called one
evening and stayed all night. Next morning their
horses were missing. They suspected Jones and
forced hin To confession and to take them to
the woods, where they found Ward holding the
horses. They hung Jones and Ward both on the
spot. This double tragedy was soon almost for
gotten amid the stirring events of the war, and
The young widow Jones returned TO her mother,
who was keeping millinery store in Helena.
Being well educated and very intelligent Mrs.
Jones supported herself comfortably for some
time forward by teaching school. Two or
three years ago Mr. Ammons, a well-to-do
widower Of fifty, removed from st. Joseph,
No., to Helena. He went into business and
was reported quite wealthy. He was a native
of Virginia. had lived in California, was intelli-
gent particularly in business matters had two
boys and was doubtless considered by the young
widow Jones and her shrewd old mother a good
"catch." He was caught she was or both
were, for tho name of Jones soon merged
into that Of AmmOns, and their two hearts were
| supposed to be beating with one horse power.
They removed to Forest Hill, handsome piece
of property on the Memphis and Charleston Rail
road, eighteen miles from Memphis, which Mr..
Ammons bought, but did not make over to his dar-
ling little wife, as she insisted he should. They
lived together there over year, but not as happy
as two turtle doves. They discovered somehow
that they had not struck their respective "aflini-
ties" and affairs grew unpleasant. Forest Hill
was SOlu. MfS. AInlnOnS went 10 vslt her mother
at Helena. Mr. Ammons went to Forest City, on
the Memphs and Little Rock Railroad. Then he
came back last spring, with his two boys, nearly
grown now, and settled in his present residence,
on Allen avenue, where he owns several houses.
Having ainassed sufficient means he desired to
settle down and spend his remaining days in peace
and quiet. Seven weeks ago he went to Hot
Springs in charge of DR.. Knode two little daurh
! ters, who had been at St. Agnes, and Mrs. Smith
DIR. KnOde's sister-in-law. Mr.. Ammons and DR.,
Knode have been friends for the last twenty
| years.
At Hot Springs lie found his young wife teach
| ing school, under the name of Mrs. Jones, from
| her first husband. Her father Mr.. John H. Ward
| was also there, looking after his land and whet-
! stone quarry interest He and his daughter had
always been on good terms, but he was only
| slightly acquainted with his son-in-aw, it seems
They met the street, and merely for three DAYS
bowed. Mr.. Ammons was not known to the pub
lie as the husband of Mrs. Jones. He remained IA
the guest of Or. Knode. On the fourth day Mr..
Ward very cordial. He desired to effeot re-
cancellation, he said, between his daughter and
sonn-law, aud, after long talk, induced Mr.. Am
mons TO write a kind letter to Mrs. JONES' proDos-
ing to forget the past, and live together as man
and wife should. Mr. Ward carried the letter
himself, but brought no reply. On Sunday, six
weeks ago yesterday Mr.. Ward invited his son-in-
law 10 take q walk, and was unusually gracious.
He said:"Jennie has been sick, nut will reply in
Il day or two, and can almost assure you that It
will be favorable and then all these hills - point
ing to his milestone ridges in sight, ''wI be yours
and mine in common" Mr.. Ammons replied that
he had property enough already; but il "JeIne,
would come back he would buy her nice home
in Hot Springs or Memphis, and treat her well.
They separated in the most friendly manner
On Monday morning. about eleven O'Clock as
Mr. AmnOns was returning from a visit to sick
man, he saw Mr.. Ward step into house and come
out with double -barrelcd gun. When he came
in front of the house Mr.. Ward raised the pun
and Ammons looked in an opposite direction to
see what he was going to shoot at. At that ju-
slant the gun was fired, and Ammons felt his arm
fall pOwerless by his SIDE He broke for DIR.
kDodc's Office, a hundred yards of, and Ward
tried to head him off and fired the other barrel at
HIM. but without effect. Mr. Ammons escaped to
the Office, and DR.. Knode dressed his wounds A
full load OF bnckshot entered the tieshy part of
the left arm above the elbow, cut all the arteries
and lodged directly against his heart, without
going through the skin. The rest of this upplea
santness is soon told. Mr.. Ammons laborcd under
the impression that Mr.. Ward was lurking around
to kill him in his bed. DR.. Knode guarded his
patient carefully and thereby incurred Wards
displcasure. They had not been previously ac-
quantcd. While Mr.. Ammons was yet in bed an
Ola lady from New Orleans, with large wen on
her neck, called and insisted on the
doctor performing an operation. He de.
cned. telling her 1t would be certain death.
She called again, and said she had only day or
the responsibility on herself. The doc.
tor consented reluctantly; others had posi-.
lively refused. The next day, two weeks
after being shot, Mr.. Ammons, in company with
d huMoeF vi il1euuS, got AWAY from HOT Springs
and came to Memphis. The operation was per.
formed. and the woman died. Mr. Ward prose.
cuted DR.. knode for malpractice. Some hard
feelings were engendered, and Ward. 1t is said,
threatened DR.. Knode's life. The doctor having
disabled and useless arm, and knowing the
desperate character of the man, waited not for
an attack but ut the first opportunity. which
was last Wednesday, the 18th inst, shot Ward in
the street from his Office door with double.
barrelled shot gun. This is probably the end of
series of tragedies It's but little more than
year since Mr.. Ward killed man in Louisville,
KY, but he managed rs usual to throw the ageres
sion on the other party and went clear. He il
survived by only two children, Mrs. Jones-Am.
mons and son about grown, at Helena. The de.
ceased was nearly sixty years old, but was full
OF energy and liie He was man of polished
manners and calculated to make friends was
highly intelligent and thoroughly versed in the
ways of the world.