Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-08-22
What Came of a Rich Old Man
Marrying a Pretty Young
Widow.
HISTORY OF SEVERAL TRAGEDIES.
The Root or All EVIL n Ruling Cause
The Ward-J ones-Amm Ons. "A node
Amafr WhctstOnes and Love,
Money and Lead, shot Guns ana
Intrigue all Involved. "
THE nor SPRINGS rRAoEpY.


The death of John II. Ward at the
hands of DR.. o. B. Knode, at Hot
Springs, last Wednesday, was the result
indirectly, Of deliberate and cold
blooded attempt made by Ward some
weeks ago to take the life of his own SON.
in-law, Mr.. W. A. Ammons, of this city.
Ward has brought terrible revenge
upon his own head, if we may believe
such statements as have come to hand
concerning the affair with Ammons, and
his taking off is the last of a series OF
tragedies in which he has figured. Mr..
Ammons is lying at his residence on
Allen avenue, in this city, suffering
severely from the desperate wound he
received from his father-in-law, without
any apparent provocation, six weeks
ago to-day He is certainly a quiet,
inofensive citizen, and we are assured
was unarmed and unwarned until shot
by Ward with double-barreled shot
guu at the short distance of ten feet.
THE DECEASED.
The Ward-Ammons family history has
been decidedly eventful and abundantly
unpleasant. Mr.. Ward is a Kentuckian
by birth, though he has lived III Tennes-
see, Arkansas, New York and California
and various other places He has been a
desperate man, always in difficulties, gen.
orally killed his man and always man
aged to get clear, so he boosted. 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 land around Hot Springs.
A Mr.. Barnes, of Shreveport, alleged
that he advanced the money to buy the
land on speculation, and was to have
been an equal partner. The deeds, how
ever, were in Wards name, and Mr..
Barnes was the loser in a long and I'M
successful law suit. Ward went to Cali
fornia, and is said to have been conspicu-
GUS on the Vigilance Committee in the
early history of that State. But he
came back, probably during the war.
mrs. JONES"
His daughter-Miss Jennie Ward-was
married, about the breaking out of the
war, to Mr.. Lewis Jones, of Somerville,
Tennessee, young man of wealthy and
highly respectable connections. They
removed to Prairie county, Arkansas,
where he had large property in land.
Jones and his wife's brother, young
Ward, belonged to some Confederate
command, but operated chiefly near
home. About, or during the year 1864,
band of Confeaerates called one even
ing and stayed all night. Next morning
their horses were missing. They sus-
pected Jones, and forced him to con-
fession, 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 forgotten amid the
stirring events of the war, and the young
widow Jones returned to her mother,
who was keeping millinery store at
Helena. Being well educated, and very
Mrs. Jones supported her
self comfortably for some time forward
by teaching school,
ENTER MR.. AMMoNs.
Two or three years ago Mr.. Ammons,
a well-to-do widower of fifty, removed
from St. Joseph, Mo-, to Helena. He
went into business, and was reported
quite wealthy. He was native of Vir-
ginia, had lived in California, was intelli-
gent-particularly in business matters
had two boys, and was doubtless consid-
cred by the young widow Jones and her
shrewd old mother good catch.
WEDDING.
He was caught, or she was, or both
we're, for the name of Jones was soon
merged into that of Ammons, and their
two hearts were supposed to be beating
with one-horSe power, Il is probable
that Mr.. Ammons was about twice as
old as his blushing bride; but this dis
parity was easily excused, and really it
was supposed they could get along to-
gether peaceably if not happily.
SKELETON IN THE CLOSET.
They removed to Forest Hill, hand
some piece of property on tbs Memphis
and Charleston railroad, eighteen miles
from Memphis, which Mr.. Ammons
bought, but did not make over to his
iariing little wife, as she insisted he
should. They dyed together there over
\ year, but not as happily as two turtle
loves. They discovered some how that
hey had not struck their respective
afIaities," and no little affinities I
blessing thsiF pncheerful hearthstone,
affairs grew unpleasant, Forest Hill was
Iold Mrs. Ammons went TO visit her I
mother at Helena. Mr.. Ammons went to '
Forest City, on the Memphis and Little s
Book railroad, where he built some I
houses for rent and engaged short time j
n merchandising. Then he came back a
ast spring, with his two boys, nearly a
.rown nov, and settled in his present
esidence, on Allen avenue, where he