Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-10-15
The Ward VIII Case

A Detroit correspondent of the N. Y.
Times gives the following details of the re-
markable suit now in progress, in that city,
over the will of Capt. Eber Ward, the De-
troit millionaire
1t was generally known at the time of his
death that Capt. Ward was Spiritualist
and an attendant upon seances that he was
a man of strong animal passions. for which
he at times sought Illicit qualification that
insanity was hereditary in his family, and
that his domestic relations were not always
pleasant, but the public were not in any
manner prepared for the revelations of this
trial. Several days have been occupied with
the examination Of number of mediums,
including DR.. Henry Slade, of New-York,
and one of the original Fox sisters, of Roch-
ester, now widow Of DIR. Kane, of Arctic
exploration fame. They all testified to Capt
Wards frequent consultations with spirits
through them on business ventures, on his
| domestic relations and on the making of his
will. One of them described a seance az
which the spirit of Senator Jacob VI. How
| ard, Of this State, was materialized and
shook hands with Capt. Ward and predict
ed his death within short time. Another
medium narrated instances in which Capt
Ward consulted through her the spirit of
Dean Richmond for advice on railroad mat
tiers. While on mining ventures he consulted
constantly the shade of defunct German
geologist, which was known in medium cir
cles by the rather astonishing name of
Cabbage John" This spirit was yery
frequently consulted by Capt. Ward, and
among other matters advised him to oppose
Senator Chambers reelection. which he did
on the ground of the latter's intemper-
ance
Mrs. Kane produced in court some docu-
ments written BY her as medium. in which
two of the spirits of deceased relatives of
Capt. Wards second wife dictated for him
will something like the one under contest,
his first wife's spirit breaking In with ex-
clamations of protest in the midst of the
communication, which was in two different
handwritings. These manuscripts were
written on something like printing paper. |
In huge, scrawling hand, and from the |
right Of the page to the left, like Hebrew. |
10 read them, therefore, a looking-glass was |
used in court, and they were scanned with |
great interest. Another medium produced |
a large picture of floral wreath. said to |
have been painted by spirits through 4 |
blindfolded medium in four hours, which /
Capt. Ward bought as symbJlical rep-e /
sentatlon Of his family. The absence OF any 4
floral representative Of one son was account |
I'd BY him as proof that that boy was illegit- /
innate. Still another medium, while under
cross-examination, went into g trance in the
witness box and made some remarks in Ger
man while seized of Dutch spirit, swear
ing positively on awaking that she did not
know what had happened, and that she
could not speak German. A large album
filed with so-called spirit pictures, the pro-
perty of Capt. Ward, was also produced in
court and offered in evidence.
Outside of all this there nave been other
revelations Of domestic infelicity that have
shocked the community. An aged uncle of
Capt. Ward has testified TO long array of
imbeciles and idiots in the Ward family. the
hereditary mental disease reappearing in all
generations. A Mrs. Deming has sworn to
now having IN her charge in Ohio an illegi-
innate son of Capt. Wa-d by sane woman,
who has been from childhood maniac.
Mr.. William B. Ely, of Newton. Mass,
afhanced to Capt. Wards youngest daughter,
identified an anonymous letter written to
hun last winter warning him against mar
rying into such a lunatic family, which he
traced in the end to the second Mrs. Ward,
the young la1y's stepmother. From this
witness was also wrested the fact on cross
examination that on the news Of Capt.
Wards sudden death reaching his home his
adult sons by the first marriage at once
drove up town, passing their fathers body
on the way, for the purpose of retaining
counsel to attack his will.
The counsel have been arguing over
the question whether evidence shall be sd-
mitted to show that Capt. Wards divorce
from his first wife was procured through
gross fraud. and that his marriage with his
second wife was, therefore, invalid. Should
the court admit this testimony, perfect
sewer of scandal will probably be opened.
Outside Of the peculiar character of the tes-
timony, the case has had other very sensa
tional features. Writ Dexter, of Chicago,
Mrs. Ward counsel, made bitter personal
attack, during one argument, upon the
leading counsel for the contestants, Tbeo-
dore Romeyn, of Detroit, denouncing him as
\ slanderer, and declaring his personal re-
sponsibility for his language. On the same
day Capt. Wards eldest son, confirmed
lunatc, happened to be in court, and after
its adjournment endeavored to do violence to
Mr.. Dexter for some supposed insult to his
dead mother. Take it altogether, the case
IS without parallel in the civil trials OF
his portion of the country.