The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-10-21
WARDS WILL.
The Nest Remarkable of All the Re-
markable Will Cases.

The Nest Remarkable of All the Re-
markable Will Cases.
The "Ward will case," which is now
literally raging at Detroit-for on at
least one occasion party to the suit has
in open Court attempted the life of his
opponents counsel-may safely be set
down as one of the most remarkable OF
all the remarkable will cases recorded.
Eber Ward, the King of Michigan, who
controlled the politics of the State and
the mining Industries of the lake region,
and made his weight felt in railroads,
manufactures, steamboat lines-ln every
direction, in fine, where an ambitious,
restless and powerful man OF business
could employ his energy and capital,
died last winter, leaving an estate
amounting to several millions of dollars,
accumulated through his own toll and
speculation. He had been twice mar
ried. Between the superstition which
formed an essential element of his char
acter and affection for a medium, he
became thoroughly, slavishly convinced
of the truth Of Spiritualism. No i'm
posture was too gross and palpable for
him, no impostor too absurd. Gibber-
ish and forgery he accepted as the rules
OF his daily life, and those who uttered
or wrote them became his oracles and
business advisers, to be trusted fully
and followed implicitly. He branded
one of his sons as llegitimate because
fower-painting medium omitted the
blossom typical of him from bouquet
emblematic of the family. He believed
in spirit-photographs because, if there
were no spirits, how coulI their vapory
shapes be fixed on the plate? He con-
suited the ghost of the dead Senator
Howard, going through the formality of
shaking hands with it, and asked its
advice about his will. Indeed,
he went to a multitude Of spir-
itual counsellors for aid and in
spiration on this momentous subject, but
found not in that multitude safety.
Dean Richmond's ghost had advised him
how to deal in railroad stock (; another
shade-or perhaps the same-instructed
"him how to clean out Chandler" and
spirit named cabbage John" guided
him in his mining ventures, but it was
the spirit of his first wife, working
through no less famous a medium than
Margaret Fox, which dictated COM
plete testament in backhand so that it
could only be read by holding it before
a mirror. This will gave the property
in equal shares to her children, the sur
viving Mrs. Ward and her children, but
the spirits of the present Mrs. Wards
uncle and niece insisted that her off
spring should have the pine lands, mills,
&C., free of debt, and that trustees
should be appointed to manage
the affairs of the "insane" is
sue of the first marriage! Under
these circumstances it is not surprising
that lawsuit has been instituted to set
aside the will and bring about more
equitable distribution of the immense
property which he bequeathed at the
dictation of lunatics or swindlers, nor is
it surprising that case complete at
every point has been made out against
the will.
The explanation of this almost in
credible superstition and folly is found
in the evidence indicating the hereditary
faint of mental unsoundness. None the
less does the case remain most remark
able in its every feature, and inspire
amazement that business man so shrewd
and successful should take the maunder.
ings of madness for his counsellors and
place the honor of his wife and the fu-
ture of his children at the absolute dis
position of the first professional swindlel
that presented herself to influence his
weak mind. -Ne,o York World.