The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-10-15
NEW JERSEY.
From the New York Times J
CAPTAIN WARDS WILL.

From the New York TImts.l
CAPTAIN WARDS WILL.
CAPTAIN Eher Il. Ward was man who
would have been ranked by any one who
knew him in his public relations only, as
an excellent type of the enterprising, en-
eygetic and successful American capital
ist. lie built up Il thriving and busy
little town; he owned or controlled
smelling works. rolling mills and steel
works, all of a very extensive character;
he owned pine lands equal in extent to
ten times the area of this island; and he
was either the sole proprietor or the con-
trolling stOckhOlder in mines OF iron,
lead, silver, copper and corundum IN
Michigan, Missouri, Utah, Arizona and
North Carolina. He was aslIip-builder,
ship-owner, President of two railroads
and sundry industrial enterprises. He
was the favorite candidate for Secreta-
~ of the Treasury during the anti-John-
| son movement, and was recognized as
power in politics up to the day OF his
death. Altogether, Captain Ward seem,
ed one of the highest embodiments OF
the practical, pushing spirit of our people
"A man who had contributed as largely
IL dliN Ollt Nv lllS az lllC lAit1AtiAt
gress of his age, and who had achieved
deserved success by shee- force of work
ing energy aud capacity for organiza-
ton.
In January last Capt. Ward fell down
dead in the streets of Detroit. The
breath was hardly out of his body when
two of his sons by his first marriage has
tened to secure the services of eminent
counsel to contest his will. The case
was opened last month, and after some
ten days of legal fence and judicial rul-
ings on preliminary points the private
life of the Michigan millionaire is being
revealed on the witness stand. 1t ap-
pears that Capt. Ward came of a family
strongly tainted with insanity; that
he had both legitimate and iliegiti-
mate children who are confirm
ed lunatics 1t has been shown
that he procured a divorce from his
first wife by gross fraud, and that
two months after that achievement he
married the young lady who is now his
widow and the legatee of two millions OF
his property. There is, perhaps, nothing
very surprising about the fact that this
great industrial chief of the Northwest
should have been man of low passion
and impure life But it does seem vio-
lent contradiction to the ordinary ideal
OF such IA character that he should have
been an abject slave TO the delusiOns of
Spiritualism.
The services of mediums were invoked
by Captain Ward, not only in regard to
the affairs of his family; they were his
constant resource in matters of business.
When he wanted advice on railroad af-
fairs, he procured a consultation with
the spirit of Dean Richmond, and none
of Lis numerous mining ventures were
undertaken without an interview with
the spirit of German geologist, who
answered TO the euphonious name of
Cabbage John. This appears to have
been Captain Wards familiar spirit. AT
the dictation of the deceased German, he
sent out expeditions in search of silver,
and he obeyed orders from the same
source in opposing the reelection of Sen
ator Chandler In the course of cross
examination, the other day, female
medium went into a trana9 in the witness
box and made sOr.,o relnaIss- IL stCT.EAn,
though Size >ru.e, on regliuing der con-
sciousna-s :iat shr did not understand
Il word ol lhaL lansgng-. IL may be in
ferred tlIat this sciIuFa WAS due to the
interest wiIich Captain Wards fayorite
Teutonic spirit still persists in manifest
ing in liis a:iaiTs.
Had iiIe dcre; Sad ii,iI!iGnaiFe not ia
ken the advice oi iiIe spirits about his
Will. his Intimate relations with the I'M
seen world would probably not have
been revealed TO the general public. He
certainly had fair warming W lille that in
strument was in preparation that there
was trouble ahead. While the spirits of
certain deceased relatives of his second
wife were engaged IN debating the will,
the spirit of his FIRST wig S2san's to have
come, unbidden, ard interrupted the
progress by exclamation of Indignant
protest. rhiS lady !lad some reason for
making herself disaggesaois in ghostly |
circles. The spirits not oniy co;ispired !
to cheat her children oat of their inheri i
tanee, but they attempted to biacken her /
own character. y floral wreath was |
painted boy a biindfoldeG medium, act |
ing under the usual Influences, and |
III the symbolic representations of |
Captain yard family therein given, one |
son was omitted on grounds of illegiti- |
macy. On the strength OF this artistic |
piece of spirit business, the cTedulous !
millionaire repudiated the son in ones
tiOn. and drove him to suicide.
iit tfiSll WHICH Has liiIlllSutu the Oc- |
ceslog ni these extraordinary disclosures
Is still ia progress, and a good deal of
similar, f not moFs EusavoTy, matter is
in reserve. Tie bitterness ot feeling ex-
cited by the case seems to have extended
TO tie lawyers engaged on either side
he leading counsel for Captain Wards
widoT made q somewhat scurrilous per-
soual attack, lie other day, on the chief
,.V,r,...1 - -, FI,,4 |
might be wanting o complete the sem
Sstional details of the ease, Capt. Wards |
eldest son, confirmed lunatic, was with
djiBGnlsy prevented from assaultiDg one
OF tie lawyers engaged in opposing the
claims of his branch of the family. AL
together tie story which is in progress
of revelation at Detroit is one of those
narrative, which would have been called
mOnsirouSly Improbable in fiction, and
which iia- certainly no parallel in real
life