The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-06-18
A SAD NARRATIVE.

At about five O'Clock last Saturday
morning n young man named Frank
Ward, whose widowed motherlives about
three miles south Of Findlay, committed
suicide in the telegraph office OF the Lake
Shore and Michigan Southern RR, at
Sandusky City, by shooting himself
through the breast and head with a re-
volver. From the Sandusky Register,
of the 18th inst, we clip the following
in reference to the affair;
Ward came TO this city yesterday morn
ing on the express train from the west
which arrives here at 40. Mayor Dan
iel, who came down from Port Clinton
on the same train, saw Ward at Port
Clinton, where he had had evidently got
ten off the train for moment while the
cars were stopping at that station
After the Mayor had entered the cars at
Port Clinton he had barely taken a seat
before Ward came in and looked at him
in such a way that the Mayor inferred
that he had taken Wards seat, but as
the latter said nothing and Immediately
seated himself on the opposite side of the
car, the Mayor paid no particular atten-
tion to him until the arrival of the train
at the depot here, when Ward stepped
across the aisle of the ear, and reaching
over the Mayors lap, drew a revolver
from between the side ofthe car and the
cushion of the seat occupied by the May
or. Ward muttered something unintel-
ligibly at the time and at once placed the
weapon in his pocket and got oil the
train, followed by the Mayor, who
watched him until he reached the end of
the baggage room of the depot, when
Ward turned and went into the telegraph
Office, where he got into conversation
with the operator. The Mayor passed on,
but had gone but short distance when
lie heard a couple of pistol shots in quick
succession. He at once retraced his steps
to the depot and entering the telegraph
Office, found Ward lying on the floor
dead, with a wound in his left breast and
one ia his forehead. Ward had driven
the operator ont of the Office before he
committed the deed.
David Wood, the night watchman at
the Lake Shore depot, saw Ward in the
" NIL
Ward was kneeling with one knee on the
floor, and had his coat, which he had ta-
ken off, thrown over the other knee. He
was holding his revolver in his hand, and
as he saw that his actions were being OBJ
served he pointed the weapon at Wood,
who retreated to the baggage room, and
Immediately afterward heard two pistol
shots.
Oliver Perry, the night watchman, al
so saw Ward just before he fired the fatal
shots. Perry says that Ward Was walk
ing up and down the floor, groaning and
saying, 81 must die" Perry, supposing
that the mRn was sick, said to him: :''You
had better go and lie down and you will
feel better SOON" Perry went out to the |
door, but kept a close watch of Ward, |
and soon saw him pick n revolver up |
from chair and point the weapon at |
his own breast. Perry told him not to |
shoot himself, but he had scarcely ut |
tered the words before Ward fired the |
fatal shot, the one which took effect in |
his left breast. The unfortunate man fell |
heavily upon the floor, but still kept |
hold of the revolver, and raising himself |
up by strenuous effort, placed the muz- |
zle of the pistol to his forehead and fired |
the second shot. He fell upon the floor |
lgain and expired. Dr. Donahoe was
called and examined the wounds. He |
says that either one of them would have |
produced death.
In Wards pocket were found a lot of |
papers, a watch, poeket-book, and the
picture of a very fair looking woman, ,ev-
IDENTIFY German, with long, dark curly |
lair, and about twenty-three or twenty
our years Of age. Among the letters is |
me addressed to Il Miss TomlinsOn, of /
3indiay, Hancock county, this State, and
n which Ward makes her proposal Of
marriage, provided she wished to tilt n
certain party whom he calls "Bish,"
md who, from other papers found on
Wards person, we infer to be one Bish-
ID Williamson, probably of Findlay. The
proposal of marriage is dated April 18th.
SIS. On the back of the letter is note
igned Alice II. Tomlinson, in which the
,roposal is accepted and the writer adds:
Il am on the marry" Another letter,
lated at Benton Ridge, Hancock county,
his State, May 81, 1875, and signed by
lice Tomlinson, makes certain charges
gainst Ward, and emphatically express
; the writer's determination to stick to
'Bish." She says: 'Bisl' knows am
rue to him, and 1 will never be any 9th
r way, and l would not believe any
hing bad about him il all Findlay would
wear il was true. You know
on cannot go with me when ! love an
ther."
There is among the papers also letter
-ritten by Ward 70 his. ''COusin MOllie."
he letter is dated at Jonesville, Michi-
nm, June 10, 1873. 1t is inferred from
.is letter that an effort has been made
} get Ward to marry this "COusin Mol
e." but as he gives her no other name,
nd as the letter is not enclosed III an
nyelope, it is impossible to tell vino she
or where she lives. He says TO her:
Didn't tell yon in the first letter that
wrote you at Reading that | never
ould marry my relatives? Sing it out
,ud, once for all. / am about half mad
nd mean business. Besides these testers
sort of diary was found among Wards
apers, and from the contents of this di-
ry it IS inferred that the trouble which
ID him to kiH himself was an affair of
lie heart. or possibly, several affairs of
ne heart. He had in his pocket several
erses of poetry written by himself on
nted note paper and entitled "My Ex-
erience." The poetry was dedicated to
Miss Alice Driesbach, who, it appeared,
e had failed 70 win, after persistent
ooing.
Wards remains were removed from the
apot to RufTs undertaking establish
ent on Wayne street. A Coroner's jury
lving been empaneled, an investigation
7 them was held in the afternoon, be-
re Acting Coroner Cross. The verdict
the jury was that the deceased came
his death from wounds inflicted by his
Yn hands with a pistol.
WARD left here on the 9th inst. On
aving home he said he was going to
anlue on some business. Instead of
,ing so, however, he went to some rail )
ad station other than Findlay, and the
,xt that was heard OF him he was in Ft.
ayne. This information was obtained (
the following telegram, which was {
ceived by his mother:
FT. WAYNE, Ind, June 10. :
Mrs. s. Ward-Don't sell the horse. 1 :
4 going to Michigan to visit relatives, 5
ID shall come home in few days, via G
,ledo. Tell Bish to plead the case. !
1 out of it. My mouth is shut. ,
FRANK WARD. :
The following letter, bearing the date c
Saturday morning, April II, was writ t
4 by WARD to Miss ALICE ToMLNsoN. l
lie letter was found on WARDS person n