The Morning herald., 1875-10-07
The Ward win Case.

Ill Jahuary last Capts EOen w ARD, ON
of the wealthiest citizens of Michigan, fel
dead in the streets of Detroit, whereupor
two Of his sons by his first marriag,
hastened to secure the services of eminent
counsel to contest his will. The case was
opened last month in Detroit, and after
some ten days Of legal fencing and judicial
rulings on preliminary points, the private
life of the Michigan millionaire is being
revealed on the witness stand. Itappears
that Capt. Ward came of family strongly
tainted with insanity, that he had both
legitimate and illegitimate children who
are confirmed lunatics. 1t has been shown
that he procured divorce from his first
wife by gross fraud, and that two months
after that achievement married the young
lady who is now his widow and the lega-
tee of two millions of his property. ira 4
1t has also been developed that Ward
was an abject slave to spiritualism, the SER
vices Of mediums being invoked, not only
in regard to the affairs of his family, but
they were his constant resource in matters
of business When he wanted advice on
railroad affairs he procured consultation
with the spirit of Dean Richmond, and
none Of his numerous mining ventures
were undertaken without an interview
with the spirit of a German geologist, who
answered to the enphonious name Of
Cabbage john" This appears to have
been Capt. Wards familiar spirit. At the
lictation Of the deceased German he sent
'ut expeditions in search of silver, and he
'beyed orders from the same source in op-
'osing the election Ex-senator Chandler In
he course of cross-examination a female {
ledlum went into a trance in the witness {
OK, and made some remarks in German, 6
lough she swore on regaining conscious !
ess that she did not understand a word of =
lat language. =
Mrs. Kane, the widow of DR.. Kane, of f
rctic exploration fame, and one of the II
lglnal Fox sisters, produced in court n
me documents written by her as me- II
'm, In which two of the spirits Of de- D
ased relatives of Capt. Wards second 9,
lie dictated to him will something like
G one under contest, his first wife's spirit v
eaking in with EXPLANATIONS of protest +
the midst of the communication, which
Is IN two different handwritings. These tx
were written on something A
'e printing paper, in q huge, scrawling fiji
nd, and from the right Of the page to the or
t, like Hebrew. To read them, there W,
e, looking-glass was used in court, and tt
y were scanned with great interest. An ";
Ter medium produced a large picture of We
loral wreath, said to have been painted yc
spirits through a blindfolded medium in c.
'r hours, which Capt. Ward bought as Of
nbollcal representation Of his family. to1
e absence Of any floral representation Of N,
e son was accounted for by him as proof ar,
It the boy was illegitimate. n,
lhe Leading counsel for Capt. Wards NJ.
low made somewhat scurriIious per- on
al attack the other day on the chief r we
nsel opposed to him. That NOTHING ~. ~:
'ht be wanting to complete the sensa. w..
'al details of this case, Capt. Wards s.a w.
est son. a confirmed lunatic, was with ~ ~
'culty prevented from assaulting one of w.;
lawyers engaged in opposing the claims w. w.
lis branch Of the family. ~
uIr~nnS nm NJ