The New York herald., 1876-02-25
CAPTAIN WARDS WILL.
THE FAMILY FIGHT OVER THE ESTATE OF A
MICHIGAN MILLIoNNAIRE-A SPIRIT BROUGHT
BEFORE THE JURY

THE FAMILY FIGHT OVER THE ESTATE OF
MICHIGAN MILLIoNNAIRE-A SPIRIT BROUGHT
BEFORE THE JURY.
DETROIT. Feb. 21 1876.
The Captain Ward will case Is set down for a new
trial at the March term OF our Circuit Court Now |
suppose many readers OF the HERALD never heard OF
the Ward viii trial. but here Michigan would be as
much OF place II he did know all the disgusting
details of tho hfo OF the Ward family Brooklynte
would be IL he did know all the particulars OF the
Beecher scandal II seems from the testimony in the
last trial that Captain Eber b Ward a self-made
man in every sense of the word He hore poor
boy and, by industry, hard work and good business
habits able TO rank among the wealthy men
OF Michigan having made most OF his money In lake
navigation and northern pine lands At his
death his estate appraised at 5000 600
a goodly fortune even in the East; but when
you remember that here a man worth $50 900 Is
thought TO be very rich, that anxious mammas on
the lookout for promising young men worth from
S. 900 to $40 900 wed thoir darling daughters and
blooming widows with a dover Of 81 900 only are
caught up and hustled of to the altar by the scions
our best families, then Captain Wards fortune looks
larger and Of more importance than when compared
with such as those OF Astor, Stewart or Vanderbilt
But alter a mans death the circus commencea
Ward left several children and second wife to
bis death, and, as In duty bound, hardly was he
safely underneath the sod than they began to light
his will BY the will he had LETT large amount
OF pine timber land TO the wife, young and handsome
brunette who rumor says induced the Captain get
divorce from his hrst faithful wife when she had grown
old in years rather plotted that his hrst wife should
and did get divorce from the Captain the charge OF
adultery which he did deny but at posted on
to Chicago and married the beautiful brunette
But 70 return 10 the will The two older boys, who
were little wild, he OF with mere pittance OF
$500 month"; hardly enough to keep them In tobacco
and wine ana several OF the other children, who
are rather deficient intellectual faculties no APP
pointed guardians 70 attend 20 their wants In the
trial the boys claimed that 'the old gent" as they
lovingly call him. was alitto ighty his mind dur
ing the last years OF his life and az good proof OF tho
same claim that he was sp'ritualst and asIrong
believer In the Witch OF Endor's way OF dong bus-
ness that he built railroads, sold STOCK bis iron
foundry and made his Will with the help and advice Of
the light and airy beings from tho other world through
the medium OF such people Slade OF New York and
q Mrs Martin, who lives here, and whose standby
the other world familiar spirit going by the name
OF Cabbage John" This familiar himself was called
forth from the regions beyond and held
with the lawyers and jury IN the court room during
the trial The sight one for strhe crowded
court room ned with The highest and best citizens OF
the State; the venerable Judge the and ex.
hausted jury the best talent in tho legal profession
all breathless with excitement, while an old bag
witches her face and claps her hands and proclams
that the spirit OF Caooage John" Is about TO speak
Truly truth 10 stranger than fiction In this way the
Ward boys try 70 break the fathers will
The widow, on her side claims that the boys are
Wild naughty boys that they like fast horses and the
same kind OF women that besides ths they have each
sunk hundreds OF Thousands OF dollars OF the old Cap
tain's money In spccuations In lumber ana silver
Mines that one Of them built most elegant boat IN
the most costly manner, and after was finished be
got tired OF II aud gave Il away 70 one Of his COM
/ panions; that the other kept house of W repue IN
Milwaukee, and invited his young friends from Detrclt
70 Join him IN the sport and by this line OF argument
her counsel tried rebut the evidchcc Of the Cap
tans insanity ovinced IN eating on tho boys with
only $500 month. But the trial IKE All trals, came
70 an end that 'bulwark OF English liberty. the
Jury fought over the gldcd remains Of Captain ward,
aud disagreed for changcstandng e2ht ior the boys
and four against them And again Detroips inter
est In the Whlskey Ring politics. Lake superior silver
fever and the Beecher Council s TO be all swallowed UP
| n the one absorbing topie. the "Ward trial"