Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-09-20
Chemistry Revealing Forgery in Court.
A REMARKABLE CASE.

nbNAhNAciE tsrE-
From the Chester. s. c.. Bulletin, September 18th.
The recent death in cur state penitentiary of
W. w. Ward. the former sheriff Of Williamsburg
county. recalls the circumstances that led to the
discovery of his crime. which are the most extra
ordinary i'm our criminal annals.
At the spring term. 1879, of the court OF COM
mon pleas for Williamsburg county j. II. Liv-
ingston brought suit against Ward to recover
the sum of 5000. money loaned on Wards
sealed note. His honor Judge I. J. Mackey pre-
sided, and by consent Of counsel heard the case
without n jury.
The plaintiff proved the execution of the note
and closed his case. Wards counsel then pro-
duced the receipt of Livingston dated two years
previous to the trial. for the whole amount due
principal and interest. and a witness testified he
had seen the payment made i'm one hundred
dollar bills and four five hundred dollar bills to
Livingston himself ON the day named in the
receipt.
The plaintiff took the witness-stand and on
examining the receipt admitted that il bore his
true and genuine signature. but solemnly pro-
tested that he had not received one dollar from
Ward and had never entered Wards house i'm
his life. for any purpose. He declared that he
was ruined, and that he and his wife would be
made homeless by false receipt which ne could
not explain, but which he never knowingly
signed. On cross examination. Livings-
ton, who was an old man. admitted
that his memory was very infrm and that he had
on previous occasions received payment of two
hundred dollars from another debtor of his
which he Afterwards had denied receiving. but
which he recalled to memory when shown his
receipt.
The plaintiff and his counsel at this stage of
the proceedings were in utter despair for their
cause was apparently lost. Judge Mackey how
ever. whose subtle brain and practiced eye
nothing can escape. and who follows crime
through all its windings. directed that the
receipt should be handed to him. He then
ordered the sheriff to proceed to the nearest
drug store and purchase a dra chm of muriatic
acid and small piece Of sponge. On the re-
turn of the officer with the articles named. the
Judge said to the plaintiff "Mr: Livingston. did
you ever write letter to the defendant, Ward.
demanding payment of your money!" The
plaintiff answered. Yes. sir; wrote him many
letters but never received an answer from him."
Judge Mackey then observed to counsel, q
perceive that the face of this receipt there are
several peculiar brown spots and the original sur
lace or sizing OfVhe paper has been removed ey-
cept in that portion of the paper where the sig
nature was written. The body of the receipt is
in the handwriting of the defendant. In my
opinion the defendant has taken letter of tine
plaintiff and removed the writing with muriatic
acd and then wrote the receipt above the sig
nature. l will now apply this acid to the writ
ing on the back of the complaint in this case.
and it Will be seen that the writing will instantly
disappear and the paper will at once exhibit sew
erai brown spots identical with those on this
ceipt. The acid was applied to the paper. and as
the writing disappeared. the brown blots were
seen upon its surface and the crime of the de-
PENDANT was clearly revealed.
Ward at this juncture locked as horror
stricken as Lady Macbeth when. gazing upon
her fair. but murderous hand. she exclaimed as
she yainly rubbed it. ''Out damned SPOT
The Judge Immediately rendered his decision
In favor OF the plaintiff, stating that il the
duty OF the Solicitor to have Ward prosecuted
at once for his audaciOus forgery. On the next
morning Judge Mackey left for Georgetown
| forty miles distant. to hold court While there
he received letter from a friend warning
him not to return to Williamsburg as he had
promised to do. i'm few days. for the purpose
of hearing an argument at Chambers. as Ward
had sworn sOlemnly to shoot him down at sight.
The judges record. however, shows that he is
not one to swerve from the line ofduty because
of an armed enemy in his path He returned to
Williamsburg after an absence of five DAYS and
meeting Ward upon the street demanded
whether he had threatened to take
his life. Ward answered that he had, but
that he had abandoned his purpose. At the
next term of the court Ward was indicted and
placed on trial for forgery. When the verdict of
guilty was rendered. Ward rose and discharged
his pistol twice at Livingston, the prosecuting
witness. one of the balls passing through his
coat. He was instantly disarmed and sentenced
to term of seven years at hard labor in the
penitentary.
Ward was a man of wealth and Of good stand
ing in his community. He died last week i'm
the penitentiary. illustrating by his career the
| truth of the scripture-"The way of the trans
gressOr is hard"