Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1881-10-15
CHEMISTRY IN CRIME.
a Trihe of Acid Reveals q Forger's villainy.
From the Chester rs. G. j Bulletin

q ArAue9 VI ASslu 1N0vealS 3 FOrgerS v1lla1nys
From the Chester Is. Cl Bulletin
The recent death in our state peniten-
tiary Of w. w. Ward, the former sheriff Of
Williamsburg county, recalls the circum-
stances that led to the discovery of his
crime, which are the most extraordinary in
our criminal annals.
At the spring term, 1879, Of the court Of
common pleas for Williamsburg county, j.
81. Livingston brought suit against Ward to
recover the sum of $4,000, money loaned
on Wards sealed note. His Honor, Judge
I. J. Mackey, presided, and by consent Of
counsel, heard the case without a jury.
The plaintiff proved the execution of the
note and closed his case. Wards counse!
then produced the receipt Of Livingston
dated two years previous to the trial. for
the whole amount due, principal and in
terest, and witness testified he had seen
the payment in 800 bills and four $500
bills. to Livingston himself on the day
named in the receipt.
The plaintiff took the witness stand and
on examining the receipts admitted that it
bore his true and genuine signature, but
solemnly protested that he had not receiv-
ed ST. from Ward and had never entered
Wards house in 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 he could never ex-
PLAIN, but which he never knowingly signed.
On cross examination Livingston, who was
an old man, admitted that his memory was
very infrm and that he had on previous &C.
casioEs received payment of 5000 from
another debtor of his which he afterward
had denied receiving, but which he re-
called to memory when shown his receipt
The plaintiff and his counsel, at this
stage of the proceedings, were in utter de-
spair. for their cause Was apparently lost
Judge Mackey, however whose subtle brain
and practiced eye nothing could escape,
and who follows crime through all it's
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 drachm Of
of sponge. On the return of the officer
with the articles named, the judge said to
the plainuiF, Mr. Livingston, did you ever
write letter to the defendant, Ward, de-
handing payment Of your money! The
many letters, but never received an answer
from him. Judge Mackey then observed
to counsel, Il perceive that Oh the face Of
spots ana the original surface or sizing of
the paper has been removed except in that
portion where the signature was written.
The body of the receipt is in the hand
writing Of the defendant. In my opinion
the defendant has taken letter of the
plaintiffs and removed the writing with
muriatic acid, and then wrote the receipt
above the signature. will now apply this
acid to the writing on the back of the COM
plant in this case, and it will be seen that
the writing will instantly disappear, and the
paper will at once exhibit brown spots iden-
tical with those on the receipt" The acid
was applied to the paper, and, as the writ
ing disappeared, the brown blots were seen
upon it's surface and the crime of the de-
PENDANT YVES clearly revealed
Ward, at this juncture, looked as horror
stricken as Lady Macbeth when gazing up
on her fair but murderous hand, she ex-
claimed as she vainly rubbed it, "Out,
damned spot.
The judge Immediately rendered his de-
cision in favor of the plaintiff, stating that
it was the duty of the solicitor to have
Ward prosecuted at once for his audacicus
forgery. On the next morning Judge Mac
key left for Georgetown, forty miles dis
tant, to hold court While there he received
q letter from friend warning him not to
return to Williamsburg, as he had promised
to do in few days, for the purpose of
hearing an argument in 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
of duty 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
bis purpose. At the next term of 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 prose-
cutting witness, one Of the balls passing
through his coat. He was instantly dis
armed and sentenced to a term Of seven
years at hard labor in the penitentiary
Ward was man of wealth and of good
standing in his community. lie died last
week in the peniteEtiary, illustrating by his
career the truth Of the Scripture: ''The
way of the transgressor is hard
l Az TIT