The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-09-29
Chemistry Revealing n
Court-A Remarkable Case.

Iron tie Chester, S. c., BuletbI
The recent death in our State peaiten.
tiary of w. W. Ward, the former sheiin oil
Williamsburg county, recalls the elreum'
stances that led to The discovery OF ms
crime, which are the most cXtraordinafY ID
our criminal annals.
AZ the spring term 1879 OF the Court OF
Common Pleas for Williamsburg county
j.. ii. Livingston brought suit against Ward
10 recover the sum OF $4,000, money loaned
on Wards sealed note. His Honor, Judge
T.. j.. Mackey, presided, aud by consent OF
counsel heard the case without q Jury.
The plaintiff proved the execution OF the
note and closed his case. Wards counsel
then PRODUCED the receipt Of Livingston,
dated two years previous to the trial, for
The whole amount due, principal and inter
est, and a witness testified he had seen the
payment made IN one hundred dollar bills
and four five hundred dollar bills to Lty-
ipgston himself on the day named In the
receipt.
The plaintiff took the witneSS-stand, and
on examining the receipt admitted that 1t
bore bis true and genuine signature, but
solemnly protested that be had not received
one dollar from Ward, and had never en-
tered Wards house in his life for any pur-
nose. He declared that be was ruined, and
that he and his wife would be made home
less by a false receipt which he could not
explain, but which be never knowingly
signed. On crcss.eXdminatiOn Livingston,
who was an old man, admitted that bis
"a was very Intrm and that he had on
previous occasions received a payment Of
5000 from another debtor OF his which he
afterwards had denied receiving, but which
he recalled to memory when shown bis re-
celpt.
The plaintiff and bis counsel at this stage
Of the proceedings were in utter despair,
for their cause was apparently lost. Judge
Mackey, however, whose subtle brain aud
pracliced eye nothing can escape, and who
follows crime through all its %windings, di.
rected that the receipt should he banded 10
him. lie then ordered the sheriff 10 pro-
coed to the nearest drugstore and pur-
chase q drachm Of muriatic acid, ard
a snail piece Of sponge. Ga the return
Of the officer with the articles named the
Judge said 10 the plaintiff, 'Mr. Livingston,
did you ever write a letter TO the defendant
Ward demanding payment OF your mo-
ney =" The plaintiff answered, eyes,
sir; ! wrote BIN many letters, but never
received an answer from him. Judge
Mackey then observed to counsel, al
perceive that on the face OF this receipt
there are several peculiar brown spots, and
the original surface or sizing Of the paper
has been removed except In that portion
OF the paper where the signature was
written. The body OF the receipt is in
the handwriting Of the defendant. In my
opinion the defendant has taken a letter of
the plaintiffs and removed the writing with
muriatic acid, and then wrote the receipt
above the signature, i will now apply this
aid ~ Tho xrrffSuU osN fha k..kr 81 tho onp.-
plaiut in This case, and it wiz be seen that
the writing will Instantly disappear and the
paper will at once exhibit several brown
spots identical with those en- this receipt"
TIE ocid was applied to the paper, and as
the writing disappeared the brown spots
were seen upon Its surfSce, aud the crime
OF the defendant was clearly revealed
Ward AZ this iunctuIe looked as horror.
strrckeR n Lady Macbeth when. gazing
upon her fair but murderous hand, She eX.
claimed a she ySinly rubbed it, "Out,
damned spoil"
The Judge IrlmsdiGely rendered his de-
clsion IN favor Of the plaintiff, stating that
IL was toe duty OF the Solicitor to have
Ward prosecuted at 0ace for his audacious
forgery. On the next morning Judge
Mactey teft for Georgetown, forty miles
distant, 10 hold coaCi. WhIie there he
tcNatN1N = tNANNA lteot o hstua Naf hibA
bin not 10 return 10 Williamsburg, as he
had promised to do, In a few days, foe the
purpose % bearing ga argument ut Cham
bers, o. Ward had swSaSu Solemnly 10 shoot
him dewR ~ sight. Toe judges record,
however, shows that be is not one to swerve
from Tie line Of duty because Of an armed
enemy In Ids path. He Asturned 10 Williams.
burg after an absence OF i've days, aud
meeting Ward upon tbe street demanded
whether he had threatened TO take
hhs he. Ward answered that he had, but
that be had absnd uea his purpose. At
fhe next tern Of the cOsrt Ward was IN.
dicied aud placed on trial for forgery.
whea the verdict of " gukty" was render.
ed. Ward rose aud discharged his pistol
twice at Ligingstou, the prosecuting wit
uess, one OF the bals pasSiRg through his
coat. He was Instantly disarmed and sem
fenced 10 term OF seven years az bard labor
IN the penienttary.
Ward was a man Of wealth and Of RzSd
standing Ia his community. de died last
week Ia the penitentiargs illustrating by iHs
elreer The iIuth Of the Scripture : "Ths
way OF the transgressor il HARD"