The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-01
WARDS
The Convicted SWindler Sentenced to
Ten Years in the ~Penitentiary.
The Prisoner Accepts His Sentence with the
Same Air of Indifference that Has Char
acterized Him During the Trial.

Wnlcn ne na0 In the world of finance.
The sheriff and the warden of Ludlow street
jail accompanied him. Throwing off mis- over
coat with an easy air, he bowed and shook hands
with his counsel. AS he looked around the room,
he saw a few familiar faces. The jury by which
Ward had been found guilty was not
present in a body, but a number of
the jurymen occupied seats in the
courtroom. The box, however, was not empty.
1t was occupied by court attaches, budding limbs
of the law, and others who had dropped in to
hear the Little Napoleon of Wall street SEN
fenced. The court clerk was promptly on hand
with his assistant. The judge, however, was
late, and did not arrive until twenty minutes
after the appointed hour, when the machinery
of the law was set in motion.
A persistent lawyer arose and asked for a stay
of proceedings in a rape case.
Judge Barrett tried, in a gentle way, to per-
suade the lawyer to wait until later in the day,
but the latter was so earnest and bound to have
his own way, that the court was compelled to
listen to the lawyer then and there.
Judge Barrett granted the stay Of proceedings.
When the matter had been disposed of. the
district attorney arose and said: Ferdinand
Ward, the prisoner at the bar, has been found
guilty of the crime with which he was charged.
IL COUuocl, al LUe ldSJ session Oh tllS court,
gave notice that at this time a motion for a new
trial would be made. l move that the motion be
made at this session."
General Tracy, of Wards counsel, arose and
in a low tone, scarcely audible ten feet away,
said: 1.-The defendant, Ferdinand Ward, moves
this court that judgment in this action be ar
rested-frst, on the ground that the facts stated
In the second count of the indictment do not con
stitute a crime; second. on the ground that the
defendant, being a director of a national bank,
| and the QuIdQn0a ahaprJno him xrith nn.r; ~
the unlawful certifcation of his own check by
that national bank. this court has no jurisdic-
ton of the subject of the indictment.
The bill OF exceptions upon which the defend
ant asks for a new trial reads as follows:
"Flrst-ln charging the jury that there was
sufficient evidence TO convict.
"Second-ln charging the jury as to the sew
eral propositions as to which, upon the trial, ex-
ceptions were taken and noted on behalf of the
defendant, as appears upon the minutes of the
trial.
"Third--In refusing to charge the jury as to
the several matters requested by the defendant.
to which refusal exceptions were then and there
taken and noted.
quit the defendant, to which refusal defendant
duly took exceptions.
"Fifth-Inr refusing to direct the jury to acquit
the defendant. and to which refusal the defend
ant duly excepted.
'Sixth-In refusing to direct the jury to &C
quit the defendant on the ground of a variance
between the proof and the Indictment, and to
which exception was duly taken"
When General Tracy had finished reading this
bill of exceptions and had taken his seat. District
Attorney MARITIME made this motion: II move
that Ferdinand Ward be now sentenced by the
court"
Ward arose and stood in front of the bar, by
the side of his counsel. His face was pale but
firm. He didn't flush as Judge Barrett pro
nounced the sentence, but stood unmoved while
the court poured upon his head the words of con-
demnation, The courtroom was hushed, and
an almost impressive silence fell upon the sew
eral hundred men who watched the prisoner
with feverish eagerness.
Ward. you have been convicted, by an inteli-
gent and conscientious jury, of the crime of
which you have been charged, began the indge,
directing his gaze upon the prisoner who stood
before him. You have certainly had a fair and
impartial trial. The jurors were most carefully
selected and came to the trial of your case with
apparently unprejudiced minds. The court
guarded all your rights and privileges from in
fringement to the best of his ability. You were
convicted because you had no defense. You
offered no defense to the facts. tits only a mat
ter for conjecture why SO intelligent a jury
should have taken so long a time to decide your
case. If your case had been that of a
person wholly unknown, the jury needed not to
have left their seats; on the contrary your case
has had the benefit of a more than careful con-
sideration. You have been most ably defended
by your counsel, and an address as brilliant and
oCuOioTIy as any over learu IN THIS courtroom
was made in your defense. You were not con-
vlcted on popular clamor. The jury probably
delayed in its judgment because they were
afraid that in some way they might be accused
OF being influenced by popular clamor. which
tended to make that conviction doubtful. I
have nothing to say to you in the way of a hon.
ilv, because l think it would be wholly useless.
You have shown yourself to be wholly in6iffer-
ent. throughout the trial, as to the charges
which have been brought against you.
Won cnQVn RI nypQrionca M -
over the ruin and sorrow which you have
brought to hundreds of people in this country.
You have done more to unsettle public conf
dence in moneyed institutions than any other
man OF TINS generations; and yet, through this
entire trial, you nave shown yourself to be who'll
ly unrepentant for the sins you have committed.
This being the fact, l must simply content my
self with pronouncing the sentence of the court,
which is that you shall be confined in the States
prison, at hard labor, for the period of ten
years."
Not a muscle of the prisoners face changed
while these scathing remarks were made. He
bowed his head, but did not tremble or show any
evidence of feeling. Ward was quickly sur
rounded by his friends. He put on his overcoat,
took his derby hat, and left the courtroom. ac-
ccmpanied by his keepers. He was taken from
the courtroom to the sheriffs office, whittier
District Attorney MARITIME soon followed. The
Davidson, and il was decided that
Ward should be taken to Sing Sing
by the first train. from the Grand Central depot.
The time for its departure was 2:30. During
the time intervening, nearly three hours, Wards
movements were kept secret, but it was under
stood that he was being accorded the privilege
of attending to some private affairs. He was not
returned to the Tombs, and Warden Finn
turned over his effects, contained in two satch-
els, to friend who came with an order from
Ward.
Ward was taken to Sing Sing prison on the 2:3O
P. M. train to-day, from the Grand Central depot.
He was accompanied by Sheriff Davidson and
Warden Herman.
The Jury's Midnight Verdict.
New York Herald.
Twenty minutes before / o'clock the Jury
again retired, Judge Barrett remarkine that he