The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-06-14
SUICIDE OF PATRICK AWARD
Sitting by the Side Of His Daughter, He
Takes Poison, and Falls to the Floor.
Friends Say That, for Some Time, He Has Been
Subject to Periods of Insanity His
Pride Keen and Troubles Many.

potassium. The residents in the neighbor-
hood were sitting down to supper when
they were aroused by the screams of Mr..
Wards daughter, who ran into the street
calling for help. Quite a number of gen.
tlemen. including DIR. E. s. Elder, who lives
nearly opposite the house where the sui
eide occurred. responded to the call.
Entering the dining-room. they found Mr..
Ward lying dead on his back upon the
floor. lie was in his shirt sleeves, and be-
side him was the overturned chair from
which he had fallen when he swallowed the
drug. At the request of the family, DR..
Elder made an examination of the body,
and stated that life had left it several min
ntes before he reached the house. Mrs.
Ward says her husband had been at home
all day. and he appeared to be in the best of
spirits until late in the afternoon. at noon
ne was particularly jOvial, and talked and
laughed with her and his daughter more
than he had done for several weeks. She
was preparing to go on a visit to their son
In Missouri, and during the forenoon Mr..
Ward assisted her in packing her trunk
and otherwise preparing for the journey.
Several times during the day she asked
him 10 accompany her or the journey, but
he said he did not think he could leave the
city at present.
During the afternoon Mr.. Ward was
around the house doing odd jobs. and
nothing unusual about his demeanor
was observed. Late in the evening
1T was noticed that he appeared
moody. 1t was always his custom to take
a seat on his front doorstep about the time
the people were coming home from down
town. He had a personal acquaintance
with everybody In that portion of the city,
and always greeted them as they passed.
Many gentlemen living in the nefghbor-
hood saw that he was absent from his
accustomed seat, as they passed home
ward. and commented on the fact. As
the evening progressed his moodi-
ness seemed to increase. and he sat
in the rear room of his house, as if engaged
in deep study. His wife and daughters OBJ
served his peculiar actions and kept a close
watch over him. A few minutes after 8
o'clock he went into the dining-rOom and
sat down at the table near his daughter
Kate. Without saying anything to her. he
drew a bottle out of his pocket, and with a
quick movement put it to his lips and swal-
his hand holding. the bottle as
quick as she realized what he was
doing. but her interference was not
soon. enough. The contents OF the bottle
portion. and in an instant almost Mr.. Ward
fell backward from his chair, dead. The
coroner was called, and, after he had eX-
amined the body, it was taken in charge by
Renihan, Long d Hedges, who will prepare
IL for burial.
On account of Mr.. Wards long residence
In the city and his prominence, the suicide
created n sensation, and speculation as to
the probable cause was rife. He was rec
ognlzed as a man with an unusually strong
intellect and his friends say that he could
not have been in his right mind. The i'm
mediate relatives of the deceased attribute
his suicide to temporary insanity. Mrs.
Ward said that it had been a
ffa ar soS sssr't tjn sha' b her hs ssS;sst had I'd
insane periods. They were not of frequent
occurrence. but when they did come on he
always magniiied his troubles, and talked of
ending them by taking his life. During
a good many disappointments, and he al
lowed himself to brood over them. Since
he went out of active business, four years
ago. he has not prospefed financially,
and as ne was at one time n
he continually worried, unnecessarily. over
his future. Some of his friends think polit-
ical disappointment has something to do
with his death. He was an applicant for
Office this administration, and fortwo
months has been daily expecting an ap-
pointment. His expectancy was so great
that he always met the mail-carrier at the
gate. and always showed signs of disap-
pointment when a letter did not come.
Having become a member of the Repub-
lican party during the last campaign, his
political enemies frequently spoke to
him about not securing an office, and
being of an extremely sensitive nature,
these things troubled him. He often spoke
when on the street, and at such times
showed much feeling.
Notwithstanding these assertions by some,
it is not believed by those who know best
prompted him to take his life. On Wednes-
day he was in p. j. Kelleheris store, and
was never in a moro jOvial or hopeful mood.
He showed Mr.. Kelleher a letter from Wash
ingtOn assuring him that his application had
been favOrably considered, and as soon as the
class of offices in which he desired service
was reached he would receive favorable at
tentiOn. He was greatly pleased with the
letter, and so informed Mr.. Kelleher. Il
think the act came from a combination of
last night. He has been down-hearted for
a good while. He imagined the world was
tired of him, and that his friends had
nearly all deserted him. He was embar-
definite ahead, l think he considered the
fact that he had only a few more years to
live at best. and concluded to end his
troubles. He was a man of good
intellect; he was ambitious and. above all.
extremely sensitive"
There was, perhaps, not n b~etter-known
Irish-American in Indiana than Patrick A.
Ward, and none who, in his time, COM
manded more friends and exerted q greater
influence. He was well educated. a good
writer and a forcible public speaker. He
was born in Dublin in 1927, and was, there
fore, sixty-two years of age. In 1910, or
whereabouts. he immigrated to America. He
was by trade a cabinet-maker. and found
work at Louisville. where he worked
several years. There he met and
married the lady who survives him. From
Louisville he moved to Keokuk, Ia, where
he anne into prominence as an Irish leader
and public speaker. In 1868 he came to
indianapolis. and engaged in the whole
sale liquor business with Michael OiCOn-
nor. the firm being O'Connor & Ward.
They were together until 1875, when Mr..
O'C0nnor sold to Mr.. Pau, and the firm be-
came Pau az Ward. That firm con-
tinued until 1879. when Mr.. Ward and
Mr.. Ford went into the wholesale spice
business, the firm being Ward IL Ford.
They sold out four or five years ago, and
since that time Mr.. Ward has not been in
any business. The family consists of a
wife and six children, three sons and three
daughters. One of the sons is in business
in the West, another in Wheeling. w. Va.
business in this city. One of the daughters
is Mrs. Mollie McGrath, of Lafayette, and
the other two are at home. The deceased
has no other near relatives In this city, but
has two sisters in Keokuk. Mr.. Ward was
always active in politics. and at the time
of his death was president of the Irish
American Protective Tariff Club. OF this
city. During the last campaign he was a
warm advocate of protection. and the
speeches he made were published and wide
ly circulated. He also took a great inter
est in Irish affairs. and was always q leader
in the local movements in behalf of his ma
tive COuntrv