River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-05-05
PRISON GATES OPEN
Ferdinand Ward Ends His Term at Sing
Sing story of the Crime for Which lie
Was Sentenced

Ferdinand Ward Ends His Term at Sing
Sing - story of the Crime for Which lie
Was Sentenced.
SING SING, " ", April 3G.-Ferdi-
nand Ward, the wrecker of many for
tunes, who ruined Gen Grant and
helped Fish in his work of running the
Marine bank. the Napoleon of
finance" is free. His cell door was
ratified ia front OF him for the last time
at 8 o'clock this morning. He took his
place in q line with his fellow con-
victs and shuffied the lockstep
with them 10 the big dining
room. After his breakfast of
eornedbeef hash and strong black coffee
he went to the clothesroom, where the
suit of clothes he wore the day he en-
tered prison and a new suit made in the
prison of cheap, coarse material were
placed before him. He donned his own
suit. Then he was searched for the
last time, and finally he went
to the propcrty-room, and the things
that he had with him when he
came into the institution were returned
tn him. The principal article is a peck.
etUool containing S20e in cash. lie
drew in addition to this $40. so which
the prison board has decided he has
earned by his six and a half years of
labor in prison, and with this he win
go into the world TO begin life.
No one here believes that Ward is
broke, and every one who has talked to
him since he has been in prison expects
to see him make the fur fly as soon as
he puts his scheming brain to work
again.
If Ward has arranged his plans for
the future he will not divulge them. Il
am still under indictment by the United
States grand jury" said Ward, with
some degree of apprehension, land l
do not know that l am, IN fact, to re-
gain my liberty. OF course, am glad
that my term here is over. If l felt /
was sure of being absolutely set free
and there were no more turbulent
times ahead of me l might feel free to
talk about old affairs and the new life"
After all the details mentioned above
had been carried out the warden led him
70 the door of the prison and there he
was informed that he was at liberty to
go whittier he will.
Ferdinand Ward was sentenced October 81
1884 to ter years imprisonment with hard la
Dor for embezZlement and obtaining money I'M
der false pretenses Ward was the son of
Baptist minister, and rose from messenger boy
of the produce exchange to be manager OF
| the respected firm OF Grant s. Ward.
May 0, 1884, It was given out that Grant &
Ward had closed their doors. The re-
| port spread like widhre. AT first crooked
work WAS suspected, but so good was the
/ firms name and so solid was considered its
I hag fE haf rYPH vnia cd rv7gn
scorn. Young Ward was looked upon as q bust
ness man of unusual shrewdness, and his close
connection with the Grants ana many other
1 Influential and moneyed persons placed in his
hands the means whereby he could obtain al
most unlimited credit The morning after the
reported failure the doors Of the little Office OF
the firm in the bank building corner Wall
and Broadway were beseged by hun
dreds OF eager and interested friends.
| Ward confronted them all with q
smiling countenance, and through his clerk il
was given out that the losses sustained all told
/ did not amount TO more than $500 600, and the
/ doors were closed merely on account Of the sus
| pension of the Marine bank.
Wall street was in panic Seney, the Brook.
Ign millionaire philanthropist; Hatch, the
president OF the stock exchange, and
numerous small brokers were pressed
/ TO the wall Stocks were worthless
The banks we're beseced by frightened
/ and suspicious depositors But alone
/ amidst the ruin he had caused stood Ward
calm and unrufied, beholding on all sides ruined
| friends and benefactors. All the money Gen
/ Grant had saved and laid by in order that he
/ might end his days in ease and comfort went like
| fash He only partially succeeded in extin-
| gushing the enormous debt ard was left almost
| destitute in his old age. Public sympathy was
/ with the man who had done so much for his
| country and who, by wild and constituencies
4 Spectator, had lost his all.
Revenge was demanded, and MAY e. 1884
1 Ward was arrested and landed in Ludlow street
4 jail, where he was joined five days later by his
/ friend, James D. Fish, against whom sufficient
/ proof had been gathered 10 convict him as a
/ partner in Wards crimes. A few weeks later
/ Fish was tried and convicted and sentenced TO
1 seven years in Auburn. He has served his term
and now resides with his daughter in New York
| city. Wards trial came up the following October.
General now secretary y, Tracy was retained in his
/ behalf Every effort was made 10 obtain Ward 5
| freedom, but all TO no purpose, and October
/ 81, 1884, he was sentenced TO ten years at hard
labor at Sing Sing prison by Judge Barrett AT
/ first he was put TO work cleaning pots, but
eventually he was placed in the ting office,
| of which department he was the head.