Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-02-27
PROGRESS OF THE WARD TRIAL,
A Number of witnesses Go on the
stand-They HeteiI the story OF the
Hoid-up--Testimony rs to Detenu-
ants Characterization Cont News

The taking OF testimony in the case
OF John Ward. the alleged Benbrook
train robber, was resumed yesterday
morning In the Forty-eighth district
court. The aged father of the young
defendant. who was present when the
case was put on trial, had been put
under the rules as witness and was
no longer beside his son. AS on the
day before. large crowd of Interested
spectators was present when the case
was reopened.
j. b. McEwen was recalled to the
stand. He testified again as to the
string and sealing wax, which was
introduced, and the box which had been
found. which he Identified as the one
which had contained the jewelry on
the way to Utica, N. Y. Upon cross
examination, witness testified that the
box might have been duplicated but
was positive 1t had not. witness did
not know that detectives had been put
upon the case to investigate the mat
ter.
p. IL. Kern was the next witness 10
testify The broken box was again
introduced and was Identified by Wit
ness. :,
81 am "a jeweler at I'll Paso, Tex"
said Mr.. Kern. 81 recognize this box.
II Is one | received from Utica, n. \.
1t contained knives and nut picks. II
was worth about $685."
Some knives and u piece of burnt
pearl We're introduced, which the wit
ness Identified as part OF the contents
of the box Witness testified that
after receiving the box he repacked it
and expressed II back 10 Utica short
time before the robbery occurred. Wit
ness recognized as his handwriting tho
address on the broken box Introduced.
| Walter HagEnrd was called. Am Il
| draughtsman and live on south Main
| street. Diagram was introduced,
! which witness identified as one he had
made OF Benbrook and vicinlty) l
went over the ground with Messrs.
| Shropshire. Sisl, and Moberly and got
an idea OF the country, from which l
| made the diagram, There Is large
| thcket near the house of william
| Ward, the father Of defendant. l saw
a stump In the thicket beside which
| something had been burned"
/ BY the use of the diagram the wit
ness described fully the vicinity Of
| Benbrook.
Miss Maud Morrow testified; 81 live
| at BenbrOok. MY fathers name Is
/ H. NJ. Morrow. He keeps a store and
| the postofllce at Benbrook, a public
road runs through the town. | know
John ward. He and Phillips are
| brothers-in-law l heard Of the train
robbery the night that It occurred. l
had been to school that day, Thursday
| The school house Is about three
/ fourths Of a mile south OF the post
/ ONCE. The postoNice Is west from the
| depot. There IL bridge in the pas
| turc between the school house and
town, about 500 yards from my home.
| There Is u church about 800 yards from
| where ! first struck the main road
| going home. Tint Thursday evening
as l was going home from school, and
! Just as l had crossed the bridge.
| saw George Sullivan getting on his
! horse. The horae was black and the
saddle was old. After getting on his
horse he went east, l went west, 60
ing home. j LEFT my books at home
and went to the postofiice. 1 stood in
the postofnce door and saw John
| Phillips and John Ward ride by. Phil
lips rode sorrel horse and Ward n
dark bay or brown. This was about
| ten or twelve minutes after l saw
| Sullivan. This was about AS o'clock
II was about an hour afterwRrd when
the train came in. The railroad bridge
is about a mile east OF town. The
men were going toward the bridge
when / saw them. Ward and Phillips
We're in front OF the postofIice door
when i saw them. Wards saddle was
nav. Phillips rode bareback.
william Leak: 81 live about one
mile north from Benbrook. l remember
when the train robbery took place
heard of It that evening. was go
Ing home from school that afternoon,
The school Is about a mile from Ben.
brook Going from the school house
struck the road called the Granbury
road, 1 came into the road at the
church about one-fourth of a mile
from Benbrook, and turned toward the
west. As / went down the hill mel
John Ward and John Phillips. They
were riding and travelling east Ware
rode a buy horse and Phillips a sorrel
Ward had saddle. but Phillips rod,
bareback. The school was out thai
evening about o'clock"
John Evans: II live about one mile
southwest OF Benbrook and remember
when the train was robbed. | was in
! Fort Worth that day, and went back
home in company with Esquire Ben.
brook; l reached Mary's creek about
$3.50 o'clock and met two men. one
rode bareback One of them rode d
dark horse. l know Ward and Phil.
/ lips; PASSED close to the two men
They turned out of the road neal
Leaks field, on the north side OF tho
creek. They turned out TO give us the
road There is a gate about 100 yards
| from the bridge. CWitness explaine ed
fully the location Of the bridget Did
| not notice whether the men turned OF,
into the gate or not. This was about
forty minutes before the train was
sobbed. ate supper soon after with
Esquire Benbrook and heard of the
robbery there"
j. NJ. BenbroolS was also examined
lie testified substantially as had Mr.
| Evans, In whose company he was on
| the evening OF the robbery. Witness
testified that he had known John Ward
| ever since he was small boy and
his reputation for honesty was good,
A. A. Porter, II live with Church
| Wilburn, southeast of Benbrook; was
| at williams the evening OF the rob,
berry; was feeding stock at the time
saw the train stop at the bridge; went
| to Bedrock that night and saw a
| horse In the timber south OF the bridge
| Went within ten steps OF the horse
| The horse was a dark bay or brown
but Couldn't state as to saddle"
| j, L. Logan: 81 work for the Pacific
express company. and went out 10
the scene OF the robbery the following
Saturday to Investigates; searched Inc
| vicinity; found some pieces OF broken
hoN The small pieces were scattered
around. found them in the timber; saw
no tracks. as the leaves were on the
/ ground. Mr. Kelly tnN auant Of D.,