The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-18
MIR. WARD A ICON" MAN
sHREwD RASCAL ARRESTED IN
B0sTON WE'LL KNOWN HERE.
Father Created n Sensation by Leav-
ing indianapolis to Becom a
Confederate Brigadier.

A Boston dispatch in the Sunday Journal
told of the arrest in that city of Col. An
drew West, of Atlanta, Ga, otherwise
known to the police of various cities as
Daniel S. Ward, Captain Ward. alias Mil
Ter, etc. He has been notorious as a sue
cessful confidence man and all-round rascal
for thirty years. He is a son of Daniel s.
Ward, who lived in this city for many
years before the war. John Ward was born
and brought up in this city. The family
was highly respected. They owned prop
erty on the corner of Pennsylvania and
Michigan streets, and lived there many
years. One NJ. d. Ward, uncle of John
Ward, kept a merchant tailoring establish
ment on Washington street, near Meridian.
NJ. q. Ward was connected with a local
military company. and at the beginning OF
the war went South and became a brigadier
general in the Confederate army. John
Ward also went South and enlisted in a
Mississippi regiment. His instincts led him
to crooked work, and he deserted to engage
in conspiracies in Canada in aid of the Con-
federate cause.
In 1854 he was arrested with six other
persons for completely in an attempt to
burn several large hotels in New York
city, and narrowly escaped hanging. The
attempt was made on the evening of Nov.
%, 1864. After the arrests were made Rob-
ert Kennedy, one of the culprits, who was
subsequently hanged, made the following
statement:
after my escape from Johnson's island
1 went to Canada, where I met a number of
Confederates. They asked me if l was will
ing to go on an expedition. 1 replied Yes,
if it is in the service of my country They
said. It's all right but gave me no init
nation of its nature, nor did 1 ask for any.
1 was then sent to New York, where l
stayed some time. There were eight men
In our party, of whom two fled to Canada.
After We had been in New York for three
weeks we were told that the object OF the
expedition was to retaiiiate on the North
ley. It was designed to set fire to the city
on the night of the presidential election,
but the phosphorus was not ready, and 1t
was put off until the 18th of November; |
was stopping at the Belmont House, but
moved into Prince street. | set fire to four
Tammany Hotel and the New England
House. The others only started fires where
they all done as I did we would have had
thirty-two fires and played a huge Joke on
the fire department. ! know ina, | am 10
scum, but that was only a joke. I had no
idea of doing it. ! had been drinking, and
went in there With a friend; and, Just to
scare the people. l emptied a bottle OF
phosphorus on the floor. We knew it
would not set fire to the wood, for we had
tried 1t before, and at one time had con-
cluded to give the whole thing up. ).
There was no fi~endishness about II;
walked the streets all night and went to
the Exchange Hotel early In the morning.
We all met there that morning ana me next
but we sat in the office nearly all the time;
reading the papers, while we were watcnea
by the detectives, of whom the hotel was
full. / expected to die then, and If had
it would have been all right. put now II
seems rather hard. | escaped 10 sana VA
and was glad enough Wheh | crosseu me
bridge in safety.
II desired, however. to return to my com,
Confederacy via Detroit. just before en-
tering the city he received an intimation
us. and, giving me 9 signal. he jumped
from the train. 1 didn't notice the slgnai,
but KEEP. on and was arrested In the aepot;
children was the last thing thought OF. we
wanted to let the people of the North IN
derstand that there are two sides to THIS
war and that they can't be rolling in wealth
and comfort while we at the. south are
bearing all Of The he h si,asidan ana atrpo rlfdeso'is in
the Shenandoah valley we desired to destroy
property, not the lives of women and chill
dren, although that would, OF course, nave
Ward, after being imprisoned several
months in Fort Lafayette, was finally sent
South and liberatea. After the war he lived
several years in New Orleans, and then
entered into a series of criminal operations
which made him notorious in police circles
in many cities. He is a man of genteel ap-
pearance, pleasant manners and a very
plausible talker.
About five months ago he visited this city,
the first time he had been here since the
war. The police of Cincinnati had made 1T
hot for him and he left that city. Here he
represented that he had closed out all his
interests in the South. including a profitable
restaurant in New Orleans, one or two
steamboats,, business blocks. etc., and had
come back here with a fortune to spend
the rest Of his days in the home of his boy
hood. He was well dressed and pretended to
have plenty of money. He represented that
he had opened accounts in two OF the city
banks and wanted TO buy a handsome resi-
dence on the North Side. He also made
inquiries about a span OF horses and a
carriage, and declared his intention to APP
pear in a few days with the finest turnout
in the city, including a liveried footman.
He evidently counted on not being recog-
nized here as the notorious Ward,
of the South, and was doubt
less laying plans for a big
confidence game, when the police got wind
of his presence. The Cincinnati papers said
he was wanted in that city, and his game
was UP. He suddenly disappeared from here,
but without leaving any worthless paper
behind, and had not been heard of since
until his arrest was reported in Boston.
Many of the old residents here will remen-
Der the local sensation caused when two
of the Wards left here and went South to
join the Confederate army.