The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-08-22

Many stories of Sallie Ward
Downs, the famous Southern beauty
Who recently died ct Louisville, arr
being recalled. At one of her early
balls, as it is related, an admirea
arose at the table and proposed thu
health of Sallie Ward. But when
it was to be drunk, he filed not 1
glass, but one of her dainty slippers
which he had surreptitiously OBJ
tanned and tossed off the champagne
from it.
The winter after she had made
her ent1g into society she went to
New Orleans. The city was soon
at her feet and her trumphs in the
Crescent City are still memorable
There she met T. Bigelow Lawrence
of Boston, and the romantic part
of her life began.
Lawrence was the son of Abbott
Lawrence, then Minister to England
He was of the best New England
stock, born in Northern purple. He
wooed the fair Sallie and won her
ENGAGEMENT BROKEN.
A reported engagement with q
wealthy young Kentuckian was
broken off. In 1848 when twenty
years of age she became the wife
of Mr.. Lawrence. The wedding
was the most magnificent the South
had ever seen.
After the wedding young Law
renee took his bride to Boston.
His mother, Mrs. Lawrence, was OF
the staid, reserved New England
type, and the young Southern girl
did not take to her. So it was not
long before she left her husband
and returned to Louisville.
One morning George D. Prentice.
the noted writer and poet who was
then editor of the Louisville Jour
nal, received a letter from T. Bige-
low Lawrence containing q check
and special request that he insert
the following notice:
whereas, my wife, Sallie Ward
Lawrence, has left my bed and
board, notice is hereby given that l
will not pay any debts of her con-
tracing.
st. BIGELow LAWRENCE,
Boston"
The advertisement appeared and
Immediately the city went wild. In
those days more attention was paid
TO matters of honor and chivalry
than to Presidential campaigns now.
Sallie Ward posted! Men treated
their slaves in that style; to such
woman it was an objectionable
insult. Every gallant in the city
rushed to the Journal Office and
demanded that reparation be made
and the insult sent back.
It was soon decided what to do.
The Legislature was in session, but
would soon adjourn. There was no
railroad. Prentice and Nathaniel
Wolfe, friend of the family, sc.
cured relays of fast horses. They
started for the capital, and rode so
hard to arrive in time that three
horses were killed. Arriving there,
they went into the presence of the
law makers and demanded that such
an insult to the women of Kentucky
be wiped out.
INSULT WIPED OUT.
It was done. The Legislature of
Kentucky, by rising vote, divorced
Sallie Ward Downs from T. Bigelow
Lawrence, thus deeming they had
flung back in his teeth the insult
offered by the Northerner. The
next day such notice appeared in
the Journal.
In 1853 the Ward family became
involved in tragedy that caused
more feeling than any other ever
known in Kentucky. William H.
&. Butler was the Principal of the
Louisville High School, at which
William Ward, a young son of the
family, was pupil. One day he
was chaetised for eating chestnuts
in school. Matt Ward and Robert
Ward, Jr., took quick offense at the
insult offered to the family, as they
considered it, and determined to
have satisfaction. The next day
they went to the school. Matt,
who was small and weak, having
armed himself. They told Butler
the object Of their cali, and demand
ed that be explain what he had
done. The teacher advanced toward
them, when Matt Ward shot him
dead.
The affair seemed cold-blooded.
and public feeling was directed With
all its intensity against Matt Ward.
It was decided that a fair trial could
not be had in Jefferson, Shelby or
Oldham Counties, and the case was
taken to Hardin County. At first
no lawyer would defend him, but
1T last Hon. John ]. Crittenden,
then in the United States Senate
and warm friend of the family.
undertook his defense, as did Ma
thapiel Wolfe, q member of the
Legislature.
Conviction was demanded, but
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