The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-04
WARDS CAREER.
His EIOpement with Mrs. Bradbury
and Shameless Conduct.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 3-W. Russell
Ward who committed suicide by throwing
himself from the window of the car in
which he was travelling from this city to
Chicago to-day, first gained notoriety by
his very marked attentions to the wife of
the young Los Angeles millionaire, Colonel
John Bradbury, at Santa Monica, a sea-
side resort some eighteen miles from Los
Angeles. AS Ward was a married man and
the father of a family, his Irritation with
Mrs. Bradbury caused a rupture between
himself and Colonel Bradbury, and it was
rumored that the latter even challenged
his rival to fight duel. At the same time
vague stories of a rupture between Colonel
Bradbury and his wife were bruited about,
but were strenuously denied by Bradbury.
Matters came to climax on June 30 last
when Mrs. Bradbury eloped with Ward to
this city. On their arrival they startled the
community by openly admitting their folly
and defying public decency by the most
shameless conduct. Their career. however
was cut short by their arrest on the charge
of adultery at the instance of the Society
for the Prevention of Vice. Mrs. Bradbury
was released on her own recognizance by
Police Judge Low, but in default of bail
Ward spent one night in Jail. When the
case came UP for hearing that against Mrs
Bradbury was dismissed and, with her
she was met by her husband. who en-
route for Europe with his mother. A recon-
Citation was effected and the couple went
to New York. whence they departed for
Mexico, where they now are.
Ward meanwhile returned to his Santa
Monica home. but returned here for trial
last week. When the matter came up for
hearing on Aug. 26 Wards attorneys raised
the point that the information against him
was insufficient to warrant his being held
to answer, and on Saturday, Aug. q, Su-
perior Judge Cook sustained this conten-
ton and ordered that Ward be dismissed.
AS he was financially embarrassed and in
fact had been dependent upon the money
raised from such jewelry as Mrs. Bradbury
had taken with her at the time of their
elopement his wife, who was visiting his
relatives in England, sent him the neces-
sary funds with which to conduct his de-
Tense and defray his expenses to England
in the event of his acQuittal. After leaving
the court a free man Ward went to the
Grand Hotel, where he remained in seclu-
for Buffalo, N Y, and left on the evening
east-pound train, announcing that he was
going to England and did not expect to
return to this country. At t. lime there
was nothing in his actions demeanor
that would fond to show that as men
tally unSOund.
ward who was a stalwart ,liShman
about forty years old, located in Santa
Monica about six years ago. Being a crack
polo player and possessed of some means,
he at once became very popular among the
English set at that place. He soon ingra-
tiated himself into the good graces of the
leading families resident at the seaside re-
sort and among them formed the acquaint-
ance of the Bandinis, one of the oldest
Spanish families in southern California. He
woed and won Miss Bandinis and their
marriage was duly celebrated with great
eclat.