New-York tribune., 1897-12-17
BEVERLEY WARD, JR., DEAD
FOUND IN HIS ROOM AT THE BALTUsRoL
GOLF CLUB.
RUMoR THAT HE HAD COMMITTED SUICIDE De
MED BY HIS DOCTOR AND FRIENDs-THE
FORMER SAYS HIS DEATH WAS DUE TO
AN OVERDOSE OF AN oPIATE-A
SUFFERER FROM 1NsoM
MA OF LATE

beverley Ward, 1r., well known III tne o"S'"'
c!icles OF this city. found dead In his room
at the Batusrol Golf Club Short Hills, n. d.
yesterday morning. Death was primarily due
to morphine poisoning, but whether he took an
overdose ~ the drug accidentally, or whether
1t taken with suicidal intent. Is for the
most part a matter Of conjecture. Mr.. ward
had been staying at the clubhouse since tues
day last, and 1t was noticed that he seemed
10 be afflicted with extreme depression lie
admitted to his friends that he was worried out
did not explain the cause Of his condition. In
the apparent effort to rid himself Of his morbid
state of mind Mr.. Ward resorted to stmulants'
but not to such extent as to prevent MN
from playing his favorite game of golr upon
each day since he arrived at the Batusro ilhhs'
The young mans death was first discovered py
an attendant OF the club. who had over hight
received orders to call Mr.. Ward at Z o'clock
The steward Henry Sherman. knocked repeated
ly at the door OF Mr.. Wards room. but without
obtaining any response from within In the
! effort to awaken the young man. the steward
/ opened the door and entered the room MT Ward
! lay upon the bed. apparently unconscious.
| hurried examination by the steward, however
! sufficed TO show that the young man was dead
| Or. Wellington Campbell summoned IN
! haste ard upon reaching the clubhouse he said
death had taken place some hours earlier.
! PLAYING GOLF on WEDNESDAY.
On wednesday afternoon Mr. Ward and two
| friends played golf and he then seemed In
! brighter spirits than at any time since his ar
| rival at the links. In the evening he visited
! Millburn, and did not return to the clubhouse
| until n late hour. He retired Immediately, but
at midnight he rang for ice-water and told the
steward who waited upon him that he was un-
able to sleep. Nothing more was heard from
| him.
The news Of the sons death was broken to his
parents. who live at No. 30i West Seventy
| sixth-st by DR. Campbell. who came TO this
city expressly for this purpose. Mr.. and Mrs
! Ward returned with the physician to Snort
| HIS and at once arranged for the removal OF
! their sons body to this city The body. accom-
| panied by Mrs Ward reached here last night
| The funeral arrangements have not yet oeen
made.
/ Although It is believed by many OF the mem
/ bers OF the Baltusrol Club that Mr.. Ward com
mitted suicide there is little or no evidence 70
support the suspicion. The suspicion that ne
/ Intentionally sought his death is based primer
/ paIly upon the dependency which he exhioited
/ while ri Short Hills. Or Wellington Campoel
who attended the young man. denies that he had
any suicidal intent Mr. Ward was suffering
from insomnia and in order to give him relief
DIT Campbell says that ne prescribed an opiate
!, The nature NJ the oplate however, he refused 70
divulge to newspaper men yesterday
STATEMENT OF THE DOCTOR
In reply to other inquiries Or. Campbell said
that he was OF the opinion that his patient ind
ing that one dose OF his prescription did not
hiring sleep swallowed more with fatal results.
! Dr Campbell. when asked II young Ward mao
left any letters or papers refused to answer
/ The steward, Sherman. however. In reply 10 d
similar question. said that when he entered 'he
room he saw no letters. Neither had he seen
anything that would indicate suicide
When Or Westcott. the county physician OF
Union County. was seen at his home at Scotch
| Plains last night he did not hesitate to give II
as his opinion that Mr.. Ward had committed SUI
eide He said death had been caused by an
overdose of morphine. 1t appeared To him' he
said that the poison had been taken with sui
| cidal intent There was no doubt IN ms Wiiu'
he said. after viewing the body and hearing the
circumstances surrounding the death. thnt the
noIson had not been taken ac,i lentally. lie
I'd found the system of the dead man greatly
run down Dr. Westcott decided that there was
no necessity for any official inves'isauon'
THE FATHER UNABLE TO SEE CALLERS
Mr. Ward. sr. was suffering so much from
shock at his sons death that he was uhape |"
see callers last night. Tribune reporter VINO
! called at his house. NO 34 west 'eNe''' ~
., uaz told nv a friend OF the family. who did
not wish his name to he puo"Sneu' '""' t"e
suicide theory was without foundation. "Dr.
| c.,,,,hou ,old us" Mr. Wards representative
saId when he was here to-day that Beverley
| ,.os IN n despondent mood. As he could not
s,oar ot night the doctor had prescribed an
| onIate DR. Campbell said that Beverley had
,aten an overdose accidentally. and that the
drug. acting on a system cohipisteiy, , run oo""'
had
anu a. Ward was :wcnty-three years old. and
was educated at ST. Paul's School He was not A
college graduate. and had n0t taken e, up any
| business or professor Mr.. ward had an ex-
on1InoIv attractive personality. Possessed of a
| cno nbvsloue and an unusually winning manner
he Of the mos, poPuIT M had n almost Ii
,n,,jsh frankness OF cordalty and made friends
! nogiv even among those whom ne saw Tor d
| sborf while He was exceedingly fond or out
sno sor .norts in many of which he exceed by
rooson u" OF his strength and constant practice
IIe was an enthusiastic hockey player ana skat-
| er and last season was n familiar ngure AT the
| @, Nicholas Rink. where he took part IN sew
eral OF the contests.
| HIS FAVORITE SPORT
His favorlte sport, however. was solf In which
| he was ramillary known by almost every player
| on ,retronolitan links. He was a member Of the
| ro,,usrol and Lakewood COLI cluDs' ana ap-
ncorod IN most OF the prominent tournaments
which were held In the last season re W as
o,n ~ the contestants in the winter toui iaiiehs
ot' ot rho bs Baltusrol Ocean County and Lakewood
| oi,,ha last season but did not ngure prominently
| GIuus " .t a., of leading players at that time HlS
next ne appearance the links was at seaorish, bs
| t y. ,ha Fourth OF July contest there, where ne
! az the.t the walter Watson jr for the Indepen-
deucs d,eu Dav cup. In riding home that evening ne
fell from his wheel and injured his ao,f hana n r5s ths
| n,ade necessary his giving up goII- untii tue
~ ~mauc ,N,,rnament OF September y, and pre-
dntsG the piay-off of the tie with Watson until
| earIv in october. When the two al last met
| Waison was successful by a generous margin
Wa ths tuxedo affair Mr.. Ward qualified for
,hn cun but was defeated In the first round at
match play by Foxhall p keene: :, ,,,
Later. ir the ST. Andrews tourney. ne again
apfead it9 nnlv 10 be beaten in tho first round by
auanm,d aaIardar Vorten OF Ardsley This was on
| AIeAnnnuE ~ lie next took part in the contest on