Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-21
WILLIAM HENRY BARD.
A Mystery Of Some Local Interest
Cleared Up.

THE MoU'NDsvILLE OIL PROMoToR
AND PITTsBURG INSURANCE
MAN LOCATED IN THE KLON-
Dixie RECOGNIZE HAD FIVE
NAMES AND TWO WIVES A
RATHER UNUSUAL CAREER.
The local police officials and readers
of the police news of the morning pa
pers will doubtless recall, though, per-
haps, with an effort, the name of Will
liam Henry Bard. That name figured
prominently in the Wheeling and Pitts
burg papers about twelve months ago,
through efforts made by the local po-
lice, at the request of Pittsburg author
tiles, to find the man. Bard was traced
to Moundsville, where, although he was
supposed to have been murdered or had
committed suicide, he was reported
alive and WELL He then dropped out
OF sight, and from that day nothing
more was heard of him and the case
was we'll nigh forgotten. The Pitts
burg Dispatch, however, has located
Bard, alias several other names, in
tho Klondike, and yesterday printed
an interesting story of his eccentric
career, finn which the following is
taken:
I'm Pittsburg he was called William
Henry Bard. st. Louis knew him as
Benton w. Hilliard. In Chicago he
signed himself as Henry B. Waughter.
Far West Selma, Cal, remembers him
as Henry j. Vernon. In Dawson City,
Northwest Territory, where he is now
located, single stuck out from cor
ner of his shack bears the name of
Samuel Maservey, and this name cor
responds to that on the register of the
old Presbyterian church in Lincoln,
Neb, under the caption 'Baptisms.'
"a small sign on an Office door in
this city, with the name above the let
tering, Merchandise Broker, introduce
ed him to local business men in 1890.
He had come here from West Virginia,
he said, where he had been interested
in the development Of oil fields. And
here he remained until December 5,
1897. Then the earth swallowed him
up, so far as his friends knew, and the
investigation, which resulted in so
many disclosures, began.
Then, also, the Perkins Union De-
tective Agency, Of this city, was called
into requisitiOn, and almost from the
date of Bard's disappearance even unto
the present time skilled men have
been ferreting out the record Of the
man who is wanted in Pennsylvania on
several charges Of forgery and embez-
Element, and in other States for al
legged criminal actions.
Altogether twenty operatives of the
Perkins agency have been engaged in
the tracking of Bard, and nearlyA 900
has been spent in the efforts put forth
to bring the fugitive to justice. To-
day the Perkins people have reQuiSi-
ton papers from the Governor of Penn
Sylvania upon the Governors of Wash
ington and Oregon for the apprehen-
sion and transferrance of the accused
in event OF his being arrested in Seat
tie or Portland, and the State Depart
ment at Washington has been request
ed to procure from the Canadian gov
eminent documents for the eXtradition
of the accused. Plans are now being
formed to dispatch cficers to the
Klondike to arrest Bard, with his nu-
merOus aliases, and return him to Pitts
burg.
Detective Harry H. Perkins, super
intendent of the agency, first came in
contact with Bard, who was suspected
Of dishonesty, month before he dis
appeared from Pittsburg Early in No
vember, II, he entered one of the big
banks on Wood street and presented a
note for discount. The note was for
$4,000, and was payable in 90 days. 1t
was signed seemingly, by very
wealthy man, residing in a town near
Pittsburg. The cashier Of the bank
was acquainted with the signature of
the maker of the note, and saw in the
writing at the bottom Of the note only
a slight resemblance to that of the al
legged maker.
THE Perkins people were summoned
and the situation explained to them.
The note was discounted, inasmuch as
a responsible Pittsburger had endorsed
it, but Bard was Swallowed by Harry
Perkins until the bank authorities
heard from the supposed maker of the
note. And this man said it was for
gerry. Then Bard was apprehended
and brought to the bank, where he adj
justed the matter without delay. He
Was sui kept unuer surveillance, Out
the bank and the man imposed upon,
desiring to avoid publicity, refused to
prosecute. Bard then dropped 4 ut of
sight of the detectives.
From 1890 until 1895, Bard contin-
ued in the merchandise brokerage bust
ness in this city. In the early part of
1897 he became manager of the Man
haitian and United States Life Insur-
ance companies for this district. No
marked stroke of business diplomacy
characterized his connection with these
companies. Their business in this
, neighborhood had been we'll worked up
and Bards duties consisted principally
in supervising the collection of prem
iums and the directing of agents
whose business it was to bring in new
risks. In this position Bard made
many friends. He came to Pittsburg
wearing the charm of a 32-degree
Mason. He was also a member of the
Odd Fellows, the Royal Arcanum,
Shriner, and these connections with
secret societies brought him into the
lodge of Elks here, where he became
popular"
Bard disappeared from Pittsburg De-
cember 5, 1897, and E. R. Hyatt,
special agent of the United States Life
Company, came to that city and took