Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-15
Is PROBABLY HOWARD OWENS.
The Identity Of captain Il. G. Ward"
seems EsfahfBshcd,

II s probable that when Captain r. &.
Ward" Is taken before United states Com
missioner Peasants at 2 O'Clock to-day.
charged with impersonating a United
states military officer and obtaining
money under false pretences. he will
stand before the bar under the alias OF
Howard L. Owens, OF Warrenton. The
police think 1t practically certain that
the young man is owens.
City-Sergeant-Ep ps received yesterday
from Mr. T.. J. Hotchkiss, IT.. an attor-
ney Of warrenton. a photograph Of
owens. IT was an excellent likeness OF
Captain ward" Indeed, the picture
seemed 60 make identification absolutely
certain. The picture was taken IN Wash
ngton.
WAS A DISTRICT SOLDIER.
A telegram from the Washington cor
respondent of the Dispatch last night
says:
THE young man arrested in Richmond
who gave the name Of Captain +. C.Ward
Is believed here to be II. l.. owens, for
Inerly private in Company -, OF the
District Guard. He came TO this city at
the outbreak Of the war with SPAIN and
enlisted in the First District OF Column
bia Regiment. lie never saw any ser
vice, however. as he was left at Tampa
when the regiment went 10 Cuba. While
there he was given a sick furlough, and
was mustered out Of the service without
returning TO his company II is believed
that ne purchased a captains uniform
while recently here
RECORD IN FREDERICKSBURG.
The Fredericksburg correspondent Of
the Dispatch wires as follows. evidently
thinking there is no doubt of the young
mans identity:
Captain Fred. Ward alias Howard L..
Owens, of Warrenton, who was arrested
last week in Richmond for obtaining
money under false pretences, spent week
here prior 10 his arrival IN Richmond,
and, as in that city. 1t now leaks out that
ne also abused the confidence of those
here who had always looked upon him
as an honorable man. Owens came mere
on August 4th and introduced himself TO
I Mr.. w. T. Jones Mr. Jones. VINO knew
Of Owens's family, introduced him TO
several other gentlemen, among them Mr..
ID. c. Cole During the day owens re-
Questcd Mr.. Jones. who, with Mr.. Cole,
is a clerk in the store of Colonel j.. D.
Cole to go to bank and identity him, 50
| that he could get a check cashed. Mr..
! Jones, being quite busy az the time, re-
| ferred him 10 Mr.. Cole, who, without
| hesitation. cashed it. IL was for $50, and
was drawn on the Warrenton bank. The
! signature was Gains Brothers. Several
/ days later the check was returned no
/ good, but not until Owens's arrest In
| Richmond were they aware Of having
been 'duped.' On leaving here owens
\ went TO Washington
A letter received by Marshal Treat yes
/ terday from Mr.. #. W. Carter, pOstmas-
| ter at Orange, stated that he recognized
the picture of Ward I'm the Dispatch as
/ that Of Howard Owens, Of Warrenton
who used to be his assistant, and was
| discharged because OF trouble with MS
/ accounts
| A telegram from WarrentOn says that
| Ward answers the description Of Howard
| l.. owens, Of that place, son of y. w
! Owens, of y. w. owens & CO. Young
! Owens left there about the middle OF
July, IL was supposed, for the University
Of Virginia, TO take the summer law
| course. At Charlottesville it is charged
| that he secured money on two checks Of
| SIS and $50. respectively. He then went
10 Cupeper and, II is said, knowing
/ State-Senator John l.. Jeffres, got him
| to endorse his check for SO on Gaines <
! Brotho., Of that place, and which was
dishonored. His next field is said to have
been Manassas and Washington, where
| il is alleged, he secured a considerable
amount Of money in the same manner.
! But Ward will not talk. Il have no.
thing 20 say" was his repeated reply &c
questions put to him by a Dispatch writer
at the Jail yesterday. Ward was seated
on the balcony in front of his cell, his
coat off, his feet on the railing, and read
| ing a newspaper He was apparently
| freshly shaver. His face was very red
1t was not long. He seemed in gooc
| spirits
Indeed. there seems apparently no long
| or any question OF Wards identity. IN:
confession could hardly make the police
more certain.
WANTED IN BALTIMORE.
A telegram was received at police heao
quarters from the Baltimore authorities
yesterday, saying that owens was want
ed there, and asking that he be held II
the charge against him here was not
made out. The Baltimore American yes
terday says:
1T is not probable that Howard l.
| owens. alias Captain +, c. Ward" who
was arrested last Thursday in Richmond
! Va, for obtaining money by fraudulent
instrumentation. viii be brought to thi.
city. The detective and police depart
ments Of the city had been on the look
! out for him. lie was charged with OBJ
tanning various sums OF money from sew
, eral local firms, but as he Is wanted il
! several cities Of Virginia on the same
charge he will be left TO the authorities
of those places for punishment. II IS saiC
that some Of his transactions We're car
| red ON i'm Warrenton and Charlottesville
! Va. The local detectives are not positive
that he IS the man FOR whom they are
| looking. but the descriptions tally close
lv lie usually obtains the money or
/ checks signed n. w Owens & CO. TIM
is the title of his fathers firm, and the
Baltimore merchants knew the firm an'
had dealings with ii. This made th'
Young mans task easy. 1t is said ina
the father Of Owens has already paid $50
or $500 TO prevent his son from bein1
! prosecuted"
Attorney L. NJ Roscher, of this city. 1:
counsel for Ward. Mr.. Roscher yester-
day spent some time examining the
United States Revised Statutes for the
purpose Of ascertaining the penalty foi
the crime with which his client /:
charged.
The Passengers Were shocked.