Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-10-18

he sent out reports to his friends that
he had piade a sale Of his ground. but
the records did not show any transfers.
He kept Harley Sheppard docile by
promising him $1,000. which he stated
he had received from the sale Of a
NINE Ward now says that Lee Shep-
hard stole the $4,000 and ran away
with 1t and that instead Of being dead
he is in hiding with Wards roll. The
records do not disclose any transfer
made by Ward in which $4,000, or even
IS, was paid him for ground.
Writes n Decoy Letter.
Just before Lee and Kirk Sheppard
disappeared, Harley, the third brother,
went to Sheridan, Wyo.. to work.
While there he received a letter ap-
parently written by his brother Lee.
which stated that Ward had given Lee
the S., 900 and that as soon as he, Har-
ley, could come home he could have 1t.
The letter was received five days after
it had been sent from Deadwood. AS
soon as Harley received it he started
for his home. When he arrived he
found that his two brothers had been
gone several days and Ward had also
disappeared. The letter was not writ
ten by Lee at all, but by Ward, who
had initiated Lees handwriting. 1t Is
now supposed that Ward intended to
get Harley back home and then kill
him, too.
The house occupied by Ward Is a
robbers roost. Everything imaginable
Is to be found there. There is no proof
that Ward was thief, only that he
has accumulated boxes and barrels Of
things that belonged to somebody else
There are dozen trunks full of -four,
sugar, dried meats, coffees and all sorts
of eatables. He had been taking sill
verware from restaurants at which he
had eaten for years past. A large box
was found filled with silver knives and
forks, butter dishes, sugar bowls and
everything that had a value in the sill
yer line. He had enough miners tools
stored away to run large mine. Some
of them had private marks on, show
ing that they belonged to miners in
that vicinity. In the loft of his house
were found number Of bridge tim
bers, which he had stolen from rail-
read near by. His house contains a
good stock of secondhand goods.
Other Crimes Alleged.
There are now good many stories
afloat about former sudden disappear
ances. where men and women sudden
ly dropped out of sight. About year
ago a man named George Rutters ar
rived in Deadwood from the East for
the purpose of making an investment
1t is now remembered that he met
Ward and that he was last seen with
him near his house. Rutgers had about
$500 in money on his person. Three
months ago farmer found a body in
a decomposed condition twelve miles
below Deadwood, in Whitewood creek
The arms and legs had been cut off.
There was no clue to this CHASTITY find,
but Ward now gets the credit for 1t.
Who the man was that was found re-
mains a complete mystery. About nine
months ago an unknown man entered
the house of miner named Herdman
in Garden City mining camp, at mid
night, and killed the defenseless wife
with an AK. Her head was cut open.
Nobody was found who could give any
light on the affair Some people think
now that Ward did some of his cute
work on that night at the Herdman
house. Three years ago Ward had a
miner working for him named Neuen-
feldt. Ward finally owed him several
hundred dollars in back wages. One
day the miner was found lying under
a pile of dirt in the tunnel where he
had been at work, and Ward stated
that he had been killed by a cave-in.
but there are dark rumors that the
fall Of earth was anything but acct
dental.
Ward Simple Appearing Fellow.
Ward Is an innocent, inoffensive
looking man. He does not carry the
face of criminal. He denies his guilt
and claims that the Sheppard boys will
yet appear to clear his name. But the
evidence Is growing stronger every day
against the man. A strong thing that
will go against him is what he said to
Harley Sheppard, when one of the
searching parties was on the premises.
He said: Harley, If these men find the
bodies of your brothers on my ground
you will be to blame for it. You ought
not to have run away"