The St. Louis Republic., 1901-09-08

snce. and I have been very careful since
that time"
Is alleged that Wardi ,aSs plan for anE Ms
laid plot. The letter sent to Harley Shep-
pard was registered and is now In the hands
OF the authorities. 1t will be offered as evil
dence against Ward when he is tried.
Ward Was Peculiar.
Ward took up his residence in the western
part OF the State about fourteen years ago.
He had little intercourse with his neigh
bors. and his place was seldom visited by
any of them. When people went there
Ward usually made them feel Ill at ease.
and managed to convey the impression that
him away from home he was regarded as
the soul OF congeniality; ..,. ~.
He was an enthusiastic Odd FefloW ana
q member OF the Imperial order OF hed
Men. being an active worker in both these
societies and rarely missing meeting.
In the event Of illness among the mem-
bers, Ward was always one of the hrst TO
visit them and offer relief. and he has been
known to SIT up with sick fellow MEM
Der every night for weeks at a time: ap-
parently to the neglect Of his own affairs
Several Odd Fellows recall an instance
Of his eccentricity in connection with the
institution of an Odd Fellows lodge at at
walked to Rapid City from Deadwood, q
distance of forty-eight miles. trying TO
overtake q passenger train that he had
wood depot. The Deadwood Odd Fellows
were to assist In the Institution OF the
new lodge. and they departed on an even
late in reaching the depot. but started
after the train on run. and people stand
| ing about the depot watched him until he
pected that If he did not overtake the
| train after reaching the curve he would
! turn back.
|. One or two OF the Odd Fellows on the
| rear end Of the train saw him following
f! along behind. but he was soon dropped out
Of again that evening. The next morning,
| when the passenger train reached Rapid
City bringing the Deadwood Odd Fellows
| train. Knowing that there had not been a
| train that he could have ridden down on.
they asked him how he got there. He re-
and would have gone on to Hermosa had
| he not fallen through a cattle guard and
I; injured his leg.
he had stopped. verified his statement. the
| clerk at the hotel asserting that Ward had
| arrived there about o'clock in the
1ured iee. and had expressed a desire to
| continue on the way to Hermosa, but the
| clerk had talked him out Of 1t.
unusual. aid many times it had the aps
| pearance of the ridiculous. He generally
had an air Of mystery about him. and q
| clusion that he was suspicious of nearly
tact.
His Queer Cabin.
| His cabin was a veritable curiosity shop.
In It were found boxes and barrels, trunks.
papers. scrap iron. old books, magazines.
a,oyes srEs aSa IN sse
| little OF everything that can be lima.
gined. This plunder was piled about indis.
what PURPOSE Il was and Where
came from.
There was a large quantity Of mining
timbers stored in the earret Of the Ole
cabin, an Of them new and unused. and ths
the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad
side the track for T the "a use e Of % the brfds, S
builders Of that road. Ward certainly
could not have had any use for them. Tht
piunder found in the cabin. Men who hav'
made a partial inventory of the mass de
clare there is enough in the house to Loaf
More than the two deaths are attributes
TO Ward. and the ghastly discoveries o
the past few days have tended to confirm
many for several years. It is now be
told Of the death Of Frank Neuenfeldt.
eaVen We Working T hae IN Sesh cellar bae
OF Wards house two years ago. Neuenfeld
neen ssa ss WaSs sS5 eweS Wsfd @ 5Sr
Protests His Innocence.
j he nao Deen SET TO Work on the excaV0
| tions. and was working near a bank abou
fifteen feet high. Ward was the only oshe
person about the place at the time. War
said he heard the bank cave, and ran I
| the young mans. assistance. He said b
found Neuenfeldt covered with dirt. In de-
scribipg the matter afterwards. Ward sal
| the dirt was about a foot deep over tn
| young mans face. although his limbs wer
not covered to 80 great a depth. The youn
man lived a short time after the accident
who had been drawn to the cabin by tn
Since his arrest, Ward has firmly pre
tested his innocence bf the murder Of III
| Sheppard boys. and declares his confidenc
in the belief that they will yet turn up
some way and prove his innocence He ha
engaged the services of one Of the bes
criminal lawyers In the Northwest, and wi
make bitter fight for his life. The chic
grounds Of defense will be that the SheI
pard boys are still alive. and that one {
the brothers disappeared with some {
Wards money.
He is now in the lawrence COUNTY tai
and is exceedingly quiet. and has aske
that he be locked in his cell SO that
| may not be annoyed.