The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1901-11-14
ii I'm and Hbcut the State.
PIONEER GOES TO PRISON.
William III. Ward, Dakota settler,
Convicted Of Murder.

Convicted OF Murder.
The doors OF the Sioux Falls peniten-
tiary will soon close behind William III.
Ward, wealthy pioneer resident OF
the western part of the state, who has
just been found guilty; of murder.
He was found guilty of the murder of
Lee Shepherd, a young man aged TWEEN
ty-one years. A brother of the young
man, named Kirkwood, aged fifteen,
disar reared Mt about the same time as
did Lee, and Ward is supposed TO have
murdered him and concealed the body.
The mystery surrounding the disap-
pearance OF the boy will probably new
err be solved unless Ward confesses.
Ware had been prominent in the
business affairs of the Black Hills, and
for a long time the missing boys lived
with him. Another brother, Harley
Shepherd, was also for some time
companion Of Ward, who took him on
a trip to Europe.
Lee Shepherd disappeared on June 80
last. He was last seen with Ward by
several persons. Inquiries were direct
ed towards Ward, who felt 1t incum-
bent upon him to explain. He told sew
eral conflicting stories.
II was shown at Wards trial that
letter purporting to be from Lee Shep-
herd, written from Hot Springs, in
which the writer said he was sick; that
he had the $4,000 which he had taken
from Ward. and that as soon as he re-
oyered he would bring the money
back, was a forgery.
The search for the remains OF the
boys was commenced on July II, at
Wards home. This search failed. At
a later date the search was continued,
ana Ward stationed himself at a point
| where he could observe all that vas
going on.
The evidence at Wards trial showed
that q ditch had been dug across the
lower end of the garden three or four
years ago by Ward and brother OF
the missing boys During last spring
or in the early summer, Ward and
Harley Shepherd cut some brush near
the ditch and left 1t on the ground.
That was about the last week in May.
Afterwards the garden was plowed
and planted The last work done for
Ward by Harley Shepherd was the
planting of this garden, some five or
six days after cutting the brush, the
ditch at that time being open its entire
lengh.
The search for the remains of the
missing boy were kept up spasmodical-
| ly for four of five weeks-in fact, until
Aug Is. On that day a searching par
ty came upon a pile of brush in the
drainage ditch.
They dug down and found a human
body. 1t could not be identified by the
features, but from the hair, teeth and
garments 1t was proven to be the body
of Lee Shepherd.
The mother of the boy had said that
the wristbands OF the overshirt had
been made originally with buttonhole
on each side of each band, for the use
of sleeve buttons, and she had sewed
up a buttonhole on each band and
sewed a button over 1T. The mother
also asserted that there would be
patch on the breast of the overshirt,
where a hole had been worn through
| the original cloth by suspender buck
| lie. The patch was found, and 1t cor
responded to a piece of cloth that the
mother produced from which she had
cut 1t.
1t was shown that Ward went to a
drug store in Deadwood at different
| times and purchased three poisonous
| drugs, they being choral. ladanum and
| chloroform, and afterwards went back
and purchased chloroform again. The
skull of the body was removed from the
grave in the cemetery where it had
been inferred. and an examination
showed fracture Of the left temple,
evidently caused by a bullet, with an
exit in the back of the head.
Harley Shepherd testified that Ward
had pleaded with him to leave the
country, and thus save him from hang
ing that he wanted him to go to Col
orado and write to him through GER
tain trusted friend at Deadwood.
" L.