Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-10
RETURN TO NEW YORK
WILL FERD. WARD, WHO RUINED
GEN. ULYSSES s. GRANT.
To Live, He Says, With Son, Who
Derived Large Estate From
Latter's Mother.

NEW YORK, November 10.-The Sun to-
day prints the following:
Ferdinand Ward, who ruined Gen. Ulysses
s. Grant and caused the great Wall street
crash of 1884, is coming back to New York
to live.
Since he got out of Sing Sing prison in
1892 Ward has been trying to get the Gus
tcdy Of his son Clarence. now nineteen
years old. The relatives of the boys moth
err, the first Mrs. Ward, successfully fought
his efforts. For more than a year Ward did
not know where the boy was. He has now
located him at Princeton. where the boy is
in his second year.
Ferdinand Ward was in New York last
week making arrangements to move here
from GeneSeo, n. Y, and he told friend
that he and his son had come to an under
standing and that the boy now wanted to
live with him. Ward has given up his place
as a clerk in the surrogateS office at Gene
sec to take up a residence here with his
son.
Wards First Wife.
The first Mrs. Ward was Miss Ella Greene,
who, at the time of her marriage, lived at
81 Monroe place, Brooklyn. Her father was
a bank cashier. When Ward was sentenced
to ten years in Sing Sing, as result of his
financial recklessness which brought failure
to the Marine Bank, and left the firm of
Grant & Ward owing $14OOO,0O0, Mrs. Ward
saved part of her personal fortune. Dying.
she left an estate Of $4,000 to her son. Her
brother Frederick D. Greene of Thompson,
Conn.,, was appointed guardian OF the boy,
who was only six years old
The estate was put in the care of the
Franklin Trust Company of Brooklyn. The
cost of young Wards maintenance has been
light, as he lived with his uncle until he
went to Princeton, and in consequence the
act 10 hos tl,S "a. H.
is now between $125OO0 and $4,000.
Married Second Time.
Two years after Ward got out of Sing
Sing he married a second time. The bride
was Miss Belle Storer of Richmond Valley,
Staten Island. The ceremony took place at
Wards home in Geneseo. Ward was then
working in New York as solicitor for a
printer and stationer. He made fair iiv-
ing by getting orders from his former as
scciates in Wall street, who were willing to
forget his singular operations as the direct
ing genius of the wonderful firm of Grant &
Ward. But he could not stand such dull
life in New York, SO close to the theater
of his spectacular movements ten years
before. He went back to Geneseo, where he
made his first living setting type.
Friends whom he had entertained so law
1shly in the days of his wealth interceded
to get him place transcribng records in
the surrogate'S office. He got only 81 so a
day. The second Mrs Ward seemed quite
content to share his poverty, and did her
own homework. Occasionally Ward seemed
to have quantity of money for short
period. He generally spent it quickly. No
one knew just where it came from.
Attempt to Kidnap Boy.
Meanwhile from time to time he made
an effort to get his son. In September, 1894,
an attempt was made to kidnap the boy
Private detectives" who said they were
engaged by Ward, seized him as he was on
his way to school at Thompson, Conn, one
morning Clarence had been instructed
what to do in such an event. for his uncle
had expected Ward to take some such step
to get the child. Young Ward screamed
Justify. His cousin saw the men grab the
boy and gave an alarm and the detectives
were overtaken and the boy was recovered
Again in October, 1894 he tried to get
the custody of Clarence through a civil
action but lost it. He tried again in Decem-
Der. 1896, but the courts refused to recos-
nize his claim.
By the terms of the will under which
Clarence inherited his mothers fortune he
can use only the interest up to the time he
is twenty-five years old, when the principal
Is to be delivered to him. In case of the
boys death the will directs that half of
the estate be paid to Ferdinand Ward
Ward in Prime of Life.
Mr.. and Mrs Ward camn 70 Now vorl,