The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-04-03
LIEUTENANT WARD RESIGNS.
Rfsked Life anu Honor During the
War With Spain. rs n Spy-His
Career Was Brilliant.

that Admiral Crowinshield and Lieu.
tenant Henry Heber Ward, Of the
United States navy, had jointly tend
cred their RESERVATIONS occasioned wide
spread interest. Crowinshield had fig
ured prominently in the Sampson
lSchley dispute, and his retirement was
mot very generally regretted. But the
case was different with Lieutenant
Ward. Ward a served for years with
IC~rowinshield, and was reputed in the
navy to be the only man who could get
IalOng with his testy superior, to whom
he rendered invaluable assistance dur
ling his incumbency of the chief post
iin the bureau of navigation. Since
then Ward has been Crowinshield's
flag lieutenant.
1t is said that Ward prepared the
case against Admiral Schley. To Ward
lis credited many of the arrangements
(which, in the war with Spain, resulted
i'm brilliant naval successes for the
american fleet. But most important of
all the achievements ascribed to this
clever officer is his work as a spy in
Spain during the hostilities with that
kingdom. He was hen only five ears
out of the Naval Academy, and not
more than 80 years of age; he had
never smelled powder in actual battle,
land he had everything to look forward
to in his profession. The work of q
spy is not what man officers of the
tnavv would care to undertake. or, un-
Idertaking would carry through sue
lc~esSfully. Ward. hen an ensign. risked
CAPTURE. and capture meant hanging.
He was not captured, and, thanks to
his intelligence and skill. he kept his
n1,---,V,r,,- ocaIrTo |alv ,DoCrpl nc tn the
movements of the Spanish fleet and the
ipIans of the Spanish military author
titles, at a time when practically all he
rest OF the world found It impossible
to obtain this information.
KEPT Us WE'LL POSTED.
It was this channel Of c0mmunica-
.tion which enabled u government to
.forastall many or Spain's best plan
ned enterprises. And vet so we'll was
the secret guarded, that wen today,
there are few who know exactly how
Ward did his dangerous work. The
story has pust been printed in 4 New
York paper. according to which Ward
developed his plan to C~rOWinshield 4
Ishort time after the blowing up Of the
Maine. and it was between these two
Officers that the risky mission to the
.enemy's country was projected and car
.ried out.
The navy department grew interested
as the details of young Wards scheme
for obtaining accurate and early in
formation were told. II at last every
thing was arranged. Ward disappear
ed. The Armv and Navy Club and the
bureau of navigation knew him no
more. Simultaneously there appeared
lin the naval orders an obscure para
graph: Ensign II. II. Ward, detailed
no lighthouse inspection on the At
!lantic coast" Nobody thought any
thing more about it. Not even his fam
lily knew where he lac zone.
All they We're allowed to know was
that he was on some secret mission.
lTheir letters to him were Sent to the
navy department. opened. read n for
Iwarded IN the hope of catching Ward.
His letters to them were sent the same
wav through the navy department.
IOnlv the secretary of the navy and AG-
imiraI Crowinshield really knew what
Ward was doing.
All this time the intrepid young en-
sign was in Montreal. convincing the
authorities there that he vas Mr.. Hop
Ikins. a British subject. who was going
Ito take a cruise In southern waters
Iaboard his steam yacht. He needed
passports. So in due season there was
delivered to him q document emblazon-
ed with the British N and setting
forth in formal verbiage how Mr.. Hop
Ikins. the bearer. was n loyal subject of
her Majesty. Queen Victoria, n call
ing upOn all people to give him safe
conduct wherever he might be. The
bold signature. "Saulsbury.' ended the
formidable document, fully two feet
long.
Wards credit at his bankers in Mon
Itreal was unlimited. and he had money
orders for big sums good anywhere in
the world. even in Spain. The next
heard of Mr.. Hopkins" was when he
was in Cadiz, Spain, and war was on
with the United states. Mr.. Hopkins
twas aboard a smart, swift. Whlte-palnt
ed yacht which f1oated the British en-
tsign. There was a crew of twenty-five
husky British seamen aboar and a
skipper who could give even the ruler
!Of the Queens navee cards and spades
lon how to handle a yacht.
HIS SECRET CODE.
Now comes the time to tell Of the
tsecret code by which Mr.. Hopkins
was able to reach Washington. d. G.
from any port in Spain by kilograms
written in plain English. Of course with
WAR on people weren't allowed to SEND
lcipher dispatches. All this the clever
Iensign had provided for in advance,
with his superfors in Washington he
had arranged a map of every port along
1.-THE Mediterranean and everywhere else
,that a Spanish fleet might go. To each
port was given 4 pain AnSlo-SdAoi
tname-Smith. Brown. Jones, Robinson
White. Black. Green Grey-the list rar
Iup into the hundreds. The great object
Iof it all was TO keep Washington in
formed as TO the strength of the Span
Iisn flee. in battleships and torpedo
boats. and its w~hereabouts SO every
thing was arranged on the basis of a
commercial dispatch to n firm of Liver
pool stock brokers. ordering certain
transactions in shares. Wards code
WAS a simple one. To sell in the STOCK
message to Liverpool. meant to sail
to buy. in the message. really meant
Ito arrive" All messages he sent or
ldered the sale CT purchase of stocks 10
l~certain individuals at certain prices. In
the ode ciphers meant nothing. All IN
,~tegraI figures mean ba~ttleships. Ihe
inumerators of fractions meant torpedo
boats OF course. the firm in Liverpooi
is nameiess. as it always shall be. Ii
Faithfully translated every message II
I-aoo;yaS and sent If along hnt of that,