New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-30
Soldiers w ife
Slashed, M a N
Nearly Lyncl,ed
Crazed by Woman's Indiffer-
ence to His Love, Says
Prisoner i'm the Hospital

The unrcquited love that Paul Ward,
forty-nine years old, bore for Mrs
Mary Thompson, twenty-four. known
among her friends as "Thc Belle of
Greenwich Village" and wife of a
soldier away in service, flarcd up into
tragedy in front of the young woman's
home, at SO BAN. Street, Yesterday
afternoon.
Last night Mrs. Thompson lay dying
in St. Vincent's Hospital, her face ter
ribly sashed by her frenzied admirer,
and dozen knift wounds in her body.
In Bellevue. Hospital Ward, his skull
shattered and his body bruised and
broken from the attack of a mob that
tried to lynch him, told his story to
the police
"Her indifference to my love drove
me insane," detectives quote him as
saying. Il resolved that she should
be made to suffer as she made me
suffer"
Ward carried out his resolution in
the presence of dozen witnesses, as
tiiC yVUiS HOi.du iSlt NSI uOIIt. ilOIC
than usually attractive in her Sunday
best"
Those who saw the attack told the
police that Ward, who had been walk
ing nervously up and down the street
in front of Mrs. Thompson's dwelling,
rushed up to her and shouted:
You've turned lie oow.l once 100
often. Tell me now-~once for all-are
you going TO return my love or send me
away again %
For months past, according to Mrs.
Thompson's mother, the girl has been
annoyed by the attentions Of Ward.
Yesterday her temper got the best Of
her Her face became scarlet and she
spoke to the man in q low, angry tone.
Those who stood about could not hear
what she said.
They saw. however, according to the
police. Ward take a step back from the
INDIGNANT woman and then, drawing g
pocket knife, fly at her, grasp her by
the bacl. of her neck, 'and plunge the
blade of the weapon into her face.
While the crowd stood about, CON
fused by the woman's shrieks and the
terrible swiftness of her asseilant,
Ward is said to have transferred his.
attack from her face to her body.
Physicians found deep wounds in her
neck and others in her abdomen.
Then the crowd recovered it's senses
and made for him. Ward fought like
2 trapped wildcat, stabbing madly with
his knife, kicking biting and scratch
ing. Some one knocked his weapon
from his hand. Some one else struck
him blow that brought him to his
knees beside the body Of the woman. a
kick stretched him beside her.
The mob began an attempt to tramplc
the man into the pavement. Men kicked
him; women plunged hatpins into his
body. Some one raised cry OF
"String him to lamp post." and a
dozen hands were carrying the uncon-
scious form toward the nearest one
when the police intervened, plunged
into the pack with drawn revolvers and
drove them back.
In St. Vincents Hospital it was said
that it was improbable that the woman
would live through the night. Ward re-
gained consciousness and, according to
the police, made a statement, which
follows III part:
"She spurned me so often that |
made up my mind shed nave to re-
ciprocate my love or take the conse-
quenccs of trhing with my affections.
! waited in front of her house since
8 o'clock Sunday morning. Many times
| heard the door open and expected
her to come out, but she did not. When
she did come I asked her point blank
if she would return my love, and when
she said NO | stabbed her"
The dying woman's mother, with
whom she lived, said that her daughter
had met Ward in September and that
he had been annoying her continually
since that time.