Glasgow Courier. — 1857-03-19 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

OUL 'MURDER.  On the evening of the 3d of February, Mrs. Ward, wife of Return J. M. Ward, in Sylvania, disappeared in a very mysterious manner. The ensuing morning her husband visited Mr. Allen's grocery in the village, and informed hint that he and his wife were going away, and desired Mr. Allen to tell those who might wish to see him that be had left the place. On the Thursday following Ward again visited the grocery and had another conversation with Mr. Allen. He this time said that his wife had left him again. She had once, in consequence, as it is believed, of ill-treatment, left him for a brief period. Allen asked him, When did she leave" Ward replied, 'On Tuesday night last. She took the cars here saying that she was going to California.' Ward made this statement to a number of the citizens, and it was so much at variance with his previous statement at Allen's, that suspicions of foul play were immediately excited. Thesesuspicions were farthered by other circumstances, and it was deter mined that the affair should be thoroughly sifted. Ward was arrested and examined before Mr. Justice Clark. It was proved at the examination that Ward's last statement at Allen's was untrue, but the evidence was not sufficient to warrant the justice in committing him. Some of the citizens, however, were by no means satisfied of Ward's innocence, and they endeavoured te still more thoroughly solve the singular affair. They thoroughly searched Ward's premises, and found most indubitable evidence that the woman had been foully murdered, and that her body bad been burnt in her own house. In a pile of ashes near the house, human bones were found, —an upper jaw, almost entire, and pieces of a skull. Two finger-rings were also found, which were recognised as those worn by Mrs. Ward. The citizens who made the search found abundant evidence, as they thought, that the effects of Mrs. Ward bad been all burnt. The lock of her trunk, pieces of dresses, hooks and eyes, and other articles were found. The citizens searched farther. The bedclothes in the house had the appearance of having been recently washed. On opening the bolster and bed the feathers were found covered with blood. Blood was also found on a mat in the upper part of the house. A minute search revealed traces of blood in other parts of the house. Whether the woman had been stabbed or shot they could not tell, but that she had been foully murdered and her corpse burnt they were satisfied, and at once proceeded to cause the second arrest of Ward. He was arrested and again examined before Mr. Justice Clark, and was committed to the jail in this city to await trial before the next terns of the Court of Common Pleas for murder in the first degree. During Ward's trial the justice's office was crowded to suffocation, and the excitement is tremendous throughout the township. Ward is a tailor by trade. He has been married three times. He married the deceased in Adrian some tiine last summer, and carried her to Sylvania. We are told they did not live together pleasantly. Once, as before stated, the woman temporarily left him, in consequence. it was supposed, of bad treatment. Ward is about 40 years old, of medium height, thickset, and florid-faced, and his head is somewhat bald. We saw him in jail yesterday; he was lying on a rough bench, apparently in a deep sleep.—Toronto Commercial.