An Amazing Career.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7888, 2 August 1905, Page 4

An Amazing Career.

Another chapter has l.ecn added to the extraordinary career of Williim iVard as an impersonator. Ward, .vho was arrested in Kast London in an accusation of obtaining iom-K-nsation (or posing as an injured workman, is the man who once, pietending to be a warder, t-.0,'; a .lartkd pedestrian in custody, ind led him through the West Kmi handcuffed. On that occasion he ltd his unlucky victim about for s,-'eial lours, had drinks with !.nn, and showed him to a real poKrt oriiiUi, from whom he sought a luan. In the end the "prisoner" was .i"andon•■d in a side street. Anotlier of Ward's exploits was still more amazing. Rrpresenting himself to be the neplrew of the chief warder at Pentonvillc, and producing documentary confirmation ol his statements, he actually succeeded in ribtaining an appointment as assistant warder in a London prison. He men attended a certain police court, ami ?>ing into tlie witness-hox "proved" previous convictions against a defen-

dant. The latter strenuously .protested liis innocence of ihc.se, but it was inot until some wveKs later that inqfuiry established the truth of his contention. At the time of the murder of Pol-ice-Consta'ble Thompson, of the 11. Division, in the Commercial road, London, on November 30, 1900, Ward came forward and made a stateme:.t that he saw the deed committed. He afterwards admitted that this was not true.

The present charge against Ward is a curious one. A man named Sneller, employed by Messrs Clark, Williams, ami Co., of Grenade st., Limchouse, was injured at the docks, and there was a question of compensation to itic paid to him. Mr Stanton, the firm's cashier, lud an interview of the subject, with Sneller, at the Conn-aught road Hospital. It was alter vhis, said the police, that Ward called on Mr Sainton. Asked "Is your name he replied, "Yes." He represented that he had been working on the quay-side, and described the accident. He said he had had a broken leg, ami added that, owing to illness, his iappearance had altered. He also stated that he saw Mr Stanton in the hospital. As what he said agreed in every detail with the circumstances of the cashier's visit to i ,iwler, the amount of compensation was discussed, and eventually he agreed to take £2O, which was paid him. When Sergeant Kustace arrest. Ward subsequently, the prisoner is stated to have said : "Yes, that's right. It's me. I want to get it over." The magistrate told w-aid who Wanted the case settled at once that he would have to go for trial, and then ordered him to be remanded.