Some Kentucky Lawyers of the Past and Present, for me; I am unwilling to part with an acre of its land or a leaf of its history." It is to his lasting honor, however, that, although an intense Union man during the War, when it was over and he was in Congress, he fought bitterly the reconstruction measures. He was for years one of the most popular speakers and ablest lawyers of northern Kentucky. In 1863, when the powers at Washington ordered the bayonets to take charge of the ballot box in Kentucky, Judge Ward de nounced it as an un pardonable outrage upon popular liberty, announced himself as a candidate for the legislature, in oppo sition to the military rule, just eight days before the election, and defeated his op ponent. In 1865 he was nominated for the Thirty-ninth Congress in a Democratic con ANDREW vention on the first ballot over such dis tinguished competi tors as John G. Car lisle, Col. -Thomas L. Jones, Judge William K. Arthur, Dr. Chambers of Gallatin County and Judge Hogan of Grant County. At the end of his term in Congress he retired from political life and has since devoted himself to his profession. One of his most noted cases was T. J. Megibbon v. Edwin Bed ford. The suit was about some fine cattle, and was popularly styled, " The case of Megibbon, Bedford and the Bull." During the trial many witty and humorous things were said by Judge Ward and John B. Hous ton, the opposing lawyer, which kept the court and audience convulsed with laughter and are still quoted and enjoyed.
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In 1884, Judge Ward had a very interest ing case in North Dakota to defend — twentyfour indictments for murder. Two men had been killed in a controversy between preemptioners and claim jumpers, and there were two indictments each against twelve men for the killing. Only one of the cases was tried, which resulted in an acquittal, and the others were dismissed. Judge Ward's associates in these cases were the most distinguished lawyers of the Northwest; no tably Governor Davis of St. Paul (now United States sena tor); Messrs. Barrett and Irving of St. Paul (Judge Ward, who was a friend and ad mirer of the great Kentucky orator, Thos. F. Marshall, called Mr. Irving, " the Tom Marshall of the West"); Mr. Wel lington of Iowa, and Noyes and Hamilton H. WARD. of Grand Forks. When starting for Da kota, Judge Ward, with the idea that he was going to the border of civilization, bought fifty dollars' worth of law books and took the heavy load with him, only to find on his arrival the most magnificent law library he had ever seen, and delightful people, among whom were many ex-Kentuckians. A case which gave Judge Ward great pleasure to win was the prosecution of a suit against three prominent citizens for tearing down a house which had been abandoned as a schoolhouse, and in which a poor family had taken refuge. The children were numerous and worse than fatherless, for the father was a drunkard. The eldest
