HUGH C. WARD DIES
IN NEW YORK CITY.
APOPLEXY FOLLOWED HEAT
PROSTRATION A MONTH AGO.
Mrs. Ward and Judge PHilips at His
Bedside -- With Family Was
Spending Summer at Bass
Rooks Point, Mass.
HUGH C. WARD.
Hugh C. Ward, one of the most prominent attorneys of Kansas City, and a member of a pioneer family of Western Missouri, died from a stroke of apoplexy in New York yesterday morning.
An attack of heat prostration which he suffered in Chicago a month ago was one of the causes which led up to the death of Mr. Ward. He had never fully recovered from this attack, although his condition had improved sufficiently to permit him to continue his journey to New York, accompanied by his wife. With Mr. Ward at his death were Mrs. Ward, Judge John F. Philips and several relatives.
WESTERN TRIP FATAL.
Mr. Ward had taken a cottage for the summer at Bass Rocks Point, near Gloucester, Mass., and he left for that place in June with Mrs. Ward and their four children. Business matters required the presence of Mr. Ward in Kansas City and he came home for a few days in July. He left again for his summer home on July 13, but became ill as a result of becoming overheated in Chicago.
Mrs. Ward was called to his bedside by telegraph, and after a week his physician pronounced him able to travel. Mrs. Ward and her mother, Mrs. J. C. James, started for the East with Mr. Ward, but it was found necessary to make a stop in New York where Mr. Ward was taken to a hospital and given the attention of some of the best specialists of the city.
SUDDEN CHANGE FOR THE WORSE.
His improvement was slow, but a telegram from Mrs. Ward to her father, J. C. James, on Tuesday announced that he was much better. A sudden change occurred, however, and at 4 o'clock Saturday afternoon Mr. James received a message that Mr. Ward had grown much worse. Mr. James left at once for New York.
The announcement of the death of Mr. Ward came in a telegram from L. T. James, Mrs. Ward's uncle, who landed in New York yesterday morning from a European trip.
The funeral services and interment will occur in Kansas City, the details for these to be arranged as soon as Mr. James reaches New york.
In addition to his wife and the children, Hugh Campbell, Jr., James Crawford, Francis and John Harris, Mr. Ward is survived by his mother, the widow of Seth E. Ward, and his brother, John E. Ward.
LEGISLATION AND POLITICS.
Hugh C. Ward was born March 10, 1864 at Westport. His parents were Seth and Mary Frances Ward. Hugh was reared on the farm and received his elementary education at a private school in Westport and his collegiate education at William Jewell Collete, Liberty, Mo., and at Harvard University. He was graduated with honors from Harvard, a bachelor of arts, in 1886. He then entered the St. Louis Law School and in June, 1888, received his diploma. He then was admitted to the bar in Kansas City.
In recognition of his ability as a lawyer came in 1894 his appointment as receiver for the John J. Mastin & Co., banking business, on dissolution of partnership. The property involved consisted mostly of real estate, and amounted to more than $3,000,000.
Aside from his profession Mr. Ward was known in business circles as a director of the National Bank of Commerce, Commerce Trust Company, Kansas City Railway and Light Company, and of the Kansas City Home Telephone Company.
He was long influential in Democratic circles, and in 1892 was elected to the state legislature where he did much work in connection with constructive measures.
In case preparation Mr. Ward was known as thorough and exhaustive, and in presentation before a judge or jury clear and vigorous in expression, and intensely earnest.
As a politician he was equally successful and well known. In the legislature in 1892 besides being made vice chairman of the judiciary committee, he was appointed chairman of the committtee on conditional amendments.
In 1898 he was appoointed police commissioner by Governor Stephens, who also made Mr. Ward a member of his staff, and placed in his hands the organization of the Missouri National Guard. He resigned as police commissionier and retired from politics in 1902.
SOCIAL AND PERSONAL SIDE.
Mr. Ward was a member of the Society of Colonial Wars, deriving his eligibility through the lineal descent from Seth Ward, a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. H e was also a member of the Elks lodge, the Country Club, the Commercial Club, the Harvard Club of the Southwest and the American Bar Association.
Mr. Ward was married October 26, 1898, to Miss Vassie James, a graduate of Vassar college and a daughter of J. Crawford James.
One of Mr. Ward's last acts was to give $25,000 to the Young Women's Christian Association of Kansas City.
