Lee Shepherd

b. October 1880, d. 1901
  • Lee Shepherd was born in October 1880.
  • Lee Shepherd appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1900 in Lead, Lawrence County, South Dakota, lodging in the household of drayman William Malkson.
  • He was a teamster, according to the 1900 census.
  • Lee Shepherd died in 1901.
  • He was interred at Mount Moriah Cemetery, Deadwood, Lawrence County, South Dakota.
  • The following appeared on 8 August 1901 in the Lead Daily Call: The Call has heretofore made little reference to the stories in circulation relative to W. H. Ward's connection with the disappearance of the two Shepherd boys of Pluma, because the charges made in such stories were so serious that they should not be made against any one without good evidence of being well grounded.
         Up to this time no substantial evidence has been unearthed either as to the whereabouts of the boys or word. Further there has been absolutely no proof that the parties are not all living today. This morning's Pioneer-Times contains an interview with Orman F. Ong of Pluma (uncle to the boys), a part of which is as follows:
         "I want to correct the impression that Harley Shepherd had ever been adopted by Ward," said Orman F. Ong of Pluma, uncle of the Shepherd boys, yesterday. "Harley lived with Ward four or five years, but he had not been adopted, as was reported in the papers a few days ago. Harley was the boy that Ward or 'Beecher' as he was called, professed such a fondness for. The boy is 18 years old. His mother lives in Pluma and his stepfather is Bert Scarborough. The boy used to have frequent petty quarrels and altercations with Ward, and ran away several times. Ward always appeared to be a good hearted, conscientious kind of a man, but of a very nervous temperament, and subject to frequent outbreaks. Harley's oldest brother, Lee, knew of the quarrels and he has scolded the boy time and again for remaining with Ward at all."
         Harley Shepherd went out on the B. & M. some time in May which seems to have worried Ward very much and caused him to continually talk with Lee Shepherd about getting his brother home and repeatedly stating that he (Ward) had $5,000 in cash for Harley when he came back. Early in July a letter purporting to be from his brother, Lee, was registered to him and told him to return at once or he would not get his money or find either Ward or his brothers as they expected to go to Hot Springs, Ark., for Ward's health. The boy came home and met Ward who appeared very affectionate and wanted the boy to go back and live with him, but he would not agree to it. Further Mr. Ong says:
         "The mother of the Shepherd boys and my wife had been talking for a while of going to Ward's house and searching for some clue to the boys. The morning after the meeting of Ward and Harley I was in Deadwood and when I got back I found that my wife was gone. I suspected that the women were looking through Ward's house, and I immediately began planning to keep him from knowing about it. I saw him coming in a little while and tried to stop him. I saw the women leaving his house in a little while, and I could not help but notice the way he acted. When I got to him he looked like a wild man. The two women had not found anything, however. Shortly after this, half dozen of us entered Ward's house by means of a skeleton key that I had procured. I had talked with the state's attorney about it and he said it would be all right. We found a trunk belonging to Kirk containing all his clothing. It also contained a new suit of clothes belonging to Lee. But there was no evidence of foul play. The next morning we went to the house again. Ward was there and we told him what we were after. He volunteered to show us all over the place. We looked through the garden and examined the ponds and water holes near the place, Ward going with us. Finally Ward said he had to go back and water his ducks. Jim Hunter, one of the party, was a little behind the rest of us and as Ward started back he stopped and talked with Hunter. He said, 'Hunter, I am glad you came with this party. You have always been an enemy of mine, and have always been cussing me, but now I want to ask you if you think I made away with those boys?' Hunter told him he could not tell anything about it. Ward then asked Hunter, 'What would happen to me if those boys' bodies were found on my premises?' It was then that Hunter told him he would be very promptly strung up.
         "In a little Harley came up to tell us that he had seen Ward going up a ravine near his house, and he believed he was watching us from a place of concealment. We went over that way in a little while, but could not find anything of him, and I think he kept on going. Probably what Hunter told him caused him to leave.
         "I would not pretend to say whether Ward had anything to do with the disappearance of the two boys or not. I do know that many of these stories going around about the man are false. He was erratic in many ways, but as far as I could ever learn he was honest and conscientious. There is notheing in the report about his being responsible for the death of the man killed in one of his tunnels a few years ago. There was a man killed in the tunnel, but Ward was not anywhere near him, and it was plain enough that it was purely accidental. There is some mystery as to where Ward got the money he claimed to be saving for Harley Shepherd. He said he got it from the sale of mining property at Bald Mountain, but would not say what ground it was or who bought it. I cannot find any record of such a deal, and I do not believe any man would pay $5,000 for mining property without putting it on record. I do know that Ward borrowed money to go to the Paris exposition last year. That was a year ago last month, and it has never been paid. It seems rather strange that a man would have five thousand dollars about his house and allow a mortgage on his place to go to foreclosure. Ward's house is worth anywhere from $600 to $1,000."
  • The following appeared on 19 August 1901 in the Lead Daily Call: Within thirty minutes after the searching party had found the remains supposed to be those of Lee Shepherd yesterday forenoon the Call had an extra on the street and by the time the coroner reached the scene there was a large number of newspaper men on the ground. The remains were found in the drain ditch which runs through W. H. Ward's garden above Pluma. The water had settled this ground down until nothing unusual would have been suspected but the searching party started to systematically search it by means of running an instrument into the ground. At this place the bar encountered something punky and when withdrawn the stench disclosed the fact. The body, which was only clad in underclothes, had apparently been dumped into the shallow hole with no further preparation. This improvised grave was 150 yards almost directly east of the cabin and not over sixteen feet from the road. Some brush had been carelessly strewn over the grave. Judging from the color of the hair and the general proportions of the body it is supposed to be that of Lee Shepherd who at the time of his disappearance, June 30, was 20 years of age.
         The other brother, Kirk, was 16 years of age and disappeared June 9th. The living brother, Harley, is 18 years of age and is at work in the Sam mine.
         The remains were taken to Deadwood where an inquest is being held this afternoon.
         W. H. Ward (Beecher) who is suspected of having made away with these boys, is a man perhaps 45 years of age, black hair slightly streaked with gray. Dark gray mustache, brown eyes, having an individuality that could not be mistaken by any one knowing him.
         On July 4th he is known to have washed dishes at Deadwood eating counter and at the time is said to have had $400 in his cabin above Pluma.
         He quit his ranch on July 10 when a member of the searching told him that he would be hung if the boys' bodies were found on his premises. Two days later he was seen at the Elkhorn tunnel below Deadwood. About three weeks ago he was seen by W. A. Zink in the southern hills, and is said to have visited his brother, Gene, who was working aat the Union shaft during the latter part of July and to have fainted while talking over the matter.
         Lee Shepherd drove team for A. J. Johnson for upward of a year and was highly regarded by Mr. Johnson. During his stay his brother, Harley, who was then living with Ward, came up and asked Johnson for work and took charge of the delivery and after being here a week he was visited by Ward, who after long persuasion, induced him, Harley, to go back. Ward stepped onto the sidewalk and fell in a faint, when he had been taken into the store he said to Johnson, "I wish you wouldn't try to get that boy away from me. I am going to educate him and take him to the world's fair. I like him just as you would like a girl."
         Julius Rebsaman of this city was interested with Ward in some mining property and says that about two months ago Ward told him that he would be unable to do his assessment work as one of his boys had left him.
         Early this summer Ward applied to Walter McKay through Marshal Harris for a loan of $400 on his ranch which he did not receive. This would tend to disprove the theory of his having so much money at his cabin.
         There has been no record found of any mining sale or any other deal which would give him any amount of money. Parties who went through his cabin say it is filled with a conglomeration of material which indicates insanity of some form.
         Eugene Ward, a brother of "Beecher," was arrested today, charged with having knowledge of his brother's whereabouts. It is said that after W. H. Ward disappeared Eugene and his family moved into his house.
  • Last Edited: 29 Dec 2015