Jesse Ray Ward

Jesse Ray Ward
United States Marshals Service
Nickname	J. Ray
Place of birth	Utah
Years of service	1921 - 1928

Jesse Ray "J. Ray" Ward (1886 – April 15, 1928) was a United States Marshal in the closing years of the Old West period. He was a Mormon who lived in southern Utah and was involved in the Posey War of 1923.

Biography

Ward was born in Utah in 1886, then part of the American frontier. He was appointed Marshal of Utah in 1921 after serving as commissioner of public safety in Ogden. In February of 1923, two young Ute natives robbed a ranch at Cahone Mesa, Utah. The two boys later surrendered to the local sheriff at Blanding but on the first day of their trial, March 20, an incident arose which escalated into the so called Posey War, the last Indian uprising in American history. The Ute boys fled Blanding with the help of their chief, an old man named Posey, who led his people to Comb Ridge. During the ensuing battle and the days immediately afterward, Posey was wounded and his band was captured by a posse. Chief Posey escaped though, but he died a few days later from his wounds. Marshal Ward was the one Governor Charles Mabey sent to identify Posey's remains when it was found in Comb Wash. Ward buried the chief's body and tried to hide the grave but local settlers exhumed Posey's body at least twice in order to take pictures with it.^[1]

Marshal Ward died at the age of forty-two on April 15, 1928. While driving an automobile to West Jordan from Bingham, Ward crashed his car at a turn in the road near 4000 West and Old Bingham Highway. Ward's vehicle left the road, struck a utility pole and turned over. Ward died instantly from injuries to his head and chest. He left a wife and four children and is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery. A bronze name plaque was later created for his memory, sponsored by Ellis and Katie Ivory.^[2][3]

References

1. ^ http://historytogo.utah.gov/people/ethnic_cultures/the_history_of_utahs_american_indians/chapter6.html
2. ^ http://www.odmp.org/officer/18610-marshal-j-ray-ward
3. ^ http://www.utahsfallen.org/archives/753