richard (r.d.) ware
1868-1929
Life Story
Farmer, Father, and a Life Marked by Courage and Mystery
Richard David (R.D.) Ware lived a life that embodied both the promise and the hardships of the post-Reconstruction South. Born only a few years after the Civil War, he belonged to the first generation of African Americans to build lives entirely outside of slavery. Through perseverance and hard work, he established himself as a respected farmer in Newton County, Mississippi, raised a large family, and earned the confidence of his neighbors. Yet his life would also become intertwined with one of the county’s most compelling legal cases and conclude with an unexplained death that remains one of the enduring mysteries of his family’s history.
Early Life and Family
Richard David Ware was born in November 1868 in Mississippi to Anderson Ware and Mary Ann McFarland Ware. His childhood unfolded during Reconstruction, a period of enormous change as formerly enslaved families worked to establish homes, educate their children, and pursue economic independence despite the emergence of Jim Crow laws that would increasingly restrict their opportunities.
Unlike many African Americans born during this period, Richard learned to read and write, reflecting both personal determination and the importance his family placed upon education.
Around 1888, at approximately twenty years of age, Richard married Laura Cooper Ware. Together they established their home in Beat 4 of Newton County, where they began building both a family and a farming operation.
By 1900, Richard and Laura were renting a farm while raising six children—Arthur, Horace, Ardee, Richard, Jr., Addie, and infant Ruby. Richard supported the household through farming, an occupation governed by the seasonal rhythms of planting and harvest. Like many farmers, his employment varied throughout the year, but his family steadily grew and prospered.
By 1910, the Wares had moved to another rented farm in the same community. Their youngest daughter, Lettie, had joined the household, and all of the school-aged children were receiving an education. Richard and Laura had created a stable home during an era when many Black farming families struggled simply to survive.
The Tragedy of 1917
The peaceful rhythm of family life was shattered during the summer of 1917.
According to contemporary newspaper accounts and the petition later submitted to Governor Theodore G. Bilbo, James Marshall, a young man employed at the local oil mill who had lived with the Ware family “almost as one of the family,” was accused of sexually assaulting—or, in the language commonly used at the time, “violating the chastity” of one of Richard and Laura Ware’s daughters.
The accusation devastated the Ware household.
On a Friday evening in August 1917, Richard confronted Marshall on a public highway west of Newton. Carrying a double-barreled shotgun, he shot and killed him.
Rather than attempting to flee, Richard voluntarily surrendered the following morning to Justice of the Peace Powe. He openly admitted responsibility for the shooting, maintaining that he had acted to defend the honor of his daughter and protect his family.
Marshall’s body remained beside the road until the following morning, when Constable Hull arranged for its removal and burial. Richard was instructed to surrender to the sheriff in Decatur, where criminal proceedings formally began.
Justice and Mercy
When the Newton County Circuit Court convened later that month, Richard initially pleaded not guilty to murder. On August 25, 1917, however, he accepted responsibility by pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
The court sentenced him to the statutory minimum punishment of two years in the Mississippi State Penitentiary.
The conviction, however, did not end the story.
Citizens from throughout Newton County quickly organized a petition requesting executive clemency. Addressed to the Mississippi Board of Pardons and Governor Theodore G. Bilbo, the petition described Richard as a man of “good reputation for honesty, peaceableness and general well doing.” Those who signed believed the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the death of James Marshall distinguished Richard from ordinary criminal defendants. The petition further argued that had Richard been a white man, he likely would never have been indicted or convicted, reflecting local perceptions of the racial inequities that characterized Mississippi’s criminal justice system during the Jim Crow era.
Governor Bilbo agreed.
In October 1917, only a few months after entering prison, Richard received a full gubernatorial pardon and returned home to his family.
Rebuilding a Life
Richard resumed farming almost immediately after his release.
The following year, in October 1918, he purchased $500 in Fourth Liberty Loan Bonds, supporting the nation’s World War I effort while demonstrating a remarkable degree of financial stability. At a time when $500 represented a substantial investment, the purchase reflected the success Richard had achieved despite the hardships of the previous year.
By 1920, Richard and Laura—recorded in the census as Lena—had accomplished what many Black farmers only dreamed of achieving. They owned their farm on the Newton and Hillsboro Crossing Road free of mortgage, providing their family with a level of economic security uncommon in rural Mississippi during the Jim Crow era.
Living with them was their youngest daughter, Lettie Ann, along with a small child named William Marshall, whom the census identified as Richard and Laura’s grandson.
William’s presence raises one of the unresolved questions surrounding the Ware family. Because he bore the surname Marshall—the same surname as James Marshall—it is tempting to speculate that he may have been connected to the events of 1917. However, no surviving records identify William’s parents, and the 1920 census records him as one year old, a chronology that does not perfectly align with the known timeline of the earlier tragedy. Since census ages were not always recorded accurately, the possibility cannot be dismissed, but neither can it be confirmed. Until additional documentation emerges, any relationship between William Marshall and James Marshall remains an intriguing but unproven hypothesis.
On July 20, 1927, Laura died, leaving Richard a widower.
Richard Ware’s Final Days
The closing chapter of Richard Ware’s life is unlike any other in the family’s history.
According to his death certificate, Richard became seriously ill on March 24, 1929. Dr. J. Stennis attended him that day and last saw him alive before his condition rapidly deteriorated. Three days later, on March 27, 1929, Richard died at approximately sixty years of age in Newton County.
At first glance, the death certificate simply listed the cause of death as poison.
Recognizing that Richard’s death appeared suspicious, Dr. Stennis performed an autopsy—an uncommon procedure in rural Mississippi during the 1920s. During the examination, Richard’s stomach was removed and forwarded to the Mississippi State Chemist for toxicological analysis in an effort to determine precisely what had caused his death.
The laboratory examination revealed the presence of strychnine.
Strychnine is an extremely poisonous alkaloid derived from the seeds of the Strychnos nux-vomica tree. During the early twentieth century it was commonly sold as a pesticide for killing rats, moles, and other agricultural pests. Although occasionally prescribed in minute medicinal doses, larger amounts attack the central nervous system, producing violent muscle spasms, painful convulsions, rigid arching of the body, difficulty breathing, and ultimately death from respiratory failure. Victims often remained conscious throughout much of the poisoning, making strychnine one of the most agonizing poisons known.
Following the laboratory findings, the Mississippi State Board of Health requested additional information from Dr. Stennis. In his written reply, he stated that Richard had received “strychnine given by unknown person with homicidal intent.” Based upon the autopsy and toxicological evidence, Dr. Stennis certified Richard’s death as a homicide caused by poisoning.
Despite that conclusion, no surviving records have been found identifying a suspect, documenting an arrest, or explaining how Richard came to ingest the poison. Whether a criminal investigation followed, whether someone was questioned, or whether the case simply disappeared into history remains unknown.
Richard was buried on March 28, 1929, at Union Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery in Lawrence, Mississippi. His neighbor, Ed Moore, served as the informant on the death certificate.
Legacy
Richard D. Ware’s life reflects both the achievements and the hardships experienced by African American landowners during the first half of the twentieth century. Through determination, he became a literate farmer, raised a large family, overcame imprisonment, earned the respect of his community, and ultimately secured ownership of his farm free from debt.
His neighbors’ successful petition for his pardon reveals the esteem in which he was held, while his final days leave historians with questions that may never be fully answered. The official medical record concludes that Richard died from strychnine administered by an unknown person with homicidal intent, yet the identity of that person—and the motive behind the poisoning—has been lost to history.
Richard Ware’s story is therefore remembered not only for his unwavering devotion to his family but also for the extraordinary resilience with which he rebuilt his life after tragedy. His biography closes with a mystery that continues to challenge researchers and reminds us that history is often preserved in fragments. Some chapters end with certainty; others leave behind questions that future generations continue to pursue.
Resting Place
Union Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1900 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, population schedule, household of Richard D. Ware; documenting Richard’s birth in November 1868, his literacy, occupation as a farmer, and residence with his wife Laura and their children.
- Mississippi Death Certificate, Richard David Ware, March 27, 1929; identifying his parents as Anderson Ware and Mary Ann McFarland, both born in Mississippi.
- Marriage Record, Richard D. Ware and Laura Cooper, Newton County, Mississippi, 1888.
- 1900 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4; documenting Richard and Laura Ware renting a farm while raising their children Arthur, Horace, Ardee, Addie, and Ruby.
- 1910 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4; documenting the Ware family’s continued residence in the community, the birth of daughter Lettie, and the literacy and school attendance of the Ware children.
- The Newton Record (Newton, Mississippi), August 17, 1917; reporting the shooting death of James Marshall, Richard Ware’s voluntary surrender to Justice of the Peace Powe, and the circumstances surrounding the homicide.
- The Newton Record, August 24, 1917; reporting Richard Ware’s appearance before the Newton County Circuit Court and his plea in the criminal proceedings.
- Newton County Circuit Court, State of Mississippi v. Richard D. Ware, August 25, 1917; documenting Richard Ware’s plea of guilty to manslaughter and his sentence of two years in the Mississippi State Penitentiary.
- Petition to the Mississippi Board of Pardons and Governor Theodore G. Bilbo, 1917; signed by numerous citizens of Newton County, describing Richard Ware as a man of “good reputation for honesty, peaceableness and general well doing” and requesting executive clemency because of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the homicide.
- Executive Pardon issued by Governor Theodore G. Bilbo, October 1917, restoring Richard Ware’s liberty following his conviction for manslaughter.
- The Newton Record, October 1918; reporting Richard Ware’s purchase of $500 in Fourth Liberty Loan Bonds in support of the United States during World War I.
- 1920 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4; documenting Richard Ware (enumerated with wife Lena) as the owner of a mortgage-free farm on the Newton and Hillsboro Crossing Road and listing Lettie Ann Ware and William Marshall, identified as Richard’s grandson, in the household.
- The relationship between William Marshall and the events surrounding the death of James Marshall remains uncertain. Although William carried the surname Marshall and was enumerated in Richard Ware’s household in 1920 as a grandson, no surviving birth record, death record, delayed birth certificate, probate file, or other contemporary document has yet been located identifying his parents. The 1920 census records William as one year old, creating a chronology that does not precisely correspond with the events of 1917. Consequently, any connection between William Marshall and James Marshall remains speculative and should not be treated as established fact.
- Mississippi Death Certificate, Richard David Ware, March 27, 1929; recording Richard as a widower, sixty years of age, employed as a farmer, with Ed Moore serving as the informant.
- Mississippi Death Certificate, Richard David Ware, March 27, 1929; recording the immediate cause of death as poison and noting that Dr. J. Stennis attended Richard on March 24, 1929, and last saw him alive that same day.
- Mississippi State Board of Health correspondence attached to the death certificate of Richard David Ware, 1929; documenting the State Board’s request for clarification concerning the poison identified at autopsy.
- Ibid. Dr. J. Stennis replied that toxicological examination identified strychnine and stated that the poison had been “given by unknown person with homicidal intent.” He further noted that an autopsy had been performed and that the stomach had been forwarded to the State Chemist for chemical analysis. During the early twentieth century, strychnine was widely used as a pesticide for controlling rodents and other agricultural pests. Although occasionally prescribed in very small medicinal doses, larger quantities attack the central nervous system, producing severe muscle spasms, convulsions, respiratory failure, and death. Toxicological examination was therefore necessary to distinguish strychnine poisoning from other causes of sudden death.
- No surviving sheriff’s records, coroner’s inquest, grand jury proceedings, or newspaper accounts have yet been located identifying a suspect, documenting an arrest, or describing the outcome of any investigation into Richard Ware’s poisoning. Accordingly, while the attending physician certified the death as homicidal, the circumstances surrounding Richard Ware’s death remain historically unresolved.
- Mississippi Death Certificate, Richard David Ware, March 27, 1929; recording Richard’s burial at Union Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery, Lawrence, Newton County, Mississippi, on March 28, 1929.
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