Business & Finance: Cellmates

Last week newsmen went to see Charles Ward, who had just been left $1,000,000 by a man he had met in Leavenworth Penitentiary. Jovial Charles Ward gave one of his interviewers a gold cigaret lighter, told his story.

In 1924 Herbert Huse Bigelow, head of Brown & Bigelow, advertising specialty makers of St. Paul, was indicted for income tax evasion. He pleaded guilty, was fined $10,000, given two years in Leavenworth. There he was assigned to work under a friendly Texan named Charles Ward, once a mechanical engineer, who had also been sentenced for revenue law violations. Sharing the same cell, Bigelow and Ward soon became fast friends. They talked over the details of Bigelow’s business, discussed ways & means of running it in the future. Said Bigelow to his friend: “I’m going to remold you. You’re made of good clay.” After eight months, Bigelow was released on parole. Before leaving he made Ward promise to look him up at the end of his term, asked what job he would want. Replied Ward: “Your job, H. H.” “All right if you can earn it,” said Bigelow. Next year Ward went to St. Paul, took a small job with Brown & Bigelow, worked steadily up the ladder. In 1930 he was made general manager, a little later vice president.

Last month Bigelow, vacationing in Minnesota, was drowned when his canoe tipped over. His will, opened last week, left one-third of his $3,000,000 estate outright to Charles Ward. After his funeral directors of the firm met to elect a president to succeed him. They elected Charles Ward.