Captain Ward was the ranking officer of the Third Precinct, which was based in the Desplaines Street police station. He was beside Inspector John Bonfield, at the head of the ranks of police, as they advanced toward the speakers' wagon. It was Ward who commanded the rally to disperse.

Ward explains all this in his testimony. He states that the gunfire was initiated by the crowd, not the police. He also testifies that, as far as he could see, his men had their pistols in their pockets as they marched—not, as some defense witnesses attested, in their hands. He does not state, however, as some of his fellow officers did, that Fielden said "There are the bloodhounds coming, you do your duty and I will do mine," or similar words to this effect. And neither does he say, as did some other prosecution witnesses, that Fielden opened fire on the police.

The image here is one of several on this site from the 1893 article by Judge Gary on the Haymarket trial. The artist is R. G. Tietze.