Around 1902, a young boy was born in Pennsylvania. His mother died shortly after giving birth and he was placed in an orphanage under the name Elmer LaPelle. In late 1906 or early 1907, a group of children were sent from that orphanage to Topeka, Kansas in hopes that they would be adopted here.
Dr. Eva Harding fell in love with little Elmer, who was considered bright, handsome, and lovable. Dr. Harding officially took custody of Elmer on January 30, 1908 and the little boy was re-christened William Ward Harding.
Sadly, on February 6, screams came from the back room of the office/apartment where Dr. Harding and Dr. May Stout lived and worked. When Dr. Stout arrived, Ward was engulfed in flames. She tried to douse the flames with a rug but was too late. It appeared that he tried to light a candle and caught his nightgown on fire.
A small funeral was held in Dr. Harding's office and Ward was buried in Rochester Cemetery in North Topeka.
