Charlevoix county herald., 1907-07-20
INCR| N INA TING
INQUEST ON THE DEATH OF MISS
EDITH PRESLEY HAS
BEGUN.
WARD TO BE EXAMINED.
Trend of the Testimony Before tc
Wayne County Coroner-Ward's
Father Seriously lli.
Bring Out the Facts.


side OF his dying father in Du Quoine,
III. He stands ready to come to De-
troit. as soon as we telegraph him
that we want him. And we shall sure
ly want him."
That was the statement made be-
fore Coroner Parker Thursday morn
ing by Prosecutor Robson. The prose
cutor said he deemed 1t wise to make
the statement in order to satisfySxho
desire of all directly interested and
the general public as well as to wheth-
Ell Ward intended to come to testify.
In the afternoon the prosecutor in
troduced a small black volume contain
ing the diary of Miss Presley. 1t was
written in shorthand with here and
there a name in longhand From ques-
tions asked of Miss Letta Brown,
Lansing stenographer, it is apparent
that the prosec2{or will have the
diary read in~>LSBYce.
One OF the letteig written Miss Pres
ley by Ward reads: Il wish you might
know, my dear one, how lonesome 1t
is around here for your old fellow.
Some time, some day, there will be
different story to tell One of the
happy days when life's cup of bliss will
be full to overflowing; where flowers
will bloom, birds will sing and the mu-
sic of childhood's mirth and prattle
will make an endless symphony OF con-
cord. Over and through this picture,
in fact that out of which the dream is
woven, floats a faXen-haired angel,
who has become, as it were, the guild
ing star of my ambition. How dost
like the picture? And can you solve
the allegory?"
The inquest was adjourned on Sat
urday to July 23, following a confer
ence between Wards attorneys, the
prosecuting attorney and attorneys for
the otl:er parties interested in the
case
Shortly after adjournment Prosecu-
tor Robson was asked whether 1t
was taken in order to have Ward tes-
,tify before the proceedings go any
further.
Ward will testify" he remarked.
His attorney has promised to pro-
duce him at any time within twenty
four hours if we want him. and we
certainly shall want him. The ad-
journment was taken because of a deg
sire on the part of the attorneys
to have the case go over for that
length of time"
The session brought forth DR.. Rus
sell p. Wixom, of Detroit, who gave
the most daT aging testimony as to
Wards connection with the case that
has yet been produced.
Dr. Wixom met Ward in the Hotel
Ste. Claire on the day before Edith
Presley came to Detroit. Ward sought
the doctors advice as to a suitable
hospital in which "a friend who is in
trouble can stay until she gets bet
ter"
Dr. Wixom's testimony was straight
from the shoulder; unequivocal and
unsparing. He had previously made
the same statements to Chief McDOn-
nell and members of the local detec-
tive bureau, and he affirmed them on
the stand before the coroner. Although
his testimony does not contain men
tion of the name of Edith Presley, yet
1t shows beyond a shadow Of doubt
that on the day before she arrived
in Detroit Ward had spoken of making
arrangements for a young woman in
trouble. 1t was sufficiently strong to
arouse the. suspicion that a warrant
for Wards arrest, in connection with
the case, will be asked for; but Prose
cutor Robson refused to affirm or
deny having any such intention.
Edith Presley's name was not used
in the conversation which Ward had
with DR.. Wixom about a young woman
in trouble. But the name MARY E.
Hail. was used directly, and as Mary
e. Hall Edith Presley registered at
the Wayne hotel on the day following
the conversation.
DR.. Wixom said that he knew Edith
Presley in Bancroft, hut declared that
he never suspected that she was the
young woman about whom Ward was
speaking.
Ward met DR.. Wixom in Detroit q
day or two before Miss Presley came
to the city and asked the physician:
Where is there a nice, quiet hospi-
tal?" Dr. Wixom referred to several
sanitariums, including the Hope sa-
nitarium, which he referred to as the
Home" sanitarium on Third street.
He asked Ward whether he himself
was i'll, and Ward said, mo, have
friend who is in trouble, and ] want
place for her to stay until she gets
better"
DR.. Wixom then surmised the truth,
and after cautioning Ward, told him
that in order to get the girl into a
sanitarium, she would have to conceal
her real trouble until she got In, un"
der pretext of wanting some minor op-
Grafton, such as having a boil lanced.
Ward told the doctor that he had
covered up his tracks pretty CARE
fully; that he had arranged for tre&S'
ment with a doctor who would be-
known as Dr. Perrin, taking the name
Of doctor long since dead.
Ward said that the girl would regis
ter at the Wayne as Mary e. Hail."
which prophecy came true the next
night.
DR.. Wixom declared that he had
suggested that Ward send the girl
to Durand, but that Ward refused to
do SO.