Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-07-29
MISS WARDLAN
ALSO RETAINJ NEW
PERSONAL LAWYER
j. Victor D'AI0ia Asked to Join
in Defense With Former
Judge BeasIey.

III 1CoEOlA9( ~ . 1et1A - LIS >
ginia Wardlaw. one of the three ''mys-
terry sisters confined in the county.
Jail charged with the murder Of Ocey
w. M. Snead, the East Orange bath
tn, victim, ]. Victor D'Aloia. a lawyer
With offices in the Scheuer binding.
went to the Jail this afternoon to con-
suit about her defense.
Mr.. D'Aloia got the letter from Miss
Wardlaw on Monday. In the letter
Miss Wardlaw said that she had heard
of him through his association with
former Judge Chauncey H.. Beasley In
the defense of Nicholas Sica, acquitted.
of the charge of the murder of Frank
Wilhelm.
In the letter she states that mo
doubt you have heard of the famous
Snead case" She said that she had
determined on q change of counsel.
The sudden switch in lawyers in h
Snead case just a month before the
date set for the case to come to trial
is causing all sorts of talk in legal
circles. While no authoritative state
ment is available, it is strongly rumored
that Franklin w. Fort. Chandler Riker
and Samuel Kalisch have dropped out
of the case, leaving former Judge
Beasley In full charge. 4
Franklin w. Fort. who was the frs
lawyer IN the case, being retained by
Virginia o. Wardlaw the day of her
arrest In East Orange, November 20
last. today refused to say whether he
intended to remain In the case or not
II cannot make any statement until
after / have had a conference with.
Mr.. Riker when he returns to the city
on Monday" said Mr.. Fort.
Reason for Change a Mystery.
But from other sources it is learned
positively that Messrs. Fort. Kalisch
and Riker are through with the case
and will have no further connection
with it. The reason for them being;
dropped is a deep mystery. The gen.
orally accepted reason in legal circles
is that the three Wardlaw sisters feared
that their case was not being prepared
for trial on August 20. All three sisters
maintain they are absolutely innocent
of the charge OF murder made against
them. and complain that they have al
| ready spent seven months in Jail With
out a trial.
Prosecutor Wilbur A. Mott takes no
interest whatever in the switch in law
| yers. II have my case against the,
three women all ready for trial and
Will move 1t on August 20. 1t a
no difference to me whether the three
sisters have one lawyer or half a dozen.
T. 9 State is ready to proceed tomorrow
IL necessary"
Judge Beasley. who will now have en-
tire charge of the defense at the trial, is
busily engaged In winding up a number
of Public Service Railway Company
| damage suits, In which he is interested
prior to taking up the Snead matter.
Il am taking my vacation this year
by getting ready for the trial of the
three Wardlaw sisters" said Judge
Beasley today. 1t is a fine way to take
q vacation, but 1 was retained in the
case so late that II will give me a busy
month in order to get ready for trial"
In answer to a question as to who
would be associated with him in the
trial, Judge Beasley said he did not
know. LAS far as / know Mr.. Fort and
Mr.. Riker are still in the case. | hope
they remain, as the entire case is one OIL
the most complex l nave ever had to do
with. and will require a lot of hard
work"
Miss Wardiaw Improved.
Reports from the jail are that MISS
WardIaw. whose condition a week ago
was such as to cause Warden Richard
McGuinness to seek a method whereby
she could be removed to a hospital for
treatment. is rapidly improving and is
now taking daily exercise. something
she has refused to do heretofore during
her confinement.
Mary w. Snead. mother of Fletcher
w. Snead, the husband of Ocey w. M
| Snead, the murdered girl. las fallen
into the background entirely. The trial
now seems to hinge on the chance Of
ccnyicting either Virginia o. Ward
law, the aunt. or Caroline B. Martin,
the mother. for the alleged murder of
the girl. 1t is said there is 10 evidence
in the possession Of the county prose-
/ cutor to show that Mrs. Sncad was
ever in the East Orange house where
the body of Ocey w. NJ Sncad was
found drowned in a bathtub OF No
yember 20 laSe.