Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1919-03-27
A MYSTERIOUS TRAGEDY.

A mysterious tragedy that has caused
considerable sensation in New York
has created an interest also in Shep-
herdstown, where some Of the ramifca-
tions of the case have manifested them
selves. On February 9th Mrs. Julia
wilkins, the third wife of DR.. Walter
Keene wilkins, was murdered in their
home on Long Island, New York, hav-
ing been beaten to death with ham,
mer. Her husband told the police that
both he and his wife had been attacked
by burglars in their home, and that
they had killed her by striking her on
the head with the hammer A week or
two after the tragedy, and while the
police were investigating the matter,
DR.. wilkins, who had been questioned
closely about the affair, disappeared.
He had gone to Washington, it was
believed, to consult with Mrs. R. D.
Shepherd, his step-daughter, but she
was not in that city, having gone TO
Los Angeles couple of months ago.
He spent a day or two in Baltimore,
and from there returned TO New York,
where he was arrested in the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad station soon after he
left the train. He stated that when he
found that he was under suspicion he
decided to 60 TO Mrs. Shepherd in
Washington, but after thinking it over
concluded that he would not take his
troubles into her home. So he stop
ped off in Baltimore, and in day or
two went back to New York with the
intention of giving himself up to the
police. He had shaved off his beard
and otherwise changed his appearance.
The authorities take the ground that
he killed his wife in order TO get her
fortune, which amounts to about
S65,000 Last Thursday he was in
dicted for murder in the first degree by
the grand jury of Nassau county, New
York, and was remanded 10 jail without
bail. He firmly denies any guilt in
the matter, and his friends say that he
is incapable of committing such hor-
rible crime. He is 81 years old.
DR.. wilkins has been married three
times. His second wife was Susan
Kirkland the divorced wife of General
Kirkland who lived in Shepherdstown
for number of years while his daugh-
ter was a resident here. Mrs. Shep-
herd, who was a charming and popular
actress, known as Odette Tyler, mar
ried R. D. Shepherd, of ShepherdStown,
well-known Shakesperean student
and actor under the stage name of R.
D. Mclean. They left here several
years ago, and have since lived in
Washington, where they have been |
prominent socially. A couple of
months ago they went TO Los Angeles, |
California where, it was reported, Mr.. |
Shepherd meant to play in moving pic
lures. During their residence in Shep-
herdStown Mrs. wilkins died, the date
of her death being April I, 1905, and
Mrs. Shepherd had the body brought
here and inferred in Elmwood Gene
terry. General Kirkland died in 1915, |
and he was buried on the same lot. |
Mrs. Shepherds affection for her father
and mother was extended also TO DR..
wilkins, whom she esteemed highly.
The new York papers have extend
ed their inquiries to Shepherdstown
in their efforts to secure additional SEN
Sational statements. One journal
wished to know if there was anything
suspicious about the death of his sec
ond wife, who was brought here for
burial by Mrs. Shepherd. No such
was ever expressed, so far as
we are aware.
The New York Times of yesterday
states that the case against DR.. wilkins
is a rather weak one, and number of
theories put forward by the police have
been disproved by the facts. There is
a strong feeling that the accused man
is innocent of the crime. An anony-
nous letter was received by the police
department saying that DR.. wilkins had
nothing to do with the murder, and that
the writer did know the guilty person.