New-York tribune., 1919-06-28
Wilkins Guilty:
UnmOved as He
Hears His Fate
Convicted Slayer of Wife
Calmest Person in Court
When Jury Brings In Its
Verdict After % Hours

A'AA1>0O A<1' ~ ~ June Z(.-After
twenty-three hours deliberation the
jury closeted in the Nassau County
Courthouse from 5:18 O'Clock yester-
day afternoon until 3:40 p. m. TODAY
found DR.. Walter Keene wilkins guilty.
of murder in the first degree. It took
seven hours of argument to bring into
line the last of the jurors who held
out against conviction. At $3.50 D. m.
the resistance was broken, and ten min
utes later DR.. Wilkins heard the pro-
nouncement of his doom, just four
months from the date on which his wife
was beaten to death at Long Beach.
Sentence will be pronounced at 10
o'clock next Tuesday morning.
The jury recommended clemency, and
was informed by Justice David F. Man.
ming that first degree murder carried
no other penalty than death.
The aged defendant heard the verdict
without the flicker Of an eyelash or the
perceptible movement of muscle. His
counsel announced that he would take
the case to the Court of Appeals
He Got the Tenderloin
In a statement given out when he
was led back to his cell DR.. Wilkins
said:
II am an absolutely innocent man. I
never injured hair of my wife's head.
l could never have injured a woman
who was universally so generous to me.
We never had steak that she did not
insist that have the tenderloin.
"An awful mistake has been made.
The jury could not have understood the
law when they rendered verdict of
murder in the first degree and recon-
mended mercy. / am stunned"
No jury in Nassau County has ever
deliberated for a similar length of
time. Twenty ballots were taken. In
the first six jurors voted for convic-
tion in the f1rst degree, five for ac-
quittal or conviction in a lesser de-
gree and one did not vote. On the
fourteenth ballot the jury stood eleven
to one for conviction. 1t took seven
hours from the time the eleventh man
had been won over to sway Daniel D.
Smith, the twelfth juror. to agree to
the verdict.
When the jurors filed into the court
room they were worn, haggard and un-
kempt.
"Have you agreed on verdict 2"
IustiCo Mann;rn ipou;rod
Guilty as Charged
eyes," said Oscar W. Paries, the fore
man. eve find the defendant guilty as
charged in the Indictment"
Every eye turned toward the white
haired figure sitting with his three
counsel. Not shadow crossed his
countenance. His face was pale when
he came into the courtroom, but it did
not blanch further. He stared straight
ahead of him. His hands were crossed.
For once his feet were at rest
eve ask that the mercy of the court
be shown to the defendant, if possible" ;"
the foreman continued.
With voices that they could not
steady the Jurors answered the clerk s
poll. Turning toward them, Justice
Manning said:
"You have done faithful service to
the community by the verdict you rem
dered. You ask for clemency. 1t pains
me that l cannot comply with your re-
quest. A verdict of first degree mur-
der carries no other penalty than that
OF death. Whether or not clemency
may be extended to this defendant is a
matter for the Governor to decide"
Charles N. Wysong, counsel for the
defence, asked that tho verdict be set
aside, as against the weight of evi-
dence. The motion was denied.
The defendant was called to give his
personal record to the clerk Of the
court. He jumped to his feet, stepped
briskly forward, and in a clear, firm
voice answered questions as to his name,
age, parentagc, profession, place Of res
'dence and religion. When dismissed he
walked over to his counsel, took off his
glasses with casual air, bent down
over Mr.. .Wysong and asked him TO
come to his cell as soon as he could.
Mr.. Wysong later told Of finding Dr.
wilkins sitting in his cell with perfect
composure. Up to the last minute he
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