New-York tribune., 1919-06-17
Doctor Accused of Killing
Wife Startled as Prose.
cutor Tells of Finding Pin
neutrality-suspicious.
Witnesses Are Not Agreed
Two Policemen Called to
the Stand Tell Different
Stories of Night of Crime
Staff Correspondence

nesses for the. prosecution, in addition
to sensational charges of an unexpect-
ed character, made by District Attor-
ney Charles R. Weeks in his address
to the jury, caused considerable ex-
citement to-day at the opening of the
trial of DR.. Walter Keene Wilkins,
charged with the murder Of his wife
at Long Beach on February 81.
The defendant sat with comparative
immobility, save for one or two lapses,
during scathing presentation of the
case against him. His calmness left
him momentarily as Mr.. Weeks in
formed the court that the love knot
p scarf pin which the defendant said was
, stolen from him by the burglars al
legged to have murdered his wife, was
found last week inside the lining of
his overcoat.
Further, Mr.. Weeks said the gold
watch which Wilkins said had been
stolen was found. wrapped in a blood
stained napkin, in the springs of
sofa.
Mr Weeks also told of DR.. Will
kins's movements when he fed to Bal
timore. He registered at the Joyce
Hotel under an assumed name and
used "decoy handwriting" in signing
the fictitious name, said the District
Attorney, and also wrote a letter to
,hinself under his assumed name.
Says Will Was Tempered With
- The fourth charge, which came with
equal uneXpectedness, was that the will
which DR.. wilkins had sought to pro-
bate had been tampered with before it
was presented to the authorities. 1t
was rendered invalid by the removal of
the attestation, the clips had been takn
out and new cover substituted, he
said.
OF the seven witnesses eXamined
contradictory testimony was furnished
by Patrolman Albert White and Police
Sergeant Harry H. Schneider, both of
whom visited the house Immediately
after the murder. White said that ac-
cording to his best recollection Mrs
Wilkins's hat lay on the brick wall
within six feet of her body.
Schneider testified that he saw it in
the house, lying between the vestibule
and the reception hall door. White de-
clared that he saw the dog Duke
bleeding from the mouth and that he
had left a trail of blood on the stair
way. Schneider saw no signs of the
trail nor did he see Duke bleeding
White painted pathetic vigil of DR..
wilkins on the night of the murder,
and Of his complete breakdown about
$3.50 in the morning, when he buried
his face in his hands ard sobbed.
,.,~. Circumstantial Evidence Only
r In his address to the jury District
Attorney Weeks pointed out that the
case under trial was one where the
proof was largely circumstantal. The
= defendant had lived upon his wife's
money. he said. Marrying for money,
he said, had been habit with him;
he had married three times. His wife
was "unprepossessing in build, slovenly
IA habits, close in money matters and
stubborn of will.' Mr.. Weeks asserted.
ION many occasions DR.. Wilkins has
told the story of the crime said Mr.
Weeks. "If his story is true, his wife
was murdered by burglars, but if it is
not true, it follows that this tale was
told for one purpose-that of shielding
the party who committed the crime.
As the defendant admits there was no
one but himself in the home, it follows
that but one person could have done it
the defendant himself"
. The courthouse was packed to capac-
ity. There were a few soldiers and
great many women who eagerly fol-
lowed the proceedings.
Story of the Crime
Continuing, Mr.. Weeks recounted the
story OF the murder in detail, as told
: by the defendant. He referred to DR..
Wllklnss lack OF emotion and the alb
sence Of tears on the night of the
crune and at the autopsy He dwelt
with sarcasm on the solicitude OF the
burglars with their BE careful. Pop.
We don't want to hurt you" to the
defendant, while they were ready to in
nIct sixteen brutal wounds on the ner-
son of an aged woman
Dir. Weeks placed emphasis on the
TACT that pocketbook containing coins
lay untouched on the sideboard al-
Ihougn well within the visual range of
any burglar. He pictured the physical
aspects OF the vestibule in which the
lHgnt with the burglars was alleged to
nSgs TAKEN place, and declared he honed
TO prove the area was too circumscr;hed
10 allow OF any such STRUGGLE Tho
Veshoule was by feet Then he
startled the court by referring to the
love knot pin and watch which had
oeen discovered, and went on to saw
tnat spatters Of blood had been fopnd
on Dr. "ilxins's overcoat which conjd
only have got there by the man p,ho
k'lied Mrs. wilkins having tho par.
ment on.
Contrary to Reason"
Everything the defendant did that
night was contrary 70 what a reason
able man would do under the circnn-
stances" Dir. Weeks charged "uo
showed soicitude for the dog. but did
not care 10 follow his wife to ,be
hospital. He thought Of putting bs;
nat on 10 save himself from cold. AL
'seoagn bis wife was lying outside
dying" ''N0
Speaking Of the will Mr.. Weeks ss;d
IF was the will that drove the de-
!eeasnt out Of the State Of New York
INTO the State Of Maryland. II was that
viii that he told his LAWYER wo.,id
,ncriminAte him il handed over to tho
proper authorities. 1t was that will
which forced him TO shave his whiskcrs
~ .wss that will which induced him IN
20 10 Baltimore, register at tho Jovcc>l
ifhotsi as Randolph {. Howe, using de-.
sE0y handwriting, and address a letter
-