The sun., 1919-06-27
WILKINS TRIAL
ENDS AND CASE
GOES TO JURY
Later, Repetition of. Charge
on Cicumstantial Evil
dence Is Asked.
SCENE OF CRIME VISITED
Counsel for Doctor Accused Of
Staying Wife Charges q
Frameup Of Evidence.

At 40 o'clock this morning the
fury in the case OF DR.. Walter Keene
wilkins, accused OF the murder OF his
wife. Julia, was still out. 1t began its
deliberations at Z :15 o'clock last night.
The Jury returned to the court room
At 11:l5 o'clock, and the foreman told
Justice Manning they wanted the testi-
uony Of DR.. wilkins and that Of Coroner
Neu read to them. and that they also
wanted the statement of a conversation
between DR.. wilkins and Coroner Neu,
which related to the physician taking
himself out of the Jurisdiction of the
Nassau county authorities.
Justice Manning Informed the jury
that the statement had not been In evil
dence and that they could not have 1t.
ITO read DR.. wilkinss testimony
said the court, would require five
hours"
Then 7 guess we can get along with
out that" replied the foreman, 'if the
court will repeat that part OF his charge
dealing with circumstantial evidence"
Justice Manning then read that por-
ton of the charge and the jury retired
to resume its deliberations.
The trial was brought to close yes
terday afternoon shortly after o'clock
with Justice Manning's charge to the
Jury. Charges of Framed up" evidence
were made by attorneys for both sides
in their addresses and both displayed
considerable temper Justice Manning
made a coldly impartial statement after
they had finished. making 1t clear to the
fury that IL there was a reasonable
presumption OF doubt the accusation
should not be sustained. He spent some
slime also in defining circumstantial evil
dence.
Charles N Wysong attorney for DR..
wilkins. spoke first in the closing argu-
ment, finishing at 1850 o'clock. He in
sisted that the case against his client
had been marked by undue eagerness Of
the county authorities to obtain a con-
yiction He said that the past record
OF Nassau county had given an i'm
petus to the activities of the prosecu-
tors. and made the fiat charge that evil
dence rad been trumpet up
Mr.. Wysong said 1t was entirely i'm
proba BILE that a physician would murder
his wife In the manner in which Mrs
wilkins was killed. There was no mo-
tive established. he said. to lend
strength to this possibility. DR.. wilkins
about s11.500 in the case of Mrs. Will
kins's death and this property ia
heavily mortgaged. Mr.. Wysong also
charged that the story told by the tailor
who claimed to have cleaned suit OF
blood stained clothes brought him by
Dr. wilkins had been planted" by the
Burns detectives
In the closing rebuttal District Attor-
ney Weeks displayed considerable in
dignation over Mr.. Wysongs charges Of
framed" evidence. He told the Jury
that II anybody had done the framing
he had. and they knew that he was not
that sort OF an attorney. He pointed
out what he described as a significant
failure on the part OF the defence to ex-
plain vital points in the evidence. and
praised the work of the detectives
throughout the investigation and the
trial
Before the opening OF the last days
session the jury was taken to the Long
where the murder occurred. Both sides
had agreed that the trip would give
them a better understanding OF the case.
In his address Mr.. Wysong pointed
out that DR.. Wilkinss wallet had no
bloodstains upon It. declaring that this
proved burglars had taken It. He rid
iculed the testimony that DR.. Vikings
watch had stopped at 9:2S. which was
believed to be the exact time of the
murder.
Gould 1t be thought that Dr. wilkins
beat his wife to death with the watch?'
he asked.