New-York tribune., 1919-06-21
W. ]. Burns Testifies Pris-
Oner Said 1t Was Foolish
to Suspect Him of Such
Crime, as He Is Physician
Thumb Prints Shown
Fit Accused, Says Expert,
and Show That Hammer
Used Was Gripped Tightly
Staff Correspondence

Staff Correspondence
MINEOLA, June 2o.-"I'm a physi-
clan, and If wanted to kill my wife
would not go out and butcher her.
know of other ways in which it could
be done if I had wanted to get rid Of
her"
This, according to the testimony to-
day of William J. Burns, was the state
ment made to him by DR.. Walter
Keene Wilkins, on trial charged with
the murder of his wife The statement
was made within 10 feet OF the morgue
where an autopsy was being performed
on the body, said Burns.
The story told by the detective of
DR.. Wilkins's version of happenings on
eral points from that of other wit
nesses. The defendant told him that
he was hit on the head with some
thing soft, possibly fist, as no mark
was left, said Burns. Other witnesses
testified that he declared himself to
have been hit with lead pipe or
hludgeon.
The Burglar Described
According to Burns, the defendant
told him he had seen the alleged burg
lar, with the hammer in his hand; he
had a mustache and was undersize.s
but powerful. Other witnesses have
testified that DR.. Wilkins could not
describe the burglars.
when speaking to Dr. Wilkins at
the autopsy, | asked him if there was
will leaving him any of the property"
said Mr.. Burns. "He told me that by
the will the property went to charity, so
there was no reason why he should take
the life of his wife. asked him if he
had tried to identify the paper wrapped
around the hammer, and he said he had
not. Then he turned to Mr.. Friess and
| asked If it was dangerous for him to
discuss things at that time.
Il told him it looked to me as if
would have to do a good deal of ex-
planning, and then he got angry and ex-
claimed about being a physician and
capable OF using subtler means if he
wanted to commit murder. pointed out
to him, however, that suspicion would
more readily fasten on him if he used
subtle, rather than brutal, means"
-, In the cross examination Charles N.
Wysong tried to impugn the conduct
OF the witness in his capacity as head
OF the Burns Detective Agency.
Blames It on Rivals
"1sn't your organization under inves-
tlgation by the State of New York? ?"
he inquired.
NO" snapped Burns. "By the Pin
kertons, my rivals"
Mr. Wysong insisted on the produc-
ton in court of the bills of the Burns
detective Agency, which is employed
Dy the prosecution in the Wilkins case.
They showed that Nassau County is
called upon to pay 81 1856 for it's SER
vices in March and 1923 in April. Mr..
Burns said he got $50 a day for his
personal services.
.Patrolman Nicholas c. Cocks told
OF conversation he had with DR.. Will
klns on May %, 1918. He said he had
explained to the defendant the facts of
case on which he was then work
ing, in which assault had been com
mateed with a machinists hammer
wrapped in newspaper.
An old Swiss watch, blood d-stained
! and wrapped in a napkin and small
/ piece OF cloth, was produced during
the morning session, along with love
Knot scarf pin, both of which the de-
1endant said were stolen by the bur
glars fleces of broken watch crystal
were identified by Carman Plant.
county detective. He said thew had haJ
been picked up near where the bodv
OF Mrs. Wilkins lay. The watch, which
, was discovered stuffed in a sofa. has
broken crystal, into which the n;eco.
.of glass fit. DR.. wilkins contendcd
/ that the watch stolen from him on
the night of the murder was a Wal-
than watch.
The Murder String"
tleces OF twine, termed the murder
string" by the prosecution. were mo-
duccd and identified by Plant. One
piece had bound the newspaper round
'n" .ne hammer with which the murder
was committed. The witness said he
naa iound the other piece in a tool
alike. "e'o
When asked under cross-examination
If Dr.. Wilkins had explained to him
why MS home at Long Beach looked as
II 1t had been ransacked, Plant said
that the defendant told him his wife
was an extremely poor housekeeper and
ne was ashamed to have any one visit
them 1T was no different from usual.
Plant said DR.. Wilkins informed him
The fictitious letter addressed by the
defendant to himself when he regis
tered at hotel in Baltimore under an
assumed name was produced in court
and acknowledged by the defence. 1t
was dated March is and signed Vim
cent S. Armour & Co. The enyelone
was not stamped. 1t read as follows:
Dear Mr.. Howe: Call at your
earliest convenience regarding the
piece of property we are negotiating
about. Will give you first considera.
| ton"
Found in Doctors Pockets
The contents of DR.. Wilkinss pock-
cts upon his return from Baltimore
were exhibited. They included a com
pete hypodermic set with nitro -elycer-
inc, morphine sulphatc, strychnine and
atrophine tablets. The defendant
jumped forward to identify them.
Charles W. Hanson, county finger
print expert, had large charts in court
showing inger-prints. He testified that
the finger-print on the lead pipe was
identical with the print of the defend
ants left thumb. The defence admits
that DR.. Wilkins picked the lead pipe
up in his hand, but dropped it. The
witness said the print showed that the
defendant had held the pipe in a tirht
grasp, and that if he had picked it up
and dropped it., only the tip of the
thumb would be shown.
Two more witnesses are to be exam
ined on Monday morning before the
defence takes up it's case. DR.. Wilkins
| will toll tho ufopI o,,l