The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-19
HUNT WILKINS:
INDICTMENTAS
SLAYER SOUGHT
Police Close All Avenues of
Escape in City as Prose-
cutOr Acts.
CAPTURE EXPECTED SOON
New VIII, Dead Wife's Gems
and Blood Stained Money
Used as Evidence.

With the sudden disappearance Of DR..
Walter X. Wilkins as one of the strongest
links in the chain OF evidence connecting
him with the death of his wife at their
home at Long Beach. L. l., on February
81, District Attorney Weeks will 30 be-
fore the Nassau county Grand Jury to-
day and ask the indictment Of DIR. Will
ldns for murder in the first degree.
Mr.. Weeks declared last night that
sufficient evidence to ask for an ,ndict-
ment was in his possession on Monday
night when he went before Justice OF the
Peace Coleman OF Long Beach and OBJ
tanned a warrant charging DR.. wilkins
with his wife's murder. DR.. Wilkins has
claimed that burglars killed his wife.
But when a man who already knows
that a serious charge against him is un-
der consideration fees or secretes himself
1t II proper for a jury to consider the
fact of his flight or hiding as bearing on
his guilt" Mr.. Weeks said.
Capture0 Expected soen.
Unless DR.. wilkins has destroyed
himself, which doubt exceedingly, I am
under no anxiety that he will get away
for good. a man Of his age and in
dividual appearance, and with his man
nerisms Of gait, speech and behavior.
will not be able to conceal himself for
very long. Z doubt. too, IL he has much
ready money with him. have circu-
lated hiss picture and a description of
him all over the country and he is sure
TO be turned up within a short time. Ex-
cept that his disappearance will incon-
venience us temporarily / am almost
grateful TO him for the strength which
his flight has added to the case
Among the witnesses who have been
summoned to appear before the Grand
Jury this morning are Chief of Police
Tracey and Sergeant Harry Schneider OF
Long Beach. who were the first to an
swer DR.. WlllSins's call for help the night
his wife was killed and who took his
statement: Allen u. Myers of the Will
lam J. Burns Detective Agency, who has
had the chief part in the search of the
Wilkins house at Ling Beach: Coro-
ner f. T. Neu of Lynbrook. who also
took down a statement from DR.. Will
kins; Mrs. Cassius Coleman. with whom
DIR. wilkins has talked since the muir
der; DIR. Arthur d. jacques. who per-
formed the autopsy on Mrs Wilkins's
body. and DIR. +. T. Deiano, who as
sisted him.
When applying on Monday night for
the warrant which charges Or. wilkins
with his wife's murder Mr.. Weeks based
his main belief in the physicians guilt
on the draft OF a will, bearing Mrs. VIII
k;ns's signature but not witnessed, given
10 him on Sunday by Louis G. Friess.
The physicians lawyer. He and Mr..
Triess met by appointment at a confer
ence at which DIR. wilkins had agreed
to be present but did not appear. Mr..
Friess turned the draft of the will over
n. rt..1 l. al
given It to him. and that he had in
formed the doctor that he would give 1t
10 the District Attorney. 1t leaves DR..
wilkins the equity In two pieces OF real
estate The only previous will known to
have been made by Mrs. Wilkins was
executed before her marriage to DIR. Will
kins and leaves him nothing.
Money Found in House.
But in going before the Grand Jury
to-day Mr. Weeks will be equipped with
further evidence which was not in his
possession on Monday night. He Will be
able to show that detectives searching
The Long Beach house came upon some
OF Mrs. Wilkins's jewelry and some
pieces OF silverware and some money
lying in a trunk and in bureau drawers
which they had previously searched with
such care that they could not have over
Il Is Mr. Weeks's theory that DR.. Will
lsins. who had previously removed the
articles and money. put them back where
they had been after he knew he was sus-
pected. but without the knowledge that
the trunk and bureaus had been searched
already,
Mr.. Weeks will also prove the finding
yesterday of a roll of blood soaked bills
in a mattress at the Long Beach house.
l. q
OF evidence last night than that the bills
had been found and that the evidence
was new.
Mr.. Weeks will also call Mr.. Freiss.
DR.. Vikings lawyer, as Grand Jury
witness, but does not expect much as
sistance from him as all Mr.. Friesss's
knowledge OF DIR. Wilkins and his af-
fairs has been received confidentially as
between attorney and client and is
privileged Mr. Friess issued the fol-
lowing statement In the missing physi-
ian's behalf yesterday:
Legally the new paper or will in
which DIR. wilkins receives the entire
property of his wife Is worthless, and
n the District Attorney believes there is
sufficient motive to commit this crime
in the possession of few thousand
dollars, when during the lifetime of his
vito. tss doctor bad full possession and
enjoyment OF her entire property, tlPt
is his affair. The statement In this
mornings newspapers that another will
has been found in which DIR. Wilkins re-
ceives all the property is incorrect.
"In searching for later will a paper
was found which evidently Mrs. Wilkins
had drawn up by typist and which In
most respects Is an exact copy of the
1908 will, except that DR.. Wilkins is
given the property at 16+ West Sixty
NTH street. heavily mortgaged. and the
property at Long Beach. in which he
already had a half interest by deed.
That property also is mortgaged.
ct Is my belief that the equity in the
properties mentioned is not worth more
than a few thousand dollars. Otherwise
with the exception OF a few minor be-
quests the will Is similar to the 1908
document"
AL avenues by which Dr. wilkins may
leave this city are being guarded and
the police OF Washington have been
asked to make a special search for him
there. He Is said TO have severi friends
therr. and Washington is also the nome
OF Mrs. e. D. Shepherd. known in this
city under her stage name OF Odette
Tyler. who Is daughter OF. Or. WILL
kins's second wife.