The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-22
PLANS SPEEDY TRIAL
IN DR.. WILKINS CASE
District Attorney Weeks Is
Anxious to Get Action in
May Court Term.
CRIME MOTIVE LACKING
Lawyer Wysong Satisfied His
Client Is Innocent Of Kill
ing His Wife.

A plea of not guilty was duly entered
by his counsel. Charles n. wysong. yes
terday when DR.. walter X. wilkins. in
dicted on the charge Of having murdered
his wife at Long Beach, l.. l., on Feb
ruary 81. was called to answer the in
dictment before Justice Seeger In the
Supreme Court at Mineola.
District Attorney Weeks of Nassau
county Is anxious to place DR.. wilkins
on trial In May. when the next term
OF the Supreme Court convenes there,
and Mr.. Wysong, who once held the
same office that Mr. Weeks does said
yesterday that he shares in the desire
for an early trial. He Is certain LIT.
wilkins will be acquitted. After con-
sulting with DR.. Wilkins yesterday ne
said:
From what have seen and heard
from DIR. wilkins l am deeply pressed
with a belief In his innocence. His Ia
one of the saddest cases have ever en-
countered. Here Is a man, advanced in
years and who has always led n blame
less life, charged with a monstrous crime
which II Is incredible that he could have
committed. He Is in anything but ro-
bust health. and his wife, with whom
he lived in entire harmony. was hts
nurse as well as his companion.
Nothing to Gain by Murder.I
He had nothing to gain by the death
OF his wife and one might say everything
to lose. 1t was she who persuaded him
10 give up his medical practice. and he
has not even that to fall back on now"
Some Of the afternoon newspa pers yes
terday carried. on the authority OF one
Of the operatives Of the William J. Burns
ufA ffD.
that there was evidence that DR.. wilkins
was interested in some other woman just
before the death of his wife.
THAT story" said Mr.. Wysong "is
pure fabrication. or rather impure fabri-
cation, from beginning to end. Another
woman Is the last motive in the world
imputable 10 DIR. wilkins. who, in addi-
ton to being elderly, is practically an in
valid"
Mr. wysong also spoke Of the hammer
and piece OF pipe with which, the de-
tectives declare, the murder Of Mrs. Will
kins was committed. He said that DR..
Wilkins had told him that the pipe and
hammer may have belonged in his
house. but he was not certain that he
had ever seen them.
Unstained Hat Not Discussed.
Counsel said he had not disguised with
DR.. wilkins the finding. without any
marks OF blows upon it, of the hat which
Mrs. wilkins l. supposed to have worn
when she arrived at her Long Beach
home the night OF the murder DIR. Will
kins has said she was struck down be-
fore entering the house by burglars who
had been surprised in the house.
To keeper In the county Jail at
Mipeola. where he will be kept until his
trial. Dr. Wilkins complained yesterday
that there was no justification for his
being in custody.
MY wife and always got on hap
ply" he said. I'VE never had a quarrel
or a disagreement"
DR.. wilkins had half hour Of de-
preston and wept during part of II
yesterday, but in the main was cheei :
full seeming to gain confidence from the
several conferences which his lawyers
had with him. He said last night that
he also was anxious for a speedy trial.
as II was his opinion that a protracted
stay in jail void wreck his health.