The Washington times., 1919-06-19
WILKINS WHISPERS
USED AGAINST HIM

4
| that DR.. W. X. Wilkins. being tried
/ for the murder OF his wife. sheared his
distinguishing whiskers and fed TO
/ Baltimore after authorities began to
suspect that his wife did not meet
death at the hands Of burglars. En-
ployes Of the Joyce Hotel came from
/ Baltimore to tell of the aged physi-
clans sojouTn there.
Evidence TO disprove DR.. wilkins
| contention that his wife was MUIR
/ dered by thugs is being presented by
/ the prosecution. Testimony has been
! adduced to the effect that there were
no signs OF robbers at the home.
! Patrick J. Tracy, OF Long Beach.
chief Of police. said he had carefully
! examined the reception room Of the
home and was convinced it had not
been disturbed.
Saw No Auto With Three Men.
| Solomon Piersol, who tends the
drawbridge on the road leading to
Long Beach, testified he had exam
ined all automobiles passing that
bridge the night OF the murder, but
had not seen any conveying the three
men described by DR.. wilkins as the
men who had attacked him and his
| wife.
! Sheriff Seaman. Of Nassau county,
recounted his conversation with VIII
kins in which the latter told OF an at
tack by three men as he entered his
home; Of leaving his wife standing
outside the door for safety and Of
the order given by one OF the robbers
| to another to go out and stop Mrs.
wilkins screaming. Seaman also
! testified he had found all doors lock-
| ed, and all windows fastened, and the
reception room apparently undiS-
| turbed.
story Told BY Reporter.
| The most complete story Of the
crime as related by DR.. wilkins, yet
! introduced in evidence was given by
| Joseph Van Raalte, a reporter for
| New York paper. He said he went to
the wilkins home the day following
| the crime and looked over the win
j dows and doors. DR.. wilkins was not
there at the time, but later he met
! him in the reception room OF the
| house.
Van RaaIte said he asked DR.. VIII
/ kins if he thought a housekeeper
whom he had discharged from his
home in New York had anything TO
! do with the crime. The doctor, he
said, was calm when he flrst talked
! TO him, but when he put this question
| DR.. wilkins became excited and re-
piled:
please do not mention that wom-
/ ans name in connection with this
| case. She is a respectable woman and
a friend OF the family's.'
Dogs Didn't Bark As Usual.
Van Raalte said wilkins related
| how he and Mrs. wilkins arrived at
Long Beach and walked to their home
from the station, arriving there about
Don ~ is haf a
testified the doctor said:
Il preceded my wife TO the drive
way of the home. ! noticed the dogs
did not bark a usual welcome TO us.
1 thought that was strange, but not
peculiar. The outer door leading to
the vestibuIe was slightly ajar, and
also thought that rather strange
] went up and opened the door and
then l saw some one fit by inside
the second door through the plate
glass.
Il told my wife not to come up,
but to go and call for help. I put my
keys in the door. grabbed the knob,
and felt the door pulled from the in
side. But / went in, placed my back
to the door. at the same time clutching
the knob, and stood there for an in
slant. Then received a smashing
blow on the head with a piece Of lead
pipe"
"Rsbbers Missed S4OO."
The witness paused in his narrative
to make this explanation: Later the
doctor called it 'bludgeon' when he
repeated the story, and still later he
referred to il as a blackjack and
also a blunt instrument
Continuing the story, Van Raalte
said DR.. wilkins told him:
II dropped on my left side Two
men were bending over me. One Of
them said: Pop. We don't want to
hurt you. All We want is what you
have got"
Van RaaIte testified the doctor told
how one OF the men shouted to an
other. whom he called Dick" and
told him TO 20 outside and attend to
the woman" The doctor. he said.
laughed as he struck his coat pocket
and said:
They didn't think to turn me over
and feel in this pocket. II had they !
would have got $500 which was
there"
Van Raalte testified the doctor went |
on TO relate how the burglar Dick, !
had rushed inside and said: This Is |
bushy job. We had better get out" |
Then another burglar said to Will |
kins: Don't make an cutlery or We /
will shoot"
shows How Hat Saved Life.
The doctor said. Van Raalte testf-
fed. that ne went outside on the |
driveway and saw his wife was in q
bad conditions and needed an ambu-
lance and told how he had gone TO |
the home OF neighbors.
The doctor showed me a hat" Van |
Raalte said. and remarked: This !
is what saved my life. II I had re-
ceived that blow on nv unprotected /
head il would have killed me. ] con-
s'der my escape miraculous one
when YOU think OF how my wife was
attacked The doctor said some
money. watch and a stickpin were
taken from him. and also said one Of
his dogs had been struck on the head
by a hammer.
Il told the doctor he seemed to
have a good deal Of nerve TO go into 1
the house and asked him If he was
armed and the doctor said no 4
You are one in 10000 men to 20 |.
into the house az you did 7 told H
him. The doctor merely laughed and Il
said: Why should ] run away u
Believed Poor Wife Safe. H
why did you leave your wife out Il
in the dark runway I asked him u
He replied: 7 thought 7 was sending n
my poor wife 10 safety. but instead
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