New-York tribune., 1919-03-20
DIR. Wilkins
Caught After
4-Day Flight
Continued from page I

formed him into a feeble old man came
almost as shock. His pale cheeks,
shorn of the protection of his whiskers
and mustache, were sunken. His eyes,
with the peculiar cast that aided in his
Identification and arrest, seemed to
stand out.
In his hand he still clutched great
roll of afternoon newspapers, telling of
his flight and supposed movements
since Sunday morning, when he was
last heard from by his lawyer.
Lieutenant Francis McCarrick, in
charge of the cell room at headquart-
ers, lifted his pen and questioned the
prisoner.
"My name is Walter K Wilkins" !"
came the first reply. II live at 1854
West Sixty-fifth Street"
Married or single" 2"
Mar, Well, I'm widowerer
now" came the nervous reply.
Every we'll, you can go down stairs"
said the lieutenant.
Is Searched for Weapon
The prisoner then was taken down
into cell. Something about his man
ner caused the policeman to take a
precaution not usually taken with pris-
oners. He announced that the prisoner
would have to be stripped and searched
for any weapon with which he might
commit suicide. Too tired to utter
a protest, DR.. Wilkins went through
the ordeal.
The first object found in his pocket
was a box containing a hypodermic
needle and numerous light uolored
pills. Whether they were drugs to be
used with the needle was not known
lid like to keep that" said the
prisoner, pointing to the box.
Cant let you. Violation of the
rules" answered the policeman, slowing
the box carefully away in his pocket
Then came a wallet we'll filled with
money 1T contained is not known, since
il. was returned to it's owner. But that
discovery alone will require an expla-
nation when the police begin to trace
the movements of the prisoner this
morning. When he left New York Sun
day morning he was said to have been
almost penniless. His banks have been
watched and all his other known
sources of income have been under the
watchful eyes of detectives.
Must Not Talk With LAWYER
While the prisoner was being
searched District Attorney Weeks tele.
phoncd to Headquarters and instructed
that nobody be permitted to talk to the
prisoner.
u don't want him to see his lawyer
until / have talked to him." was his
final instruction to the lieutenant.
A few minutes later the accused phy-
sician's lawyer telephoned
"Tell him l will see him at Long
Beach at 10 o'clock tomorrow morn
ing he said 81 can't see him sooner. y
The latter part of the news already
had been impaired to the man in a
cell, the first was added to the fund of
information already at hand.
"Do you object to being finger
printed" ?" DR.. Wilkins was asked.
The physician moved his lips in the
first hint of a smile since his reap
pearance: 1t was a smile that plainl,
said, whats the p" SO his fingers
; were brushed with the dark substance
familiar to the cuticle of wrongdoers
and the lineaments of his two thumbs
and index fingers were added to thos,
already in the records of the bureau
Will Take Him Back To-day
This morning two detectives from
District Attorney Weeks's Office will
call at the Detective Bureau to retur,
him to the scene Of his wife's murder
One of the two men is Carman Plant
the detective who was to have occupiet
room with the accused man Sunda,
night, when the district attorney de
; cided that DR.. Wilkins knew enougl
} about the crime to warrant keepin,
him under the eye of representative
! OF the law. 1t was the news of th
decision by Mr.. Weeks that is SUP
posed to have caused the physician t
change his mind about "facing tn
r music"
The arrest Of Dr. Wilkins ended
day OF feverish activity on the part o
,, the police and private detectiv
agencies, who have been searching tn
country over for him since he mvster
ously dropped out of sight following
! telephone call he made to his lawve
:. last Sunday morning. Not a little O
: the excitement was caused by the doc
tor himself wv
Gets Message From Baltimore
Early in the forenoon District At
torney Weeks received telegram fron
nait'more which purported to b
signed by DR.. wilkins, the text O
which was as follows:
morning newspapers say my case il
TO be presented by you TODAY. Woulf
| hke to appear. Am returning TO pu
myself in your hands"
The District Attorney put consider
apIe renance IN the message, .particu
N~S~A tS"A Aitb tHAt u similar Ont
had been received by Attorney Friess
The authorities at Baltimore wer,
immediately communicated with ant
at the same time watch was set owe,
every railroad station at which !,
might be possible for the missing mar
TO reach this city. Despite these moves
: however, no trace or word Of DR.. viii
kins was had until soon after 8 O'Clock
last night. whom District Attorne,
weeks, at Mincola, received tele.
prone message from Attorney Friess
; VINO said that the doctor had just tele.
phoned him.
Mr.. Friess told the District ATTORNEY
snAt the doctor had returned to the
city for the purpose Of nurrenderinr
70 tne authorities. He said that he
Rianned TO- meet the doctor at thc
? rennsylvania Station and that thoy
! would take tbs sos train, arriving nj
Mineoia Mt 9:48 D. m. .
Earlier in the day Mr.. Friess is.uot
!. a. statement, In which hc declared ths
: disappearance Of DR.. Wilkins was n,
!. much . mystery to him az to anv ona
!. He said the last time he had seen hi,
!. client was on Saturday, March III. al
mineola, and that tha last tims he hse
p heard froA him up to the receipt Of III.