New-York tribune., 1919-03-20
Captured at Pennsylvania
Station After District
Attorney Gets Message
Date d at Baltimore
Had Shaved Off
His Side Whiskers
Lodged in Cell a Feeble
Old Man, His Strength
Gone; Needle Is Taken
Despite His Protests

Commuters were crowding about the
4elephone booths at the Pennsylvania
Station at the usual theatre hour rush
last evening.
From their number a tired old nan
stepped forth, entered booth and
irantically joggled the hook for SER
vice. A moment later the sudden ap-
pearance of uniformed policeman and
man in a dark overcoat caused men
and women to forget their own mes
sares and watch for the impending
events that involved the nervous occu-
pant of the end booth.
The man with the black overcoat en-
tered the adjoining booth and stood for
fraction of minute. Then he lifted
his hand in signal to the policeman.
The policeman walked to the end
booth and motioned to the man at the
phone.
'It's all up. doctor. want you to
come along with me" he said.
Four-Day Flight at End
And there ended the four-day fight
of DR.. Walter K. wilkins, charged
with the murder of his wife at their
home at Long Beach.
"I-I just wanted to talk to my law
yer before this happened" pleaded the
physician.
Even in the face of the policeman
and those who rapidly began to group
about them. the strong will that he had
manifested in previous cross-examina-
tons at Long Beach asserted itself.
"Well just sit down here awhile.
Ny lawyer will be here soon," he said.
Whereupon the prisoner led the way
to a bench at the end of the waiting
room and sat down. The policeman
viewed him in doubt for few min
utes, then protested.
You'll have to come along or we
will have a scene,' he said, taking one
arm of the accused man in firm grip.
1t was not until then that the prisoner
actually broke down and agreed to obey
the instructions of his captor.
Protests His Innocence
But I'm innocent" he said. II can
tell you that once for ALL
And that was the final statement Of
the physician concerning the charge Of
wife murder, preferred against him b..
District Attorney Charles r. Weeks,
Of Nassau County.
Although the arrest of DIR. wilkins
followed the receipt of telegram
from Baltimore by the District Attor-
ney earlier in the day, in which he
told Mr.. Weeks that he was returning
TO put himself in the prosecutor S
hands" this is not accepted by the
police as evidence that he finally had
decided TO give himself up.
Policeman Patrick J. Kavanaugh, OF
the Richmond Hill Station, was wait
ing for the $40 Long Island train to
that suburb when man in a dark
oyercoat, whose name he did not OBJ
! tain, approached him.
Look at that man. Isn't that loi
like DR.. Wilkins?" asked the citizen.
hgure of man, smooth shaven, white
Of face and nervous. With the ex
ception of the absence OF the char.
acteristic mutton chop whiskers anc
~nise mustache, the man correspondet
70 the description sent broadcast ovel
tne country on Monday.
Saw Mincoia Train Leave
Knowing nothing of the surveillanc
OF the policeman, DR.. wilkins watche.
the $40 train for Mineola pull out o
me station-thc train he said was t
nave carried him back to the prosecute
ana cell. Then he walked over to tn
tssepnones to communicate with hi
sf".er' "a Louis G. Friess. 1t was a par
INC conversation with the lawye
neard by the policeman's citizen assist
shs: that clinchcd the identity Of tn
"git've and resulted in his arrest
~. wilkins protested that he had in
..uoed 70 meet his lawyer at the sta
.sen n, and that he did not care TO 60 to
IN ~. untii ne had conferred with him
ss ~. tns precautions of the police eft
aay s.'seiy prevented any such confer
,a.s ana wili prevent one until tn
Physician has answered many question
'hiS morning.
before he went to a cell Iast niph
ns was informed that he would not b
permitted to see his lawyer until aftc
~ mad seen the prosecutor. Bv tha
ume All the prisoner wanted was reai
ssad ne slumped down on The bench #
sA ~ gen and ceased to inquire for hi
Now Feeble Old Man
.. @ was soon after Q o'clock In tn,
sssning when Policeman Kayanaueh az
s.empsnied by Edward +. McAuIiffs. a
sgs west Ihlrty-seysnth Street sta
is. s,ign. walked into Police Hsadauarter
W,fh their prisoner. '~AsA~' ~
rhi1e jsnntily telling az a. M '5 t,ros.p ros.v :
q pictured ~ killinT Ms vie IN il on
constnu@d m page }ouy