The New York herald., 1922-05-23
Gang Of Three Got Big Sum,
but Sought $4,000 More,
Says Self-Accused.
PLOT FORMED AT RACES
New Rochelle Man Gives S1O,-
600 Cash Bail on Charge Of
Murder and Manslaughter.

young man found dead beside a
road near Kensico Reservoir last Tues
day and supposedly killed by boot
leggers was in reality shot by Walter
5. Ward, son of George S. Ward, presi-
dent Of the Ward Baking Company.
Ward, who lives at So Decatur road.
New Rochelle, surrendered yesterday
in White Plains and was held in $lO,-
600 bail for the Grand Jury on a
charge of first degree homicide and
manslaugtter
Ward said the youth whom he killed.
Clarence Peters Of Haverhill, Mass.
discharged sailor of the United States
navy. was one of a band of black
mailers. who had been threatening the
life of Ward and his family for at least
two months. They got about $50, 900
from him-from $1,000 to $4,000 at a
time-and then demanded $4,000 in a
chunk.
Met Band I'm Darkness.
Ward drove his motor car over the
ness OF last Tuesday morning 70 keep
an appointment with the biackmailers.
known 10 him as Charley Ross, Pete
and Jack. His idea was to persuade
them to let up until he could consult
his father, who returned from Europe
by the steamship Majestic on Tuesday.
But Pete pressed revolver against
! Wards heart and ordered him to step
out of his car beside clunp OF trees
near the Kensico reservoir. Ward, who
is left handed, grabbed Pete's pistol
wrist and with his own left reached
down ana snatched up an automatic he
had hidden between the seat cushions
and the side of his car.
! Pete fired and the bullet pierced q
window of Wards coupe and lost itself
in the trunk of a tree. Ward fired back
and his bullet went through Pete's
heart.
Ward then emptied the magazine OF
his automatic at the other two black
Mailer, Charley Ross and the chauf-
feur known to him as Jack. who were
sitting in another car that blocked the
road i'm front of Wards machine. They
replied with at least two bullets, then
their car lunged forward and disap-
pcared.
Ward, leaving the body OF Peters
beside the road. returned to his home.
He told the story to his attorneys and
10 his father on that day. There was a
conference on Thursday with the offi-
GERS of Westchester county and yester-
days surrender was arranged for on
! Saturday
BIackmaii story Mystery.
! What is back OF IL all may never be
| told publicly. Everybody who knows
| the story was silent. II the Westchester
! County Grand Jury indicts Ward and
/ he has TO go TO trial IL Is believed he
will plead that he shot Peters in self
! defense His story Of the events OF last
! Tuesday morning is not questioned by
/ the Westchester county authorities. II
( the Grand Jury or a subsequent trial
| Jury accepts It, IL is held that the fact
! that Peters pointed a gun at Ward and
threatened his life win be all that IS
, necessary to prove that Ward fired To
protect his own life. If SO. the story OF
/ what the blackmailers thought they had
| on Ward will not have TO be told.
! There are letters written by the black
I mailers TO Ward. but he has no present
4 intention of making them public. They
| are not in the hands Of District Attorney
Weeks or Sheriff Werner. in White
| Plains. but held by Wards attorneys.
| Rsbenold & Scribner, 81 Broadway. and
| John T. Brennan of Yonkers. who Is
/ chief OF Mrs James A. Stillman's coun-
| sci in her litigation with her husband.
Plot Originated at Races.
Envood NJ. Rabenold, one of the
] attorneys for Ward. said he understood
/ that Ward first met Charley Ross a. =
! race track and that the blackmailing
! had originated at race track. Ward
| was represented as having lost consider
| able sums of money through betting or,
/ horses recommended by Ross, who was
! described as "a first class confidencs
man." that being the only description
| that the westchester county officers
were able to give OF him, although Ward
! knew him well.
II Wards acquaintance with Ross
| dated back only two months the firs,
meeting could not have been at track
near New York. as the season a,
/ Jamaica did not star. until May 3.
Sheriff Werner would not give any
| details Of the backmailing. as he said
the personal phases of the case could
not be revealed at this time. When a
reporter told him he had heard that the
blackmaiilng started from q race track
deal he said he had been told the same
I thing. Allan n. Campbell, a lawyer
associated with Rabenold &c Scribner
and personal friend Of Wards. also
was asked about the race track story
at his home In Bronxville.
II believe that Is true" said Campbell
which was the only statement he would
make. He answered all other questions
by saying that he was not authorized 70
talk about the matter. AT the home OF
John +. Brennan of Yohkers Mrs. Bren-
nan said her husband was resting and
could not be disturbed. For him she
referred inquiries TO Mr. Campbell.
A maid answered the door Of Walter
Wards home In New Rochelle with a
slip OF paper on which was written the
name and address OF Pabenold g. Scrih-
ner In New York. She said Mr Ward