The New York herald., 1922-06-25
WARD Case STUMPS
SHERLOCK HOLMES
But Conan Doyle, Before
Sailing, Suggests SOlu-
tion by Occultism.
CALLS 1T BIG MYSTERY
Detective in Trance With
Dead Mans Coat May -
Get Measure, He Says.
TO FIGHT OVER INQUEST
Defense Serves Notice 1t Will
Insist on CrOss-Examin-
ing Witnesses.
TO FIGHT OVER INQUEST

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle suggested
yesterday way Of solving the Ward
Peters mystery, but alas. even his
deductive faculty is unequal to the
strain of doing it by normal means.
He would invoke the occult
Confessing, before he departed for
England, that the Westchester muir
der case was one of the most ex-
traordinary that had come under his
observation, the creator Of the Sher-
lock Holmes detective stories said:
Every one is more or. less psychic.
II a detective with well developed
psychic powers would take some OF
Clarence Peters's effects and go into u
trance holding them, say a coat Of
the dead man. 1t Is possible he would
receive some occult aid in solving
the mystery.
Not through spiritualism. mind you.
because I don't believe Peters has beea
dead long enough or was of great
CROUCH intelligence to communicate
with a stranger. but through occultism
or mind Impressions. 1t Is possible.
however. that some one very near and
dear to Peters might get into commun.-
cation with him and learn the whole
story of his death direct from his spirit.
firmly believe this is possible
Tells of Case in London.
Sii Arthur cited an instance Of a Lon
doner named Foxwell. who disappeared.
After several months his friends con-
suited a woman psychic. In a trance
she said she saw Foxwell's body float
irg on lake. She described the spot,
the police went to 1t. and. sure enough,
there was the body.
Allan r. Campbell Of Wards counsel
notified Edward +. Fitzgerald. Coroner
of Westchester county. yesterday that
the defence will expect all its legal
rights to be observed at the Coroner's
inquest. including the right to cross
examine witnesses called to testify
against Ward.
In his letter. copy Of which he sent
to the District Attorney, Campbell sail
that Fitzgerald would not only sit as
Coroner. but as n Magistrate. because
the issuance on May % Of a warrant for
Wards arrest, signed by the Coroner.
started a criminal proceeding again It
Ward. Campbell cited a decision by the
Court Of Appeals in the case Of Roland
B: Molineux. The court said:
IF the defendant. when he attended
the Inquest. was under arrest or formal
accusation for the murder of Mrs.
Adams. he was entitled to be informed
of the charge against him and of his
right to the aid of counsel in every
stage OF the proceedings. and before
any further proceedings were had"
: This MEANS" Campbell wrote, that
the witnesses who are to be called be-
fore you will be. In theory Of law, wit
nesses against Walter S. Ward, and it
also means that because he was ar
rested and held under your warrant
he has the right to the aid of counsel
In these proceedings, and that includes
the right to cross-examine the wit
nesses called to testify against him.
Says Law Is on His SIDE.
Our position is that we have this
legal right. And I think that you will
agree that outside of any question of
legal right 1t is entirely reasonable and
proper that we should not be excluded
from taking part in your inquest"
Campbelrs letter continues
There are now three other proceed
ings being conducted by the District At
torney against this defendant. and in
each of them the defendant has been
denied the right to appear and be con-
fronted with the evidence against him
and has even been denied information of
what that evidence is.
First, there were the proceedings be-
fore the May Grand Jury. resulting in
the indictment; and even now, after the
court has put the District Attorney TO
the election Of presenting his evidence
to a July petit jury ESQ that he could
cross-exanine the witnesses there and
meet that cvidence) or letting us have a
to July petit jury ESQ that we could
move to dismiss the Indictment as based
on insufficient evidence). he is trying
10 elect to do neither, leaving us with
out remedy.
Besides this. there is the proceeding
before Mr.. Justice Morschauser, as
Magistrate, In which our request for the
right to appear and cross examine the
witnesses was denied. Finally. there is
the continuing session of the May Grand
Jury to which. of course. we have no
access.
Reasons for Contention.
These circumstances render It all the
more important that our client be ac-
corded his full legal rights at your in
quest and he should have the oppor-
tunties which he has heretofore sought
and which have been denied him In
these various proceedings.
IT need not remind you that aside
from the inherent reasonableness and
justice Of our position the point may
become of great practical Importance
should the motion which we intend to
make to dismiss the present indictment
be successful; for in that case the de-
fendant would be held only by virtue