Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-01
GRILL POLICEMEN
IN WARD MYSTERY

|
entrance Of one group Of detectives.
brought into the Ward. Peters killing
/ case by District, Attorney Weeks to In :
vestigate every angle of the mysterious
blackmail and shooting affair. and the
| exit of another group that now declare
| their failure to find Ross mentioned
by Ward as blackmaile in chief. con .
vnccs them that Ross is pure
I myth. marked the sixteenth day since
the ex.sailor' was found shot to death
| on the Kensico Reservoir road.
The search of the Ward home was
declared to have failed to disclose any
evidence Of gun fight there and New
Rochelle policemen stated no shots were
heard in the ncighborhood Of the Ward
| home. Westchester County officials are
to begin another separate examination
today Of all New Rochelle police on
duty in or near the Ward home on May
1G. the day of the shooting. according TO
the story told by the son Of the
millionaire baker.
Mr.. Weeks refused to answer lists Of
questions submitted by newspaper men
on the Ward case. but he frankly ad-
mits that the mystery has him worried
and that he is determined to reach the
bottom of the affair.
W&d's Face Grim
Ward. who was away when the
searching party arrived at his home. ar
rived there shortly nfter they had conf
plctcd their task and departed. He
dashed into the house only to soon
reappcar and hurry away in his auto.
mobile. His face was grim. and it
was said hr had hurried out for con-
sultatiOn with his lawyers.
Seven men who explored the house
from cellar to roof saw no bullet hole.
no stains. no sign of damage or repair,
no memcntors Of any kind.
This search, the first made Of the
Ward house in nine days since Ward
surrendered himself and fifteen since
Peters was said to have been killed
on May 10 near the Kensico reservoir.
marked the beginning of an astonishing
burst Of activity among the officers Of
Wcstchcstcr County.
They engaged the Pinkcrton Detective
Agency. with instructions TO bore into
he Ward Peters mystery. regardless of
expense.
Policemen Make Denial
They rounded up every New Rochelle
policemen who was posted near o:
passed the home OF Water Ward on the
night Of May Is. and tried to get at the
truth Of an assertion that two police
men heard shots and ran into the house
only to salute and depart when they
were told that "Thc Commissioner will
handle this natter" All the policemen
denied knowing anything about It.
Invasion of the Ward residence.
which is a large stone building on n
hilltop. took place over the protest Of
Mrs. Ward and Of Allan Il. Campbell.
ono of the Ward attorneys. Campbell
said it was illegal in tn" absence Of a
search warrant. Assistant District A..
torney Ferris replied that the authority
of tho District Attorney was good
enough for him. Campbell then wrote
out n formal protest and gave it to
Ferris and the raid proceeded.
1t has been contrndcd right along by
WcstchcS,cr critics that the authorities
could take n run through the house
whenever they wanted to. Their failure
to do SO and to ascertain by subpoena
and under oath from members Of the
Ward household jus, what went on
there on the night Of May IL had been
one of the grounds of adverse com.
mcnt.
According to the newspaper story that
provoked yesterdays fireworks. Ward
and two other young mon were sitting in
his library on the evening of May 10.
when two other persons, apparently
Ward drew his pistol. killed Clarence
Peters with one shot. wounded another
man in the shoulder and on the scnlp
and sank fourth bulIc, in the wall
The wounded man was hustled to n hos
pilal and the body of Peters was later
iqund beside the road near kcnsico
Rnyorynir