The Washington times., 1922-05-28
Seek Full Facts in
Secret Scandal Back
of Mystery Staying


OF New Rochelle and vice president
OF the great New York baking cor.
poration. kill Peters. the young naval
veteran%
For seven days that question
has stood unanswered confronting
the police authorities Of West.
chester county and the public.
Behind the Interrogation lies IA
morass of secret scandal. which the
slayer and his powerful family. with
the cooperation OF almost every Of.
fetal involved. have sought to keen
screened from the eyes of the world
Outstanding Facts.
Ward says he had gun battle
with three men in a $4,000 black
mail plot. but
The victinis's clothes apparently
had been put on after he was shot,
for the bullet that killed him
only pierced his undershit;
Only one shell from the revolver
was found at the scene:
Marks Of only one lutOiuObI'r in.
stead Of two were apparent at The
scene:
Residents at the scene heard no
revolver shot.
All OF these strange flc:S lead 'hs
police to believe that Pet,"s prohal ~
was killed elsewhere ana his bod
taken TO the spot where il was found
In Corrobora ton Of this theory.
the police have discovered blood
spots just outside of Wards home
and also bloody five Of spades
from a deck of cards like those
found on Peters body.
Doubt Woman In Case"
But why was Peters murdered?
concerning Ward did hc hold Was
woman involved? Police now be
gin TO doubt that there was a
woman in the case, although they
have not entirely halted investiga.
ton along this line
The dead man was Clarence Pc
ters, OF Haverhill. Mass. nephew of
the former Essex county prosecutor
there, nineteen years old, Of good
family and connections. He mad
served in the navy during the wal as
q marine and had been discharged
for bad conduct, which was specified
to have been theft.
The identification was tribute TO
the finger printing system. for tn,
Bureau of Navigation of tn" Navy
Department examined SIS. i55 finger
prints in twcnty.four hours TO ascer-
tain the identity of the owner of tho
dgits impressed on the sheet sent
from Westchester.
Indifference Shown.
But how the youth had come to
his death, or what he had been do.
ing in the community remained un.
discovered until four days later. In
the interval there was once more ar
attitude OF indifference to he noted
in the whole affair, though certain
forces were working beneath the
surface to get ar the facts.
Then. out Of the atmosphere Of
ignorance and Indifference, came the
startling confession Of the million.
aire, Walter S. Ward, OF New Ro-
chelle
He Is thirty years old, the son
OF George s. Ward, who is presi-
dent OF the Ward Baking Company,
one of the largest, II not the largest
metropolitan district; hacker of the
old Federal Baseball League; a
banker. paper magnate, advertising
distributor and Interested in other
financial concerns.
The accused son came from Pitts.
burgh eleven years ago and mar.
ried Miss Beryl Curtis. of Arling.
ton avenue, Brooklyn. AS purchas.
ing agent for the bread company,
he made his headquarters In
Brooklyn, where one of the several
big plants of the corporation Ia
located.
Ward confessed the killing first TO
his counsel. John +. Brennan, OF
Yonkers, n New York Central Rail.
road attorney and representative
OF Mrs. Anne Stllinan In the
celebrated divorce case.
Brennan took the matter up with
Sheriff Werner and District At.
torney Weeks, OF Wcstchester. and
Ward, apparently In his own time
and way was arraigned on a charge
Of granddaughter and released on
bail.