Norwich bulletin., 1922-05-24
vp d's
 Story Murder

ca biackE11alIerS Tad on
 Ward Remains a Secret =
 Some New Developments
 Disclosed.
 White Plains, N. r, May 2S.-Walter s. Ward, wealthy bakers son. who yes terday surrendered himself with the statement that last week he had shot. in self-defense. Clarence Peters, an ex- marine, whom he charged with black mailing him nearly died from poison about six weeks.
 This became known late today, when pr. Orville H. Schell stated that he had been summoned to the home of young
 ard, and found him writhing on the floor, wIsiI a4I empty bottle of poison beside him.
 sIt is my personal opinion that the taking of the poison was accidental '' Dr. Schell said. I do not know diff ferently and you must believe a man in- nocent until he is proven guilty. MT Ward Is subject to very severe head aches. and it is an easy thing to get medicines mixed in the dark. He had a narrow escape"
 Meanwhile, while the authorities spent the day checking up in detail the story told by Ward of 8 running pistol, fight with three alleged blackmailers with
 nom he had held g rendezvous, the na- ture of the nolu which they had upon him-and which was alleged to have let to a $3e.S00 payment-remained secret
 I1n this connection it was learned that shortly before the shooting, Ward hac received from his father, George s Ward, millionaire heau of the Ward Baking company, then on the liner Ma jestic, a radio reading: Not one cen for blackmail.' This message replied to one from his son. telling hdm of addi toinal demands made on him. The young wife, seen today at he home in New Rochelle, where her hus band Is police commissioner. professet stoutly her confidence in him. It wa evident that the spectacular develop ments of the last few days had lcf their trace on her, but dn reply to ques ] tions by reporters. she replied prompt ly:
 T have the utmost confidence in m, husband. I do not believe any woman 1 is mixed up in the blackmau scheme.
 She stated that she did not know un ! t.i yesterday of the demands that ha been made on her husband. She addc .hat she did not know of his rece:yln my letters from tive men, known onl as Ross and Jack who were allege ! to have been with Peters when he wa shot
 Search for the two men, which prove fIuatless in the tenderloin last night was pressed today at the Jamaica rae track and oti-er resorts of tu-fmen. It was understood that a check wa being made on a report that Ross" an Jack, representing themselves as cor nected Nich the Quincy Stables. had II troduced themselves to young Ward z the track The owner and the trains
 of the stables said they never had hear of them, and Wards lawyer professe Ignorance of why the track shoul
 have been searched.
 Ward and Peters had been togethe
 at race track, but MT. Ward is not
 habItual race-goer," he said
 i The authorities of West Chestt
 county indicated that they were takin
 nothing for granted in the case, but wei
 checking up on every statement mao
 by Ward, who is at liberty under s10
 0o0 hail bond.
 They admitted that while many fac
 tallied, they were at loss to determir
 what had become of the pistol wit
 which Peters. who hailed from Have
 hill, Mass, was said to have threatel
 ed the victim of his alleged blackma -plot. Peters was shot in his track
 but no gun has come to light, accordir , to the investigators.
 The inquest wifi be held next wee The prosecutor, who has preferred I charge against Ward as yet, did not il
 dtcate what his action would be if u
 coroner should exonerate the your
 man ol a homicide charge, on u
 ground that he fired in self-defense, lie claims.
 It became known tonight that tt authorities are Investigating Eariol , stories concerning Wards immedia , past which they believe may. bring
 bearing Aon the events that led up to u
 shooting, One of the reports being il vestigated is that Peters was prese
 with Ward in the latter's home last Tue
 day plight a few hours before the shoo i, Ing at a poker party" in which SC , eral other men are said to have partic pated.
 , The police also are investigating a r l. port that Ward is indebted in a su . exceeding $4o.00o to race track bs 5 ting commissioners. Investigation al r Is being made of Wards former actfy I ties in Pittsburgh where he lived pri z to making his home in New Rochelle : Mrs. Ward tonight reaffirmed her co . fdence in her husband, reiterating tn
 she did not believe woman was co
 oerned in the blackmail scheme, but e
 pressed apprehension concerning Peter : alleged companions. T can never rest in peace as long l those rats are stEl alive" she said. Inc Y-7 : Muscowitz, who was asleep in the 2 U rage of Clarence W. Eckhardt, befo 2 whose home Peters body was found, t s night told the authorities that he had n 4 heard any shots Tuesday morning, wh < Ward claimed to have had pistol bs /. tie with the three men. Moscowitz sle ' eighty yards from the scene of the su 7 posed battle.
 Mir. Eckhardt's house, where ten De pie were asleep, is within 200 yards ;. the scene. None heard any shots Ec hardt declared that he examined the bo
 of Peters the day it was found and ss 2 no bullet hole. in either the coat or we . but there was one in the undershi s which, with the flesh. was burned, e dicating shot at close range No pis . was found near the scene and there " s no glass in the road, although Wa
 had said a window in his coupe had he lll shattered by a bullet
 d Details of the story told by Ward tf . Peters and his accomplices had he '' blackmailing him for six weeks prior
 the shooting are being investigated
 the authorities who said they had leal
 ed that the ex-marine's mother had T ceived postal card from him post ma1
 ed Paris Island, s. C., only month al s It was also said that Peters did I e, lleave his home in Haverhill, Mass, UT 1e April 25. The postal card to his mo j. CT was mailed at Paris Island tbir+e at days before Peters was killed. 1