The New York herald., 1922-06-21
WARD TRIAL JULY II,
DEMAND OF DEFENSE
Case Expected to Be Called
Unless Weeks Can Show
&, Good Cause.
GEO. S. WARD TO TALK
Ready to Testify for His
Son, Says Judge Mills,
Retained in Case.
THEN SECRET WILL OUT
Pinkertons Say They Have
Traced Wards Gay Life That
Led to Blackmail.

y,
trict Attorney Weeks of Westchester
county can show good cause" for
postponement.
This was apparent yesterday, when
Wards chief of counsel, Isaac N. Mills,
former Supreme. Court Justice, said he
would demand a speedy trial for his
client and would ask that the June
term of the Supreme Court hold over
into July with Justice Morschauser
sitting.
Section 66s Of the criminal code
provides that unless good cause to
the contrary be shown" any person
indicted for crime must go to trial
at the next term of the court that in
dicted him. Wards counsel will point
out that the self-confessed slayer Of
Peters was indicted by the May Grand
Jury and should therefore be entitled
to trial at the June term Of the court.
The prosecution will probably reply
that the indictment was not voted
until June Is, and that other cases
take preference.
1t was learned last night that an
order had been applied for in Manhat.
tan to require District Attorney Weeks
to show cause why the Grand Jury
minutes should not be examined by
counsel for the defense and why the
trial should not proceed Immediately.
Allan r. Campbell of Rabenold' &
Campbell. of counsel for Ward, ad-
mitted that an application for such an
order had been made. but said the
order had not yet been signed.
Justice Morschauser's court will try
Everard Blanks. a negro. for killing
another negro. beginning next Monday.
This case may occupy the remainder
of the June term The first July data
available for hearing case. according
to a we'll informed source, Is the week
of July II. 1t is believed that Justice
Morschauser will consent to hold over
the June term. If not, Ward will have
to remain in Jail at White Plains until
next October.
The May holdover Grand Jury. which
indicted Ward, will reconvene to-day.
Just why has not been disclosed. 1t
was said that a superceding indictment
will be sought. 1t was said also that
en- indictment charging some one with
conspiracy to defeat the ends of JUS
tice may be the object of the proceed
ing.
Ward was indicted before the pro-
fuction Of some of the witnesses whom
The prosecution hoped would reveal the
true story of the blackmail plot. Among
them is George S. Ward. president of
the Ward Baking Company and father
of the defendant. He is on trip Of
bspection of Ward properties in Penn
1ylvania and Ohio, but it is understood
that he will return in a few days and
accept a subpoena.
Another witness whom the District
Attorney has been unable to find Is
Walter Wards mother-in-law, Mrs. N.
Ward Curtis of Isl Arlington avenue.
Brooklyn. She and the elder Ward
are supposed to know the whole truth
about the blackmail.
Witnesses on stand To-day.
The witnesses who will appear before
the Grand Jury to-day are DR.. o. H.
Schell of Sc Meadow lane. New Rochelle.
who attended Ward when he took
iodine in mistake for medicine accord
ing to his own accounD, two weeks
before the blackmailing plot culmi-
mated in Peters's death. and Mr.. and
Mrs. Waldo /. Shuman, and Mr.. and
Mrs. Alfred j. Hook. Wards neighbors
In Sutton Manor. New Rochelle.
Mrs. Shuman was at the Ward home
6s Sutton Manor. the night Of the iodine
incident. She and her husband and Mrs
Hook were guests at Mrs. Wards card
party the night of May is. when Peters
was killed. They have already told their
stories to the police, but their testimony
did not shake Wards own explanation
OF the shooting.
Mr.. Mills personally took charge of
the Ward defense yesterday when he ap-
peared at the. court house in White
Plains and conferred with his client and
associate counsel
He was asked II the real secret of the
blackmail plot would come out at the
trial.
Everything relating to the defense
will be brought out If necessary" Judge
Mills replied.
"You can't blame Mr.. Ward for not
wishing to bring humiliation on his
family"
"If the prosecution seems to make a
case we will of course make as complete
a statement as any one could ask We
hope the public will be satisfied" he
added. smiling at the newspaper mer.
He was pressed for hint az to Just
what his defense would be.
You can't expect us to put out our
defense until the prosecution has made a
can't expect us to say more than that.
within the next few days Mr.. Brcn-
nan and myself will make a motion be-
fore Justice Morschauser for copy of
the Grand jury minuts. The precedent
in westchester county is to grant such
motion. Before the end of the week we
also will appear before Justice Nor
sehauser to make another application for
a speedy trial.
Another precedent in this county Is
not keeping a man in Jail all summer IL
he wishes an Immediate trial. We will
ask that the June term be continued
with Jalstic Morschauser sitting so that
the defendant will be tried by the middle
OF July.
Asked About Prisoners.
~when / sat on the bench here I al
ways asked the District Attorney at the
end of my term IL there were any prls-
oners in jail awaiting trial"
Before his retirement on January 1,
1921, under the age limitation, Judge
Mills was presiding Justice of the APP
pellate Division of the Supreme Court.
Questioned further. Judge Mills doubted
whether the Grand Jury had obtained
any information that might be valuable
20 the prosecution at Wards trial. With