The Washington times., 1922-06-08
NJ Is 81 Y {
I AXE \
AUTO
IN GARAGE
Woman Becomes Hysterical or
Learning That Police
F.. Have Note. .
ny international News service.

WHITE PLAINS, N. Y, June
8.--A mysterious letter found IN
q big Packard touring car left In
a garage here for cleaning pro-
+vided the authorities with what
may turn out to be a highly inn
portant clue in the Ward-Peters
homicide investigation today.
Written on gold monogrammed
stationery, the letter limited at in
innate "inside" information on
the tragedy which has puzzled the
authorities of three States for
nearly three weeks. 81
49,. Mentions walt"
Frau was there when Il happen.
ed and left after It happened" one
paragraph Is reported to read. THE
glass that they found in the drive
way was not from Waits car at al.
It came from mine. Walt didn't ar
rive until 9:30 o'clock, although
Beryl was waiting for HIM"
The car in which the letter was
found belonged, IL was learned, to
]. Franklin Burke, head of j. Frank.
lin Burke & Co., Of 621 Broadway.
1t is understood the missive was
picked up from the seat in which
Mrs. Burke was sitting when she
and her husband drove up to the
garage in the car.
Burke admitted today that the
shattered glass found in front OF
the Ward mansion some days after
the tragedy was from the broken
Windshield of machine in which his
wife had called at the Ward home.
The New York man, however.
disclaimed any knowledge of any
thing which might throw light ON
the tragedy itself. @
Denies Visit at House.
Neither my wife nor I was at the
party that night" he said, referring
to q bridge party supposed 10 have
been held at the mansion on the
night of the killing. 81 have not
been in Wards home in six weeks.
1 don't believe, in fact, have been
in Wards house more than three
times in my life. met him through
my brother-in-law, Alfred Hook, who
lives across the street from him."
Burke said his wife had ATTENDED
a card party at the Ward home
about six weeks ago. She made q
visit in Ford coupe, he said. Upon
arriving she locked the wheels of the
machine and left II in front Of tho
house. Upon boarding It to return
home, she forgot to unlock Il. The
sudden start. Mr.. Burke explained.
threw a woman companion OF Mrs,
Burke's against the windshield, shat.
tering It. .... q
It was learned that the misslve
was addressed to Mrs. Charles De-
Boise, of Highlands, N. ]. The
envelope was unsealed and had not
been stamped.
Apparently Mrs. Burke did not
miss the letter for some time. She
made inquiries about IL upon re-
turning with her husband to re-
claim the Packard the next day,
and is said to have displayed signs
of hysteria when she learned that
1t had disappeared from the car.
Turned, Over to Deputy. b
The letter was finally turned
over to q deputy sheriff, 1t is un-
dorstood. -~ ~,
Details of the party at the Ward
home on the night of the killing
were revealed today by Mrs. Al
fred Hook, Of 72 Sutton Manor,
New Rochelle. who was reached
over the telephone by reporters.
Mrs. Hook admitted that she had
been a guest at the party and said
that she was the Frau" referred
to In the letter.
Mrs. Hook explained that moth.
ing of o sinister nature disturbed
the party's gayety; there was no
disturbance, and she heard no
shooting. She did not see Ward
when he came In.
She stated that she had not been
called as a witness.
Indictment Of Ward was regarded
y