The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1922-06-04
Boy Who Always Had DUN Way Is Ward,
Who Says He Slew to Escape Blackmailer
ny ALEXANDER HERMAN :

ny ALEXANDER HERMAN =
NEW ROCHELLE. N. Y June
The hoy who always had M
own way"=this describes WalUr
s. Ward. wealthy scion OF the
famous family Of bakers, and self
confessed slayer OF a young sailor
At home, at college in busineSs
In politics. in sport-young war;
always got what he wanted whea
he wanted u.
Moraiisir may point 90 his
present prcdicament as a bancful
outcome no, Z o he unexpected But
n they say he was spoiled, they
the wrong.
Ward IL stalking everything
fortune. honor. life-on mss I'M
supported statement that the mon
he killed was n biackmaiier and
that he shot In self-deferae-
Despite the fact that pubic
sentiment. sympathetic at nrs,. ~
swinging against him ar secmIhg
discrepancies In his story begin -
appear. Ward ~ playing ms cards
~ carefully. cody and calmly nA
u he were sitting In a poker gap1e.
a Good Loser
And friends say that he was just
fUuN NNIN VI n FthtN va
he smiled when he told Of losing
$40 900 In o poker game.
His big card in the killing ~ the
answer q this queFtion: WHY
was he paying blackmaii7 What
was the secret 20 conceal which he
paid $4,000 and was willing 10
pay $4,000 mores"
This card his lawyera--iih
whom he conferred for several
days between the killing ana mis-
cOnfefsion-refuEe to let him play.
Ward. always affablc. IL almost
apoioretic because the lawyers
won't let him reveal this informa-
ton now.
Perhaps II IL his wifr's fortitude
that gives him the courage "a Ftand
up under tho ordeal that n be
coming every day. pcrhaps
ID o. his past experience.
Known as "tsood Sport"
He always was "A good sport since
his DAYS at Yale.
In Pittsburgh, his former home.
he mingled with "A lively younger
set.
when he moved to brooklyn. he
fell In with "A high social group
His wedding % Miss Beryl Curtis
was the big function OF the sea-
son.
lie became associated with the
Ward Baking company. n u the
largest In the country. IL had been
founded by his uncle.
There was n strike on. Tho
company could not make its de-
iiveries Young Ward ieft his desk
mounted a truck and carried goods
to customers.
Enters baseball
Always Interested IN sports.
young Ward helped his father or
gsnixe the brooklyn ball team tu
the Federal league. The venture
failed. but the young sportsman
I was undauntcd.
lie went In for horse racing,
Bookmakerr call him IA hard
boiled" hotter II was this that
involved him with the gang that
biackmailed him. his attorneys say
At first, according to Wards
story. he fave them $1,000. after
a few payments the bid was
asked for s3.oO0-and got u. soon
thy were getting %. 900 payments.
they were getting $4,000 payments.
HNHNNFR
FINALLY" says John II Hron-
nan. one OF Wards counsel they
demanded "A lump sum OF $4,000.
They set the night Of Monday Nay
is. as the time for this cleanup
and getaway Mr.. Ward met them,
hoping to temporize and cut them
lon.'
But they wouldn't be put Oft,
Ward nayH he engaged them in a
/ pistol battle. which resulted In the
killing Of Clarence Peters. i9-ycar-
, old boy who had served In the
navy.
Only once during the six weeks
Of Matchmaking did Ward seem %
weaken. lie took an overdose nt
iodine a stomach pump saved
him.
A. another time authorities my
Ward wireicsscd his father at sea
for $4,000. The answer camr
back quickly: "Not n cent for
bhckmail but viii spend see oov
to put the hiackmnilerH In jan.
His father. as well as his wife
are standing by him, So ue>pits
the fact that he vas forced to to-
sign his position a. police com
missioner Of New Rochelle. YOUNG
Ward keeps smiling in face OF
! trouble.