The New York herald., 1922-05-25
New Rochelle Man Quits
Police Board While Story
Is Doubted.
INVESTIGATION IS SLOW
Newspaper Men Finally
Search Roadside, but
Find No Shells. =
GUN REPORTED TRACED
Sheriff Werner Says He Knows
Where Peters's Pistol Went
After Fight in Motor.

Walter S. Ward, who killed Clar.
ence Peters and says Peters was a
blackmailer, decided yesterday to re.
sign as president of the Board of
Police Commissioners of New
Rochelle
Charles A. Van Auken, New
Rochelle Corporation Counsel, said
last night that Wards attorneys had
informed him that the resignation
had been mailed from New York and
should reach Mayor Scott this morn.
ing.
This decision was reached In a con-
ference of Ward. his relatives and
the lawyers in New York yesterday.
1t was prompted by the unexpect.
edly skeptical attitude assumed by
the public toward parts of Wards
story of the killing of Peters.
Refuses to Quit Mt First.
1t was reported in New Rochelle
that Mayor Scott had asked Leroy
Frantz, neighbor of Ward, to 60 to
him with friendly suggestion that
he resign and cease to be a member
Of the Police Commission at least
until he was cleared of culpability
Of the death of Peters. Ward was
reported to have made this answer
to Frantz:
Resign while am under fire?
No. Tell that to Scott"
But at o'clock I'm the morning
Ward went to New York from New
Rochelle and was apparently per.
suaded that it was the part Of wis
dom to quit the ommissionership IL
New Rochelle felt in the least EN-.
barrassed by his continuance.
Signs of quickening interest in the
Ward case, with the possibility OF a
real investigation, were apparent
yesterday in the Westchester county
seat, White Plains. District Attor.
ney Weeks said he did not believe
certain parts of Wards narrative.
Every Point Must BE Proved.
Il am not satisfied with his story of
the killing said Weeks. There are
many points in 1t that do not sound
just right to me. He must prove every
point to our satisfaction and the proof
must be public property
/ He will have to explain what be-
came of the gun with which he SAYS
Peters tried to shoot him just before
Peters fell. He must prove that there
was struggle. that there was pistol
battle. Do not think that We have
swallowed his story hook. line and
sinker. because we haven't
I Eight days have passed since the
body later identified as that of Peters,
former seaman. was found beside
1 TIE main highway leading north from
/ White Plains. Three days have passed
4 since Ward gave himself up, and told
/ of shooting Peters and of the shots
exchanged between himself and the
! two other blackmailers, Charley Ross
and Jack, before this twain sped away
] in their red car. But the fact Is that
even the most elementary investisa-
4 tion has not been made.
Roadside Not Searched.
! The westchester authorities have NOT
even made a careful search Of the
place where the dead Peters was die
covered Tall grass beside the road. in
which one might expect a hunt TO be
| made for the missing shells of the
] a. IT,. -
Ward says he emptied at Charley Ross
and Jack. has not been moved. II has
! not even been trampled or had not been
until newspaper men got down on their
/ hands and knees and went through 10
1 yesterday-without hnding any shells.
The bullet hole which the westches-
/ ter officials were supposed TO have found
/ in n tree beside the road does not
exist. There are n few marks on the
tree. abrasions OF the bark such as the
| points OF a telephone linemsn's climbers
! might make. but none OF them IL a
bullet hole. There IL no bark on any
/ other tree IN the vicinity
| On granite boulder near the road
there are three indentations which look
as if they might have been clipped by
4 bullets, but no hattened lead was found
/ beside the boulders although IL the bull
let's hit them at all they did so squarely.
At the right of the road ls steep
bank covered with trees. little and big.
This ciump. as the westchester officers
picture the scene on the early morning
OF May 49, was in the line of Wards ire
/ as he blazed away at Charley Ross and
Jack and they blazed back at him. But noe
leaf can be seen with bullet hole la
IL, nor a leaf nor a twig snapped of.
/ nor an abnormal mark Of any kind ex-
cept the gouges in the trunk Of a big
| oak
IL was reported In White Plains that
the Ward interests had employed a New
York private detective agency to cover
1 the ground and gather the evidsacs