The Washington times., 1922-05-26

GET WRIT
FROM NY.
JUS 7 ICE
Step Follows Rearrest and
Revocation Of Original
Bond.

WHITE PLAINS, N. Y, May 20.
The first skirmish in what
promises to be a long and spectacu-
lar legal battle TO free Walter S.
Ward, wealthy young baker and
self confessed slayer of Clarence
Peters, an eX-marine, opened in
supreme court here today.
Habeas Corpus Asked.
Attorneys for the young mil.
lionaire sued for a writ of habeas
corpus for release of Ward from the
White Plains jail, where he is sup
posed 10 have spent the night.
Ward surrendered himself and sub.
mitted 10 rearrest shortly before
midnight. He had been at liberty
on $4,000 bail
Supreme Court Justice Young at
10 o'clock signed a writ Of habeas
corpus requiring Sheriff Georges
Werner to produce Ward in court
Immediately and show cause why he
should not be released from Jail on
bail.
A new sensation was provided in
the case today by reports that Ward
had not spent the night in Jail. as
supposed, but had been permitted.
instead. to go to his luxurious home
near New Rochelle. The story was
printed in a New York newspaper.
but It was instantly denied by county
authorities.
Had Thaw's Old Room.
Sheriff Werner, of WestChester
county, declared positively that
Ward had spent the night in the
same room once occupied by Harry
k. Thaw.
Meanwhile, the thick fog Of mys-
terry around the unusual case re.
mained impenetrable.
Upon advice Of the great legal
forces summoned to his side.
Ward continued steadfast today in
his refusal to divulge the reasons be
hind the Staying Of Peeters, other
than to say "blackmail."
What the blaCkmail consisted Of.
why he waited until a week after
Peters body was found before con.
Tossing. why he attempted suicide
six weeks ago. why his story differs
so radically from the facts as de.
ve!oped by fnvestiga tors-all those
puzzling questions are unanswered.
Ward drove to the sheriff's office
yesterday in his own automobile. &C
companied by Sheriff Werner and
ElwOod Rabenold. of his counsel
After he had been in the sheriff's Of
flee for more than two hours, Rabe-
mold drove away in Wards automo.
bile.
Lawyer Makes Agreement.
From a reliable source it was
learned that Wards counsel went to
the home OF District Attorney Weeks
in White Plains and conferred with
the prosecutor. An agreement was
said to have been reached by which
Ward was to spend the night in the
county jail and that today an appli-
cation for a writ OF habeas corpus
to secure his release on bail would he
made.
District Attorney Weeks, who 10
also mayor of White Plains, explain
ed that the order for Wards rearrest
has been issued on Weeks request,
following a conference with the
Justice.
In the affidavit which was made
by Weeks, the district attorney point.
ed out that Ward is held in $40, 600
hail by the coroner pending an in
curry INTO ttle cause Oh refers OeHVn.
Weeks said that bail now appears in
sufficient. Ward was originally ar.
rested on a technical charge Of man.
slaughter.
In making it very plain that he
is not satisfied that Ward killed
Peters in self-defense. the prosecutor
called the attention Of the court to
the fact that during the time when
the blackmailers are alleged to have
been threatening Ward, the latter at
tempted suicide. He said he believed
that Ward should be held without
bond.
VIII Hold Grand Jury.
The rearrest Of Ward was second
in importance only to an announce
ment by Weeks that he would hold
over the grand jury to hear testi-
mony in the Staying of Peters. This
was taken to mean that much evi-
dence is in the hands Of the officials
which is not generally known.
Sheriff Werner spranR n surprise
late yesterday when he said he had