Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-06-14
Grand Jury Resumes Consider
alton of Case-Sheriff and
Finger Print Expert Heard
Father and MOther-in.Law of
Ward Fail to Appear-To
Quiz Brother About Black
mail Plot

White Plains, \. z, June 1.-two
men who knew Walter s. Ward,
wealthy young baker, who has con-
fessed to xii ling Clarence Peters,
when Ward played the races, told
their story to District Attorney
Weeks just before the grand jury
met to consider the Ward case to-
day.
The men were Alfred +. Blute,
race track follower and Elwood
Heffncr, in whose pocket was found
a letter written by Ward on the day
Peters was killed. Butte declared he
had received no subpoena to appear
before the grand jury but went to
Mr.. Weeks to tell his story voluntar-
lily
He asserted that Ward impressed
him as being fine fellow" and did
not appear to him to be q 'Welcher."
Blute's sister, however, has asserted
that Blute gave Ward a tip on a
horse named Assume which paid big
money but that Ward never paid
Blute and a man named Ryrnes,
through whom the bet was placed,
any share of his winnings.
II met Ward once" Blute told re-
porters. Il had a tip on Assume and
gave it to Byrnes. He laid $1,000 on
it. We met Ward in his office and
that is the only time 1 ever saw
Ward"
Sherice Werner was the first wit
ness called before the grand jury
when it resumed consideration of the
Ward case. The sheriff was in the
room an hour and fifty minutes, 60
ing over the case from the time Pet
ers' body was found on the lonely
kensico road to the present.
Raymond Hill, the county's finger
print expert who first jumped into
real prominence in the case when he
headed a careful search through the
Ward home in New Rochelle, and
who has since acted as the sheriff S
most trusted aid in the investigation,
also saw the district attorney. 1t is
known he has been subpoenaed to
appear before the grand jury, but
whether he was a witness today was
q mystery
Two of the most important wit
nesses for whom subpoenas had been
issued did not appear, They were
George S. Ward, father of the slayer
and Mrs. Anna Willard Curtis, his
mother-in-law. Deputy shcriffs re-
ported they had been unable to serve
either witness since the subpoenas
were issued last Friday. Ward. SEN
Tor, it was learned, is at Williams
port, Penn, and does not contem-
plate returning home for some time.
George w. Sutton whose home is
in Sutton Manor, New Rochelle, a
few doors from Wards home, was
ready to testify. He was at the card
party in the Ward home on the night
Peters died but he has asserted there
was no disturbance of any kind at
the house. He said he left about l
o'clock in the morning with other
guests and that Ward had not re
| turned.
Another witness was Madeline or
Fiji Zeigler, the. French maid who
served in the Ward house while Lulu
Barrows was on vacation.
Ralph d. Ward, brother of Walter
S. Ward was called to the grand jury
room but after few questions, de-
clined to testify. District Attorney
Weeks went at once to Supreme
Court Justice Morschauser who is in
charge of the grand jury, and, it is
understood, Ward will be recalled
and the questions will he put to him
again. If he declined to answer
then, it is said, he will be cited for
contempt of court.
1t had been expected that Ward
will be asked about the blackmail
plot which, his brother has declared,
is the principal reason for the killing
of Peters.