The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-05-23
SAYS BLACKMAIL
LED TO SLAyINC
Walter Ward, Held in killing
Tells Of Plot.
Demand For S7s.e00 Led to Gun Play
in Which One of the Three Alleged
giackmaiierS Was Killed.

/ in Which One Of the Three Alleged
| EiackmaiierS Was Killed.
While Plains. y. Y. May 23.-Wal,
! ..r = Ward. 81 years old. son OF the
! pai of The Ward BANKING company,
! ,..rrendered 10 George Werner. sheriff,
| :; nd confessed. according TO an an.
| l.nuHcemenl from the sherifr's ofhce,
! lie Shor and killed Clarence Peters,
| fnrlner navy man. whose body was
| ln,IHd near here recently.
| The shooting, according 10 Ward s
!eporIed confession. uccutrSd last
week The body. which was found
scar Enni>cn Reservoir. VAS Identified
rom scars by he aid ri naval records.
Ward. whose father is The head of
| tiIe of the Biggest baking concerns in
\,N York. live, in Decatur road. New
i.urllel!e
The elder Ward vas widely known
,Ier lhe country Il few years ago as
ns. Of tie biggest financial hackers
Uf The Fedora! Base Bsll League.
Ward, according To the sheriff. said
l,t.l. He had been iured 10 a spot "a
,,e Port Chester road and there
i'Grsrs asked him 70 drive 10 the reSer-
N,ir Arriving Al The reservoir. Ward
n!nued. TWO oTher men drove up
Il 4 car and lhlea yrned him with re
>uirers The shooting followed. alto
:.-iher eight shots being exchanged.
one OF lhe Shots Killed Peters. he
>l.d. The hlacklnail plo: dealt with
/. lnself and family. he said.
A formal charge OF homocide was
n!ade against the young lnsn and ne
vas released on 100000.
The man who was shot was known
= Pete" che sheriTr said. "Idsntif
1liuu fas e,ealed he was Clarence
l.eIers. son OF Mr.. and Mrs Eldridge
Peters. Of Hayerhill. Mass.
Ward said he had been The victim
nf hlackmail for six weeks" the sher-
III continued. "LaSt Tuesday. he
said. they made an appointment with
HIM This was the final effort al
l.Iackmailins him: they demanded
so, 900"
Werner described Ward is riding 10
the place of tile appointment in his
coupe. clinging 10 hope that he
would be able TO ralk his way out of
The situation and obtain withdrawal
+ the demand for $4,000. The sec
t.nd man OF rhe- party was knaWn4te
" ard as Charles Ross, and the third
lAerels as Jack.
The "Gea Gh encounter" as recounse0
by Ward 10 the sheriff was described
il, Werner as follows:
Peters ordered the car stopped.
Ward obeyed. The car carrying
Charles Ross" and Jack" drew up
from behind and was stopped across
ine road i'll front of Wards car. Pet
,..S backed OUT of the coupe. keeping
Ware. covered. and ordered the hitter
out. Ward. who is left-handed. reach
"a into his hip pocket as he alIshted,
drew 4 pistol and leaped. seizins Pei,
eis gun hand Peters fired. missing
.tard and sending bullet through
lte glass al the back Of the coupe.
Ward fired the bullet from his au.''-
matte hitting Peters in The left chest.
l,iercn" The heart and lodging in tie
>nlall OF the back. PeEer> staggered
and collapsed inro the dGst covered
LASS 10y Ihe roadside.
Continuing the alleged confession,
lhe sheriff said Ross and Hack
opened fire on Wsrd from their ca.
and Ward ss q revolver battle en-
sued during which eight or nine shots
were exchanged. He had leaped be
hind his own car. The othe" car sud
denly shot away. one man continuing
the fusillsde from The moving car.