Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-02
Ward Mystery
Near Solution
Continued from PAGE One

Continued from Page One
Into the chase. and agents Of a private
detective agency also are active
The sheriff. when asked if the arrest
of Cunningham might lead to the re-.
arrest Of Ward on charge of murder,
replied:
II am not going TO arrest Ward
unless ! get an order
Mr.. Weeks stated that ac would
make no move until the clues obtained
from Cunningham had been investi-
gated. He admitted that evidence of a
huge blackmail ring had been put before
him and that his men were putting
every ounce of energy into tracing pos :
sible connections between Ward and the
blackmailers.
According to Mr.. Weeks, Cunning.
ham gave only brief statement to the
authorities last night. Mr.. Weeks an.
noVncement was as follows:
"The New York American has turned
over to the Sheriff man who tells n
story In connection with the Ward case.
This man was trailed for three days.
following the receipt of an anonymous
letter.
"He first told one story. but when
confronted by the Sheriff and the Dis.
tfict Attorney, and upon ques ionlng BY
these officials. he changed his story.
Nevertheless, he stated that the second
man said to have been shot BY Ward
was a former private detective.
"He states that short time after the
shooting the wounded man was brought
in a touring car to his mothers home
In the Bronx. The man evidently knows
q great deal more than he has told about
the case. He states that The shooting
came out of an effort to trap Walter
8. Ward.
''The mans name is James J. Cum
ninghsm. His address is in the Bronx
somewhere.
Place Of Shooting Withheld
MIR. Weeks said he did not know
whether Cunningham alleges that the
shooting took place in the library OF
Wards home. 1t was the New York
American that published circumstan-
tial story on Wednesday morning TO the
effect that the shooting took place in
the library and that Ward fired four
shots at the two unarmed men--one OF
the shots killing Peters. two hitting his
companion and the third embedding 1t :
self an the woodwork.
According to that story. Ward began
firing when he discovered that he had
been trapped and that his conversation
overheard by a friend Of the Ward fam
ily and another man who had been
smuggled into the house. That version
Of the affair had it that the object OF
Peters visit was to discuss with Ward
! q blackmailing plot Of which Ward was
not the victim.
Following the publication of tba,
(, story, Sheriff Werner and others search .
ed the Ward home from top to bottom
and announced that thcy had not found
a bullet in the woodwork or any Other
evidence to support thc story.
After he had given out Cunningham m
story District Attorney Weeks said thnt
no action against Ward would be taker
during the mig Int on the strength of III,
new information. He said he woll,
decide this morning what to do
Ward "IIounded for Money
To support Wards statement tha
men known to him as Charley Ross
i and Jack were accomplices Of Peter
IN extorting $50. 600 from Ward in con
nection with n race track affair. an EN-
ploFe of the Ward Baking Company wa
4 ,01oted In New Rochelle newspa pc
4 Yesterday rs saying that such men H."
= nHontly visited or telcphOned Ward II
~ o61ce and bounded him for none
81 ~ owed to bookmakcrs at the rae
tEAcks.
Whether this statement was put for
Xev4 to conceal the real basis for IN
nebmailing and the shooting, thcr
.S = no way OF telling.
@ncurrently with the revival Of tn
track story, there was a renewa
ce1p IN New Rochelle about car,
ebr W stakes in Wards home
s1sys = an inyeterat