New-York tribune., 1922-06-09
Ward Guests
Named i'm Note
W oman Lost

I was at the Ward house that night"
Was there any shooting there -
"Ab-so-lute-ly not
"Was Mrs Burke there
ayes. she was there. too
Mrs. Hook said that m the night
Peters was killed she crossed the street
10 the Ward home 20 ask Mrs. Ward
10 20 FOR a walk After q brief con.
yersation. however. Mrs Ward decided
20 get up a mixed poker party and as
scmblcd her guests BY telephone Mrs.
Hook said her own husband was vi and
did not attend. and she left the party
AT 1890 o'clock About twelve guests
were still playing cards at that time
she said
When asked 20 name these twelve
Mrs. Hook said she did not care 10 re-
veal any more names until she was
asked for them officially. but she de-
scribed them as Of "our own set
Mrs. Hook declared there was no
disturbance in the Ward home while
she was there. and she was equally
positive there was none later. Mrs.
Ecok said thot her sisters reference
10 "it" was merely an allusion 70 an
accident 20 her Mrs Burke's) machine.
She tried 10 start II with the steering
gear locked and crashed into another
car. breaking the windshield and scat
tering on the Ward lawn tho glass
which later was found by unofficial in
ycstigators and turned over 20 the
sheriff as being. perhaps. bullet-ehat-
tered glass from Walter Wards car.
"Why was the information that the
glass in Mrs Burke's car had been
broken IN the driveway Of the Ward
yard not made public when II became
known that the authorities we're max
ing efforts 70 connect the broken glass
with the killing Of Peters?' Mrs. Hook
was asked.
We did not want 20 become subject
20 the publicity" said Mrs. Hook.
A statement was made last night by
George ". sutton. Commissioner OF
Assessment and Taxation Of New
Rochelle. that he attended card party
az the Ward home on the night OF May
IS. but he was positive Mrs. Hook was
not present.
"If she says so she is mistaken about
the date" said Mr.. Sutton. and added
that the neighbors Of the Wards were
all in agreement 20 keep silent with
respect 10 the affairs Of the Wards
Mr. Burke, the husband OF the writer
Of the letter may have been attempt
ing to keep that agreement when he
denied that either himself or his wife
had been at the home Of the Wards on
the night Of the shooting. He said
yesterday:
"Neither Mrs Burke nor myself was
at the Wards home that night, and |
have not been there more than three
times altogether"
All OF these details, however. will be
simple enough for grand jury 70 IN
ravel There is not a single question
concerning the party that any Of the
guests may decline TO answer. Yester-
day the grand jury examined FIVE New
Rocheile policemen. Cornelius O'Brien,
John HoWlcy, Lester Condor, Edward
Houlihan and Robert Jones. They tes-
tilted. It was understood, in contradie-
tion Of the story told by James J. Cur
ninghsm that Ward killed Peters in
his home. Cunningham said that sew
eral New Rochelle policemen knew all
about H.
When the grand jury resumes its
hearing on Tuesday II is believed a
special prosecutor TO try Ward will
have been selected. and will work with
District Attorney Weeks in presenting
the rest OF the evidence against Ward
20 the grand jurors.