New Britain herald., 1923-09-24
COURT ROOM in SOBS
AS MRS. WARD TALKS
Sympathetic Women Spectators
Join Her in Weeping al Trial
wife TELLS HER STORY

White Plains. N. Y. Sept st-Mrs
/ Walter 3. Ward was called TO this
witness stand today by the proseeu'
ton to testify In the trial of her
husband charged with murder In the
! first degree of Clarence Peters OF
Haverhili. Mass.
sobs on the Stand
There was hush over the crowd
ed court room when the defendants
wife. dressed In blue Jersey dress
trimmed with white cuffs and collar
and wearing a small dark & Ran hat
that afforded a clear vie & her
features. went TO the -. d. She
sobbed AS she sat In - ~ "a, I'd
when the questioning be. Ne<
her eyes with her small 4 s. O. y
and tried to smile. sts %.
The way for her entrance Il -
paved by previous witnesses WI o.
tilted that they had played cards
her, her mother. other relatives a.
friends of the family on the night
that Peters was killed. These wit
nesses had agreed that they had not
seen Ward at his home between S
O'Clock that evening and half hour
after midnight when they left.
Saw Husband at 4 Or 5 A. NJ.
Still sobbing but withal trying to
smile, Mrs. Ward calmly answered her
questioner, She said that the first
she saw her husband on the night of
the killing was between and
o'clock in the morning when he en-
tered her room and awakened her
Answering her husbands attorneys
she testified that it was possible for
her husband to have been home
earlier and for her not to have heard
him until he came into her room.
Asked if he offered any explanation
why he visited her so late Mrs. Ward
replied that he did. Justice Wagner
upheld the contention of the defense
that Mrs Ward could not be called
upon to testify what her husband
had said to her.
Was his explanation satisfactory 2"
asked the prosecutor.
Yes" she replied.
Speaks Very Low.
Mrs Ward was apparently COM
posed as she parried the interroga-
ton but her voice was so soft that
her answers were almost inaudible to
he spectators who leaned forward in
heir chairs to catch every word At
lines her answers were so low when
she was questioned by Attorney Gen.
Sherman that the court clerk had to
'epeat them for the stenographer
Ind the jury.
Still suppressing her sobs, Mrs
Ward testified that when the first
srand jury began the investigation of
he killing of Peters, after it had been
announced her husband was impli-
'ated she went to Bermuda. After
he had been there some weeks, she
aid, she cabled her husband to know
she could not come home to get
he children and go to some other re- s
ort, This was arranged she added s
nd she took the children to Atlantic {
'ity. /;
To the questions of the attorney l
eneral she answered that she re- I
1ained there out of the Jurisdiction of '
lew York state while the last grand {
ity was FelHNtStlSdtlnS the KllllnE :
nd preparing the indictment under I
'hich her husband now is being tried '
Other Women Sob Too l
Mrs Ward remained on the witness l
and Is minutes and when she re- .
lrned to her seat behind her hus- !.
and she was shaking nervously Be
,re she sat down she looked fixedlv Q
ito his eyes and then buried her face !,
her handkerchief and sobbed aud :
NY In moment sympathetic sobs :
ould be heard from women scattered =
I over the court room
Helps Wife to Chair
The staff of defense ATTORNEYS rose !,
J their feet when Attorney Gen. :,
herman first summoned Mrs, Ward :,
the chair but they interposed no !,
,lection. Her husband, the defend :,
1t also got to his feet, and assisting :
s wife from her chair, accompanied .
sr around behind the Jury box and !,
the witness stand where he gently =,
elped her to her seat. :,
With an air of pathos. she souirmed 81
'out minute, muffled her sobs In %
n handkerchief, leaned forward and ~
CONTINUED on Third Page). ia
g. W.