Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-09-18

Whlte PlalnS, N. T., sept. lT-A1t-
err one year and four months Of eff
fort the prosecuting oficials Of West
chester county late today began pro-
secution of Walter S. Ward, son Of
the millionaire baker of Brooklyn. on
the charge Of numbering Clarence c.
Peters. of HaverhilI, Mass.
Once the task of selecting jury
was finished-it began last Wednes-
day and the final two talesmen were
not examined until today-Attorney
General Sherman opened the case for
the state with the announcement that
the prosecution thinks it can estab-
lish beyond n shadow of a doubt
that Ward killed Peters in cold
blooded, deliberate murder"
When Mr.. Sherman had finished
his preliminary with the declaration
that the state would "disprove every
essential part of Wards self-d
Tense statement" Isaac n. Mills.
Wards chief counsel, moved for dis
missal of the indictment. a motion
which Justice Wagner Immediately
denied. The court granted Attorney
Mills request that lin the introduce
ton of certain evidence witnesses
who found the body OF Peters leave
the ROOM" Court adjourned for the
day.
Three days after the cold body O.
Peters, an ex-marine, was found near
the kensico REESE oir on the lonely
Chappaqua road, Ward, through an
attorney, confessed killing him. but
he alleged justification. asserting he
1nfA 1nI l. iu 10 H.. III nCly 1nf
and since then the state has en-
deavored to learn the details Of the
blackmail and the circumstance of
the killing.
Attorney General Sherman empha-
sized. in presenting his case today,
that Wards lawyer did not go t. the
sheriff with his story for three days
and nights, though it was we'll known
in the meantime that an attempt to
identify the corpse was under way
and that officials were baff1ed until
finger print experts established that
Peters was a former marine.
1t was apparent in the first few
crisp sentences of the chief prose-
cutor that the state would try to
prove that Peters was not killed
where the body was found and was
carefully deposited on the, unfre-
auented highway by some one who
desired to conceal what had hap
pcned.
Mr.. Sherman described to the jury
how Peters vest was tightly button
cd after he had been shot, how care
fully the body had been arranged,
how a diiigent search failed 10 dis
cover the bullet which had passed
through Peters body and how only
one shell could be found despite the
fact that Ward said a pistol battle
had occurred on the spot.
The attorney general gave his YER
sion Of Wards own story. He re-
called that Ward said he was &C
costed by Peters. a Charlie Ross
that Peters got into Wards car with
a drawn pistol and forced him to
drive to the secluded spot while the
other two followed in their car.
Peters. according to the story, or
dered a halt. Ward grabbed the gun
and Peters other wrist and Peters
was killed in subsequent scufi1e.
Mr.. Sherman reiterated Ward
statement that Ross" and "Rogers"
fred AT him when Peters was shot
and that though Ward asserted he
fred four times in return only one
empty shell was found.
Mr.. sherman Asserted ti!dl Fttci
had a rendezvous with the trio the
night before and that the meeting on
the night Of the tragedy had been ar
ranged. He said Ward claimed to
have met tho "blackmai!ers" to tenn
uori2e with them until he could es-
cape paying them a $4,000 demand
for blackmai.
Peters was painted az an unso-
phisticcted village youth by the pro-
secutor.
lie WAS not desperate or n
bla ckrna i!cr. but we VIII admit az
serted afr. sherman, that Peters had
been in disgrace few times. He
had never been seen with gunman.
He was not a gunman."
Attorney General Sherman ridiculed
the confession" made by Wards at
torney in representing the Killing:
He classified it as 2 "Tnasterpiece
showing that IN 1t Ward was not
specifically made out "a the death
dealer. He =coffed the turning over
of two pistols by Wards attorneys
70 the sheriff. orc Of them supposed
to be Peters. saying both weapons
were presents made TO Ward a long