The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-09-28
w ard Will
Know Fate
on Birthday
Charge to Jury Trying Veal
thy Baker for Staying
Marine Will Be Read
Today.
State Scores Defendant

White Plains. N. Y, Sept. 27.-To-
morrow is the 32d birthday Of Walter
s. Ward. and the young millionaire
baker probably will spend the morn
ing listening to the charge to the
jury that Is trying him for the mur-
der of Clarence Peters. the penniless
ex-marine who was killed May 16.
1922.
Justice Wagner Of the supreme
court will read the charge which
means life or death to Ward. and by
nightfall 1t Is believed that Ward
death in the electric chair. on his
way to a long term in prison. or a
free man, back home with his wife
and two small children.
The summing up of the state to-
day was a dramatic event in which
Attorney General Carl Sherman. him
self but slightly older than Ward,
thundered malediction upon the
young millionaire who has slain an
unarmed man, a cowardly murderer.
Life for q Life"
The packed courtroom thrilled TO
the drama of the states demand for
a life for a life. and the jury sat as
though frozen while the attorney gen.
eral tore at the defense, or rather
lack of defense, on the part Of the
accused man, or acted in tragic
silence, with his deputy, Thomas
O'Neill. the killing Of Peters as
claimed by the state.
Sherman piyoted the whole case OF
the state on the declaration that the
revolver, which Ward claimed had
been used by Peters to fire at him
before he killed the marine. was in
reality the property Of Ward. having
bean given to Ward by Police Chief
Cody on Christmas, 1921.
III this is not the gun that Chief
Cody gave Ward" cried the attor-
ney general, his long slim fingers
passing back and forth over the
weapon held over the rampant OF the
jury box, then why did the defense
not produce that gun?
Walter Ward lied. He planted
his gun. Peters was unarmed. Ward
shot him down without warning.
Again, 1 remind you, this case Is
undefended. He said he wanted
trial. We gave 1t to him. Why does
he still fear the truth, as he has al
ways feared 1t?
First Degree Sought.
IT am not here because of a situa-
ton / created. When ! examined the
evidence against the defendant, l de-
termined Walter Ward should be
brought to trial on that evidence, and
recommended that.
Gentlemen, I can ask for nothing
save a verdict of murder in the first
degree.
Il do not believe Ward AN innocent
man. Where would an innocent man
head his car within an hour after
the shooting-yes, sooner? To the
nearest authority in law.
WAS 1t guilt or innocence that
kept Ward from coming forward un-
I'll four days after the crime? What
finally forced him in? Why. the
Identification of his victim. Every
paper was removed from Peters body.
Why. II he had not been identified
by the authorities. do you Doubt
this man. Ward, would have let him
go to his grave unknown. unidenti-
fled, just an ineonsequeutial person
he, Walter Ward, had found IT neces-
sary to shoot through the heart and
remove from his path?'
The attorney general spoke for
three hours and a half, interrupted
now and then by violent objections
from the defense counsel. but Justice
Wagner invariably ruled that the
matter of evidence and facts rested
wholly with the jury and its recol-
lection OF the testimony and the bear.
ing OF various incidents upon the
main fact. the killing OF Peters.
In closing, Mr.. Sherman said: IF
Wards father. George S. Ward, was
conducting an investigation of the
alleged blackmail plot. and IL that
investigation was helpful to his son.
whyStsnt George S. Ward here?"