Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-09-27

= White Plains. \. Y, Sept. 26.-(By
a. P)-The case of Walter s. Ward
was pleaded before a jury in state SUI
preme court today WITHOUT a single
witness having been called in defense
Of charges that he murdered Clarence
Peters, ex-sailor, II months ago.
This day marked the third success
sive one in which the trial has been a
series of surprises. The prosecution
had rested its case last night with
abrupt unexpectedness. after summon
ing only SO of the - witnesses whose
testimony before the extraordinary
grand jury caused Wards indictment.
The defense was to have begun call
ing its witnesses this morning.
Instead. a few moments after Jus
tice Wagner took the bench, Isaac y.
Mills. Wards aged chief counsel. arose
and. without preface or emphasis. said
in a voice so low that few heard his
words:
The defense rests. your honor"
A short recess followed, then four
hour and Is minute address before the
jury in which Mills consumed the re-
maindcr of the days session and ex-
hausted in detail every phase of the
evidence on record.
If. as has been rumored. the prose-
cution does not foreGo it's privilege. il
will begin summarizing its case before
the jury tomorrow morning; then the
defense will make rebuttal. followed
by the judges charge. and the case is
expected to be in tho jury's hands to-
iCl1 rIt -rtrf
1t was a murhy day and the court
room windows were kept nearly closed
against the occasional driZzle of rain.
Ward might be called by defense. it
had been reported and in that event a
Erilling cross-eXamination was ex-
pected.
So the curious came early in greater
numbers than before and more doter-
mined than ever to gain entrance. The
air grew sitting. Women. girls and
law students got most of the seats. The
battle for standing room and for place
at the cracks of the doors ragged all
day.
Mills began his summary TO the jury
at 1915. 4 recess was taken at noon
When he concluded. shortly before
o'clock. his last words were: Cen
tlemen of the jury. have faith in West
CHcSttT COUNTY.
often he reiterated his charge
that the state had failed completely
to offer evidence which warranted
the defendants trial for murder OF
even for manslaughter. He took
definite pains to back this charge
with an infinitesimal discussion OF
all the points the state had sought
TO establish by testimony or eXhib-
its. He attacked Attorney General
Sherman's method OF conducting the
trial. charging he had been guilty
of most unfair practices and that
the prosecutors aides had unreserv-
eddy coached its most important wit
nesses.
At the first reference to her hus.
band as a man who had shot g
blackmailer in defense of his wife
and children. Mrs. Ward wept. From
then on she dropped in her chair
between Ward and his brother
Ralph.
1t was impossible for attendants
to move about. the room was s.
crowded. even around the Judge:
motioned for water. a glass Was
passed from the entrance. hand tC
hand. across the rail to where she
sat amid the score of trial attor-
neys and their aides. When II ap-
peared she would collapse, a vial OF
smelling salts reached her by the
same route. Ralph Wards arm
around her shoulders seemed al
that kept her from slipping TO the
floor in the last few hours.