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Show WDFI10 FORMER OF PETERS BEGINS . ' , .; Scion of Millionaire Says He Killed Ex-Sailor in Self Defense; Charges Attempt ' at Blackmail WHITB PLAINS. X. T. Bept 12 By V. P.) Walter B. Ward, son of th millionaire president of the Ward Baking company, went' on trial today for first degree murder for the slaying of Clarence Peter, former sailor. In May, mi. Crowd from all portion of rural Westcheeter county, attraetrd by th social prominence of th accused ac-cused and the mystery as to motive mo-tive that ha surrounded th case for more tW. yeast, lined as early befor th wait Plains courthouse. wher Supreme Court Justice Wagner Wag-ner opened the trial and directed the drawing of a Jury. Pter was found slain beside a lonely country road, a single bullet hole through hie heart. Counsel for young Ward admitted ad-mitted at th time th bakeCa aon had dona the shooting and aaer:ed h had fired In Mlf-defens. -Th aterv a iIimiih . Th etery ef a a hooting affair In which Ward waa said to have been fired upon waa told and Ward waa released an ball. Bine that th case haa been ant. atantly la the district courts and th public eye In on phaa or another. an-other. A first Indictment against Ward waa dismissed because It wa aut proMUtd promptly. A reindictment waa returned by an extraordinary grand Jury. - Ward wa free on I59.0M ball for many montha This summer h waa rearrested and denied balL The accused I understood to be prepared actively to direct his ewa defenss. His attorney have claimed ho waa being blackmailed and ix-ehangea ix-ehangea of cablegrams and wlreleaa meaeage between Walter' brother and father have been Introduced to support this theory. No court action, however, fcae ever elicited publicly Information aa to the grounds for blackmail. Stories of Ward's relations Jtth racetrack touts, with women In a r.ew I orx fiat ana with Clarence Peters and sailor companions havej appeared from time ta time. Weetrheeter county, where Wjrd waa formerly a police commle-sloner commle-sloner and society leader, flocked I to White Plains today to learn the secret la Ward's life which the slain i man la supposed to have held, j The defendants father and hla wife. Mrs. Beryl Curtis Ward, nave left the Jurisdiction of the etate. They may be called later to testify. tes-tify. Attorney General Carl Sherman will conduct the proeecutlon. He la quoted aa saying the blackmail and aelf -defense theories will not stand up under examination and that he believe Ward wtll not take the tnd- Th drawing of a Jury ts expected ex-pected to reoulro tan day. ' .. i |