Excerpt from THE NEWS: The First Fifty Years of New York's Picture Newspaper by Leo E. McGivena, published 1969 pages 102-104 ‘The second instance of The News' use of muscle had more immediate consequence for the paper. On May 16, 1922, the body of a young man who had been shot to death was found on Chappaqua Road near Kensico Lake, in Westchester County. Two days later, he was identified as Clarence M. Peters, 19, of Haverhill, Mass., recently in the navy. The next day, attorneys for Walter S. Ward, 31-year-old son of George S. Ward, millionaire head of a large baking company, informed Westchester District Attorney Weeks that Ward had killed Peters in self-defense, and would be surrendered. He was on May 22, and was released by Supreme Court Justice Seeger on $10,000 bail ‘The News quoted Ward's testimony that Peters was associated with blackmailers to whom he had paid $30,000; and who demanded $75,000 more. Peters had called on Ward one evening at his, home in New Rochelle, and was driven by Ward to meet two other members of the group. As they approached an oncoming car, Peters drew a gun. Ward said he had shot him in self-defense. The approaching car vanished. (On May 25, bail was withdrawn and Ward was committed to jail in White Plains. Two days later he was again freed in bail of $50,000. On June 15, Ward was indicted for first digree murder, put back in jail without bail. Two days later, he was again freed in $50,000 bail by the same Justice Seeger, who held there was no evidence of murder. ‘The basis for blackmail was presumed to be wild parties held by Ward in a New York City apartment the summer of 1921. The News obtained confirmation of the parties from the building superintendent and rental agent who had asked Ward to leave. Ward's brother had been in communication by cable with their father in England. The prosecution wanted copies of the cables; the cable company refused to provide them and a long legal scuffle followed Meanwhile, Ward found allies in the Jones family of Haverhill, Mass., with whom Peters had stayed. Joseph M. Jones, a British-born butcher, his wife and divorced daughter, testified that Peters was a degenerate, and generally unwholesome character. The case quieted down. Then on Jan. 2, 1923, the indictment against Ward was dismissed by Justice Seeger. The News went into action. The first step was an editorial, titled "How About It, Governor?" And every day thereafter the editorial column carried two lines of bold type: "Can a rich man kill a poor man in New York, and not be tried for it?" Twenty-two editorials, some addressed to Gov. Alfred E. Smith, some to Seeger and the prosecution, appeared between January and September. Meanwhile, the Jones family disappeared. The News found that Jones had sold his house in Haverhill, and that the family had lived at three New York hotels for various periods before sailing to England — all at the expense of Ward's attorneys. The prosecution claimed that the Joneses could notbe found. The Pacific & Atlantic picture agency found them in London, sent back a picture of mother and daughter. The prosecution said it had no funds to bring them back, which drew more editorial blasts. The climax was reached when The News received a letter from Jones, who wrote that he had sold his house, given up his job, and gone to England on promises which Ward had not kept! Then Peters’ mother sent a petition to Gov. Smith. The badgered Governor finally called for an extraordinary grand jury to investigate. ‘The jury was impanelled. Justice Robert F. Wagner (latera U.S. Senator and father of a future New York City Mayor) was designated to preside over the hearing; and Attorney General Carl Sherman was assigned to conductit. ‘The jury heard 72 witnesses, reindicted Ward on the charge of first degree murder. On Sept. 12, Ward went on trial before Justice Wagner. The trial was covered for The News by Cowan. Westchester off Is, and Attorney General Sherman, were openly hostile to the paper. On the first day of the trial, Sherman announced that the minutes of the trial would be available to all reporters except those from The News ~- a dubious ruling which probably could have been reversed in court if time permitted. However, on the opening day of the trial, a husky, dark-complexioned individual appeared who gave an Italian name and said he represented an Italian newspaper. To establish his authenticity, he telephoned his editor and conversed with him in Italian. The new reporter was very cooperative, and offered to type the excerpts from the court minutes so everybody in the group could have a carbon. Much to the annoyance of Sherman, and the consternation of the other reporters, The News carried a full account of the trial every day. ‘The trial ended Sept. 28; and the not too enthusiastic efforts of the prosecution resulted in an acquittal for Ward. The "Italian" reporter was George Ringler, court reporter for The News. Anticipating resistance on Sherman's part, Payne had devised the subterfuge. Luckily Ringler was not known to other reporters covering the trial. ‘The News ran a final editorial; its objectives had been to bring a rich man to trial, and it had succeeded. No comment was made on the result. J. J. Gack) Gordon, long time circulation representative of The News, holds that the Ward-Peters case was a turning point for the paper. "By 1923, a lot of people were reading the paper. After the Ward-Peters case, they believed in it”