Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-01
HARRIS SSAYS
HE WILL NOT
PLEAD GUILTY
HINTS AT MYSTERY IN CON-
NECTI0N WITH CASE
GIVES EVASlVE REPLIES TO
DIRECT QUESTIONS
Prisoner Declares at County Jail He
Will Ask for Probation if Con-
victed on Robbery
Charge

arrest December 10 talked freely con-
cerning his present troubles-freely up
to a certain point, and that point was
reached when he was asked If he was
the man who robbed the store of Don
H. Mcfarland. His response to this
question was vague, bEt his words left
no other inference in ne qUestloner
mind than an affirmation of the i'm
piled accusation.
II will say this much" said Harris,
after a moment of hesitation, Il am
not a thief"
IF you took the money, did you
take it in the belief that you were en-
titled to it?" was the next question.
"That would be revealing my de-
fense," was the repl.r.
There is no intention on Harris part
to plead guilty to the charge of rob-
berry, according to his statement yes
terday. Two links are missing in the
defense he will put up in the criminal
court. When these links are supplied
he will be ready for trial. And this
trial, he added, will prove conclusively
to everybody that he is not criminal
and that even a suspicion of wrong in
tent cannot be directed toward him.
Harris was taken to the county Jail
from the police station Thursday aft
ernoon and said the change was well
come one. His appearance bore out
this statement. He had just passed
through the hands of the Jail barber
and as he sat in a comfortable chair
and puffed at a cigar he looked the
very antithesis of a man dissatisfied
with his surro .ndings.
County Jail Better
"It is so different" he said. "Do you
know, [ did not take off these clothes
while [ was in the city Jail This
place is a paradise when compared to
that filth breeding institution and
while [ was there l could not but won
der why the health inspectors-if such
are in existence-do not turn their at
| tention in that direction"
Look at that" he added as he
pulled up a coat sleeve, revealing sew
eral red blotches. "Fleas."
Harris said he ate one meal a day
while in the city jail and passed his
time during the day in pacing back
and forth in his cell and at night try
| ing to catch rats with a string.
"I walked from one end of my cell
To the other and back again $4,000
times at a stretch" he said. II counted
| it. figured out the number of miles
in that trip, but 1 have forgotten the
total"
| II6H ne Will IilC lciuSlf Va
man who has passed through a dis
agreeable experience and emerged un-
harmed.
ST was thinking of the rats" he said,
explaining his mirth. Somewhere in
that cell 1 found piece of string and
| for hours / sat near a Ventilating pipe
and held the looped cord over the
mouth
Did you catch any,"
| mo-" he replied; they appeared to
be too well trained"
Harris said he expected to have bonds
furnished for his release within twenty
four or forty-eight hours, adding that
| he could easily find bondsmen who
would be willing to aid him in obtain
| ing his release even if the sum were
many times over $4,000, the sum fixed
| by the police judge.
Then Harris got down to the serious
aspect of his position, discussing his
case in a haphazard manner as the
various incidents since the robbery
came to his mind.
Stories Not True
"Much has been said in the news
papers and in conversations about this
case, which, owing to many things, is
somewhat sensational and has been
made somewhat more so. Many of
| THESE DuDilSlltu clooCi luis VI NAAASA L
have heard-because have not seen a
| newspaper since my arrest until today
are without any foundation and are
| likely to do injury to me when my case
| is taken into court. My business and
social regulations are blasted. and no.
body can tell me that little things will
not influence the minds of persons who
may be called as jurors for my trial.
"First, there is the report that my
| Cot In To- 9E000 IN rrat
me out of trouble some time ago, and
| that he satisfied 1915 in debts against
me as the result of issuing bad checks.
That is not true. He never put up a
| hve-cent piece on my account, and the
1915 was paid by my mother"
1t is on his mothers account, said
Harris, that his present position causes
| him the greatest grief, and in this con-
nection he spoke of the death of his
killed himself after attempting to rob
bank in Morgan Park, ILL.,, several
months ago.
"There is no doubt in my mind but
| that nv brother was insane at the
time" said Harris. "Any other ex-
planation for his act would be ridicu-
lous."
Gave Wife Jewelry
"I was also accused of stealing my
wife's jewelry," he said, returning to
his complaint concerning statements
made about him after his arrest. Mrs.
Harris had only one piece of Jewelry
that l had not given to her. l gave
her MANY articles of this kind, and 1
never took them back"
Harris did not testify in his own be-
half at the preliminary examination In
police court and speaking of the testl-
mony of others at that hearing, ne
| said:
witnesses testified I blurted out
when | was arrested that L did not do
that Job before 1 was even accused.
That testimony is not true.
"When the policeman grasped me
and / learned MeFarland,s store haa
making a mistake and he replied, That
may may be so. but it looks bad also
told Mcfarland he would regret haX7
ing me arrested, and the trial will
1 L. wur1H