Imperial Valley press., 1919-02-13
WOMAN WHO
ACCOMPANIED
ELLIS
INTERVIEWED
Mrs. Mary Watkins of Los
Angeles Declares That
Wanted Man Deserted
Her in Ell PaSO.

Los Angeles, Feb. 13.-Not the
least startling chapter in its grisly
story was added yesterday to the
amazingly complicated investigation
of the Ell Centro murder when Mrs
Marguerite Harry Watkins, the
supposed victim of the crime, re-
turned alive and we'll to he home OF
CESS of 1859 Woodlawn avenue.
Mrs. Watkins, who the investigators
confidently declared was the woman
slain and her body partially inciner-
ated at Lyons Crossing, near Ell
Centre, about January 5, was found
by Mr.. Burgess at El Paso. To that
city she and her little daughter Deo-
da We're accompanied by Harry Ell
lis, former Los Angeles street car
employe, who was hunted for weeks
over Southern and Lower California
as the supposed slayer of Mrs. Wat
kins.
Mrs. Watkins said last night that
she does not know where Ellis is
now. She says he abandoned her in
the Texas city three days before her
brother-in-law came for her in an
swer to her last appeal-such as she
had made several times before-tC
be provided with means to come
home Ellis is wanted in Ell Centre
for taking valuable horse and
buggy and failing to return them. II
was this rig that made possible the
couples flight into Mexico.
According to Detective Fitzgerald
Mrs. Watkins admits that she anc
her small daughter left Los Ange
les in company with Ellis shortl!
before Christmas. They registered
at the Oregon Hotel, Ell Centre, or
Christmas Day, under the names o1
Mr.. and Mrs. Oliver Roberts. Ellis
got job as mill man at the Globe
Mills. Money, however, was very
short with them and in the strair
due to it's lack the romance died
early. A decided GOODNESS sprang up
between the couple and Mrs. Wat.
kins even then made plans for ar
early return to Los Angeles.
Ellis, however, appears to have
acquired considerable ascendancy
over her. The plan to raise money
by ''hiring" livery rig and failing
to return it is believed by the po-
lice to have been his. Mrs. Wat
lins was 10th to fall in with it, as
indicated by her reluctance to join
him when they left the Bellies liv-
cry stable, where Ellis hired Nc
Neer, the pacing racer, and the Bah
cock buggy.
From Ell Centre, according to Mrs.
Watkins, they drove directly into
Mexico, only a few miles away, Ell
lis appearing to fear to attempt a
sale in the States. However, after
he had gone a short distance into
Lower California, she says, he turned
back and tried to again cross the
line, but was stopped by customs Of
ficers, the party having no pass
ports.
Then they drove to Volcano Lake
forty-five miles below the border
and there sold the rig to Mexican
rancher named Grajola for $45. The
woman in the long green coat with
the yellow fur at the collar, de-
scribed by Grajola to the pursuers
of Ellis, was Mrs. Watkins.
At Volcano Station they took a
Southern Pacific train for Phoenix
and from that city made their way
to Ell Paso, missing by two days a
letter sent to the woman at Phoe-
nix by her relatives there. They
reached Ell Paso about January Is
and lived there together until about
ten days ago. At that time, accord
ing to Mrs. Watkins, Ellis suddenly
disappeared and she has not seer
him since. She communicated with
her relatives here and Mr.. Burgess
went after her, arriving in Ell Paso
last Thursday.
The relatives of both Ellis anc
Mrs. Watkins were inclined to be un-
communicative last night as to any
fuure action in the case. Ellis has
wife and two children residing with
his parents on Alexandria avenue.
She has not heard from him and does
not know what she will do. Harry
Watkins, the soldier-husbant OF
Mrs. Watkins, is still in France and
although apprised of the extraordi-
nary facts in the case, has not indi-
Gated any course of action on his
part.
The return of Mrs. Watkins leaves
the real murder mystery exactly
where it was when the charred body
of woman was first found in the
New River bottom, except that the
chase of false trails has given the
real slayer ample opportunity to
make good his escape. The only
other suggested victim" Mrs.
johnson, is now in Oakland
Sheriff Applestill of lmperia