New-York tribune., 1921-04-07
Row Harris, Arrested at
Buffalo for Forgery, As
serts Accomplice Fired
Shot That Killed Victim
laid Plot i'm Auto
In Central Park
Declares Mrs. 'Fairchild,'
After PayingThem $3.50
Each, Failed to Reappear
soxeial Dispatch to The Tribune

BUFF ALO, Apiil O.--Noy llolA 10,
arrested here to-day for forgery,
confessed to the police tonight that
he was an accomplice in the murder
Of Joseph Bovine Elwell, New York
trfman and whist expert, last June.
He told the police that he and a
man named Bill Dunkin were hired
10 kill Elwell by a woman named
Mrs. Fairchild, who promised them
$4,000 for the job.
Harris, who also Is known as G.
E. B. Leonard and c. Carlin, signed
his confession tonight in the Mag
ara Street police station.
He named Dunkin as the man who
fred the shot which caused Elwell's
death. Harris is being held while New
York has been asked to send man
here to question him.
Wife Also Detained
Harris's wife, with him at the time.
he was arrested by Acting Captain
Timothy Murray and Detectives Fred
Howell and William j. Flynn, is being
held by the police while they work on
the case She is twenty years old and
married Harris in St. Catherines, Ont,
in 1916, under the name of G. E. B.
Leonard.
Police have established the fact to
their satisfaction that Harris was in
New York City at the time of the mur-
der. His wife left him In Syracuse July
g. 1920, almost month after the mur-
der was committed.
Although skeptical. the police have
been forced to admit that Harris's
story carried wealth of detail regard
ing the actual killing which one not
thoroughly familiar with the case would
be unable to give.
Harris was arrested yesterday after
noon by the detectives to answer to a
charge OF forgery. They say that near
y year and half ago, while in st.
GATHERINGS, he passed a bogus check.
Authorities on both sides of the border
have been searching for him since.
Yesterday the police heard that he
had been seen at the Genesee Hotel.
They went there and found that the
man for whom they were seeking had
registered under the name of &C. Car
accompanied by his wife. He had left
clerk told the police. One of the bell
fOl pf hrtr hn+
by the woman with him, and it was
through this that the policemen were
able to locate the couple in Main
Street few moments later.
Breaks Down Under Questioning
At the Niagara Street station, the de-
tectives say, Harris seemed to be i'll
At ease and Flynn asked him to "Come
clean" Harris is alleged to have at
hrst denied there was anything else to
tell, but Flynn asked him "How about
New York;" The start it gave the
prisoner showed the sleuths they were
on the right track. A few minutes
iater Harris is alleged to have broken
down and told them that he would
Z squeai" on his partner in the Elwell
murder because the partner had
crossed" him and had cheated him
". W. OF the majority of his share of
sne $4,000 which they were to receive
Tor the crime.
+, IN MS statement Harris said that he
- twenty-three years old and that his
a;1ae nvme mad been in New York. On the
n'gnt OF June 10 he claims to have been
TsSsahoing In front Of the Mills Hotel,
nanlrty.slxth Street and Seventh Ave
as ase, & with man who went by the name
" blil and whom he had known for
s.1'l sOhe time. 1t was while they were
s'aing that chauffeur known to him
~ Jerry drove up with limousine
containing woman.
Plans Laid in Central Park
Vi Jerry asked US if we would take a
stsson stss WIN the woman" says Harriss
Jrova JJ,%,ament Mt I'VE got into the car and
1--we 1--we through Central Park. We
wopp V.oppea near the reservoir. The
~J.aans s.;a m name was Mrs. Fairchild. She
yoN a,u ooys | got some real money for
saI ss;a 70 70 k,ll Joseph Elwell.' She then
tiou She meet Us at the subway sta
Wv" al seventy-ninth Street and
CONTINUED on pase slshD