New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-14
: Higher Up in
Murder of Auto
Agents g Sought
Two Who Confess Believed
to Have Been Directed by
Arch-Criminal, Head Of
a Car>SteaIi,lg Syndicate
Police Hide Third Youth
Chicago Officials Question
Garage Owner; Church
Calls Accomplish Yellow
Special Dispatch to The Tribune

CHICAGO, Sept. 1S.-Despite de-
tailed confessions by Harvey W.
Church and Leon Parks that they and
Clarsner ("Bud') Wilder murdered the
two automobile statesmen. Bernard J.
Daugherty and Carl A. Ausmus, there
remains mystery in the crime. That
is the identity OF the master mind"
that planned the murders.
Detectives feel certain that some
older criminal used the three young
men as his instruments. There also is
belief that back of the crime is sym
dictate engaged in stealing automobiles
outright or buying them. paying the
price and then holding up the agent
and robbing him Of the price.
Church and Parks admit they went
into the deal solely because it offered
some easy money Church, in his
second confession, names Parks as the
one who conceived the pla.. The po-
lice say, however. that Church is much
the superior of Parks in mentality and
he undoubtedly was the leader, or
rather the active agent of criminal
still higher.
Parks Tries to Repudiate Words
Parks, who made long, detailed
confession late last night, undertook to
repudate it to-day. When asked to
sign his confession he at first refused.
ats not the TRUTH" he said.
you're liar" shouted Church,
leaping to his feet and shaking his fist
IN Do al ic
every word It it. Yellow, that's what
you are, yellow all the way through"
Parks delayed for two hours and
then signed his confession at is true,
and I might as we'll sign" he said. II
could see the rope dangling in front
of my eyes and thought maybe / could
escape it by denying my confession.
Clarence Wilder, the third men i'm
plicated. was arrested to-day ana held
incomunicado by the police. His at
torney made determined efforts to get
to him with a writ of habeas corpus,
returnable Immediately, but could not
find where the police were holding him:
Chief of Police Fitzmorris said he did
not have Wilder, but there are many
police stations in the city, and it is
certain Wilder was being held in one
of these. The young man made state
ment to the police, denying any knowl-
edge or part in the double murder.
Two more men were arrested to-day.
garage, where Church and Parks had
been employed. The other was picked
up at Wilders home.
Benario himself was questioned at
length by the police after they had
found q large quantity OF alleged stolen
automobile accessories in his garage.
Eenario said Church had left the parts
there. There also remains to be solved
the ownership and history of $4,000 in
Liberty bonds found in Church's apart
ment.
Gave Victims No Chance for Life
In their latest confessions, which the
police believe to be approximately the
truth, with the exception that both men
are shielding some one higher, the muir
derers told in detail how they slew
Daugherty and .Ausmus without giving
them the slightest chance for their
lives. Daugherty was knocked on the
head before he had time to make an
cutlery. Parks says they beat him on
the head, fracturing his skull in sew
eral places, and then cut his throat
with Ratchet
Ausmus begged for his life, but it
availed him nothing. They garrotcd
him, but he was not dead when they
buried him face down in the shallow
grave, scraped in the cinders Of the
garage. In crowding him into the pit,
which was too short, Church stamped
upon his head until he broke his VIC
TINS neck.
After this the players said they went
to supper, apparently with no sign of
renorse for their crimes. After sup
per Church, with the stolen machine,
went JOY riding through the parks
with his companions and three girls.
Just before daylight they took the
body Of Daugherty from coal bin,
carried it in the machine to the
Desplanes liver and pitched it over a
parapet.
At no time in their recitals did
either express the slightest regret. The
police regard it as singular that
Daugherty and Ausmus were so easily
overcome. but the murderers say
Daugherty had no chance for his life
and Ausmus made no show of putting
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