The New York herald., 1921-04-09
DENIES SHE HIRED
ELWELL SLAYERS
Suspect Who Resembles
Mrs. Fairchild' Wrathful
at Being Questioned.
AN ALIBT HER ANSWER
Had Been Through Police
Ordeal Before and Freed
After Much Publicity.
LOCAL OFFICERS AT SEA
Admit That Story Told by Roy
Harris at Buffalo Is
standing Up
AN ALIBI HER ANSWER
LOCAL OFFICERS AT SEA

Questioned by detectives from the
homicide squad, the woman who is al
legged by Roy Harris to resemble the
Mrs Fairchild" he claims hired him
to assassinate Joseph B. Elwell, denied
yesterday having any knowledge of
the manner in which the turfman and
card expert met his death.
Asserting that she had thought that
her dealings with the authorities IN
connection with the case had ended
long ago. this woman expressed con-
siderable ire at being dragged back
into the investigation through state
ments which Harris has been making
to the Buffalo authorities. Although
resenting the inclination of the au-
thorities to question her, she is under
stood to have answered their ques-
tions and to have given them an ac-
count in the nature Of an alibi.
Details of the woman's talk with the
police were withheld. That she had
good ground for entertaining the deepest
sort OF animosity toward the card ex-
pert was apparent to all who heard
the story of her relations with him,
but for various reasons she had been
eliminated from the case long ago in
the judgment OF both police and prose-
cutting officers Nevertheless she is
being kept under the closest surveillance.
At Police Headquarters yesterday both
Inspector John Coughlin. mead of the de-
tective forces. and Capt. Arthur Carey
of the homicide squad. seemed impressed
by the apparent inability of Detective
Henry Oswald Of this city to upset the
Harris story. On Thursday. when Os-
wald was on his way to Buffalo. one
high police official said: wen know
when he gets there whether that man Is
telling the truth or not. Oswald knows
enough about this case to show him up
In half an hour if he is taking"
Yesterday. when Oswald after hours
OF grilling, had failed to show up Harris
as a faker, the opinion was expressed at
Headquarters that for fake confess
sion" the story of Harris was standing
up remarkably well. and he would have
to be brought to this city. In the other
Confessions to She Elwell murder
which the authorities have received
AicTe WAS HUtntnb III the DaluTe Oh Ule
Harris story. These other Confessions
showed on their faces that they were
the results or deranged minds and fruit
tul ina ginations.
Reports to the effect that Harris is of
the impression that Elwell came down
stairs while the assassins were waiting
in the house and used the telephone in
the reception room caused some comment
among officials hers. John r.. Dooling,
Assistant District Attorney, pointed out
that this telephone appeared TO be out
or order when an attempt was made to
summon an ambulance over il after the
discovery of the body.
A police officer said that the tele-
phone In the reception room was not ac-
tually out of order, but that the man
who tried 10 call the ambulance had
trouble in getting the operator and be-
came impatient. Mr.. Dooling. however,
remarked that the telephone records
show persistent efforts on the part OF
some one in the Blwell house to get a
Ear Rockaway number on the morning
OF the Staying, and that Harris. in his
statement, makes no mention Of this