New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-10
Harris Key to
ElWell Death.
Police Think

to do so. His confession, Mrs. Leonard
asserted, was inspired by the hope that
it would compel the state to take the
matter out Of his hands.
In the course of the detailed story
which she told to support her assertion
she offered an alibi for Harris, pur-
porting to show that he was with her
at a home at SO West Eighty fourth
Street, New York, on the morning of
the murder. She said a night watch
man at the building at 306 Fifth Ave
nue., where Harris was employed as an
elevator operator, can prove that she
called for her husband there at about
z p. m, on the day of the murder.
The authorities changed their orig
mai intention to take Harris to New
York to-day. He will be held here
probably until Monday to give the Of
icials an opportunity to make sure he
IS not wanted here for anything else.
This will also permit the authorities at
New York to set the stage at the for
mer Elwell home in West Seventeen
Street for the reanactment OF the
tragedy az a final test of Harriss
story. 1t is also planned to confront
Harris with the woman whose picture
he has identified as the "Mrs. FAIR
child" who he claims hired him amt his
colleague, Big Bill" Duncan. to murder
Elwell.
Before he goes to New York. how
ever, he will be questioned by ex-Gov-
ernor Charles s. Whitman and Captain
Arthur Carey Of the homicide squad
Of Police Headquarters Of New York.
Mr. Whitman, who is investigating
the case in New York for the District
Attorneys office, will leave the metrop-
Oils for this city tomorrow morning.
Harris, when told of his wife's asser-
tons, denied many Of its particulars
and dismissed it generally with the
remark:
That's merely her opinion. I've told
my story. and they don't have to be-
Geve it If they don't want to. It's i'm
material to me. I'd rather go back to
Canada and face the check forging
charge if they'll set me free. But [
wouldn't want to be bounded all nv
life. confessed to get the thing of
my chest"
Wife Held as Witness
Mrs Leonard-she insists on using
that name because it is written SO on
the marriage license--is being detained
at Station House No. here as a ma
terial witness. She occupied a large
room with two beds and warm stove.
on the second floor Of the place, a
matron having been assigned to make
her as Comfortable as possible. She has
never told her full story, merely con-
tenting herself With snatches of de-
malls here and there in an effort to
cast ridicule upon her husbands
'fanciful yarn" She is twenty-one
years old, of slight build, medium
height, with blue eyes and rusty red
hair.
Her face is sallow, but lighted up and
her eyes shone happily as she told in
a pleasant, gentle and apparently sin
cere manner the real cause of her hus-
bands action. She took up her tale
with the remark that the house he had
shown her where Elwell was killed was
corner house somewhere below Sew
cnty-second Street.
eve were passing in bus about
two or three days after the MURDER
she said, "and he pointed to place
and said: It's the house on one of
those corners; I don't know which,
The Elwen house is near the middle
of the block at 244 West Seventeen
Street.
Never Worried, She Says
"He never spoke to me-" she said "of
Duncan or anybody else mentioned in
connection with the murder, but he
did speak to me about some elevator
men with whom he was employed at
500 Fifth Avenue as an elevator
operator. l was living at 33 West
Eighty-fourth Street with him at the
time OF the murder, and in the days
that followed he never worried nor was
afraid to walk on the streets anywhere
in the city. ! say this because when
he had forged a check in St.
Catharines, Ont. Canada, he skipped
town at once.
when l was in St. Catharines, be-
fore l came to New York, he used to
write me foolish letters, like, ooh, God!
Oh, God!' and things like that. They
were full Of gush and my mother
thought he was crazy and that no
married man writes like that to his
wife
81 complained to him some time in
May or June, when we lived in New
York, about the men friends he was
bringing to the house. One night he
brought two fellows up. 1t was pour.
ing rain. 1t was about $3.50 D. M. and
they stood outside the door. listened
behind the door to hear what was goine
on and heard them talking about hold.
ing up paymaster on the subway.
II went over to Mrs. Hammond and s
Miss Harmon, two sisters who were
nelgbors of ours in the Eighty fourth
! Street house, and asked then, TO tell
Koy not to go out with the two mon
| said:
Roy, come upstairs or you'll catch
cold When he came in said .Wl,st