The New York herald., 1921-12-08
CONFESSES Staying
WOMAN IN THISCITY
Prisoner in Los Angeles Says
He Strangled LeOna Mayfield
Here Last August.
EX-CONVICT A WITNESS
Geo. Christman Bares Details
of Tragedy Which Police
Here Investigate.
EX-CONvICT A WITNESS

Special Despatch TO THE New YORK HERALD
Los ANGELES, Dec. THE fate of
Leona Mayfield, %, reported missing
to the New York police on August IL.
was uncovered to-day in the Los
Angeles county Jail.
George Christman, convicted here Of
grand larceny for the theft OF an auto
mobile under the name of George ST.
Jean, has confessed to the murder of
the girl.
able to sleep. Her face is with me
night and day l don't care what you
do to me. but / must tell the truth"
Christman told two police detectives.
81 first met Leona Mayfield In Los
Angeles early last June" added Christ
man. II was an automobile repair
man and was working in a large shop
1T this city. We lived togt ther during
June and then went to San Juan Capis-
trano. The girl was employed there
end was working in garage.
From there we went by easy stages
TO New York city. We still posed as
married couple. I got work in a ga
rage and she in cafe. August II we
went for an automobile ride with an
Txsconvict known to me aS Fred T.
James. alias +. T. Knave. Leona and
| were in the back seat and were quar-
reling. She threatened to turn me over
TO the police for violation. OF the Mann
set
MY temper got the best of me. and
slipping off my necktie, wound IL
around her neck. She screamed, and
James turned around and grabbed her
by the feet. ] then strargled her 70
death. When I killed Leona she was
dressed in one piece suit and wore
no hat. James and / wrapped the
body in two silk shirts and then in n
piece Of oil cloth. We took IT then and
dumped 1t into large pool Of stagnant
water on Dawson street. New York.
don't know Just where.
'"The next day I left New York AMI
came back TO California. 7 have never
heard whether the New York police foun
the body or not hut one of M friends
wrote and said that some one had re-
roried the woman missing"
Chrlstman told the police that his
mother. Mrs Anna Christman. livcs at
67 Division street. Amsterdam. v Y
TIE stated that he visited his mother
just before the murder. He alqo ad-
mitted he had served term in New
York state prison for brrglarv
In his detailed account Of The murder
Christnan declared that the night before
the murder he engaged rooms with Miss
May'eld in a .rooming house on Four
teenth street, New York, near the Four
teenth Street Bank. In -four etort. brick
building. He also stated that q week
before the murder he storpcd with the
woman in roorninT house IN Tho Cas-
sidy block
Tie officers also declare the prisoner Is
drug hend and his story may no. be
true.
The New York police received infor-
nation from the Los Angeles depa rtment
yesterday afternoon giving details Of the
Christman confession, and detectives
from the homicide squad and from the
Long Island precincts began an investi-
CATION
The name OF the woman Christman
said he killed was given at first as Max
well and then as Mayfield, but there is
no record of woman Of either name be-
ing reported missing. The police We're
trying TO connect Christman's story with
the finding Of woman's torso In Long
island City In october.
a police official said last night that
the New York detectives have learned
that n man named Christman was ar
rested for burglary In 1916 in n city
near New York. but would not divulEc
whether he was convicted or whether
they thought he was the same man as
the Los Angeles Christman.
Capt. Arthur Carey Of the Homicide
Squad said last night he did not believe
the crime described by Christman was
the one that resulted in the death of the
woman whose torso was found in Raw
son avenue Long Island City.
MARTfNEIII - ERNNSI