New-York tribune., 1921-04-09
Harris to Act
Out Death of
Elwcll Here

to in examinations of this kind and
then reported his findings to Detective
Oswald, who Immediately sent them
on by telephone 20 Captain Carey at
New York
Oswald said Carey was comforting
with the District Attorney on the mat
ter and that Harris would probably be
taken to New YORK tomorrow night
Harris is sane man." said DR..
Putnam. "lf Mrs. Harris, his wife,
says he Is crazy or in any way abnor-
NAL she lies. She said he often took
fits and fainting spells. This is not
true Harris said he never had a fit
IN his life and never tainted. | have
looked him over, and | know he tells
the truth His confession should be
given serious attention.
He may lie sometimes, but he has
very good memory and has a good
choice of language He never hesitated
for word. AS illustrating his mem
ory, he related the details of his con-
nection for a year with the George
Junior Republic, an institution for re-
calcltrant boys near Bridgeport, Conn.
tie said he was taken there when he
was fourteen years old Che is now
'Wenty-three) for forging a small
check
"He went into minute details of
his life there and how the institution
was governed He told how he was
elected jaier and chief of police and
then president of the republic, and
thinks it good place for recalcitrants.
He told how he was married in 1916
and his being separated twice from his
wife.
II don't think this man is patholoe-
zeal llar. He is not the type which fab
rlcates wonderful stories nor the kind
winch wants merely to confess to
the assassination of President McKin-
ley: Nor do | think he is a notorietv
seeker.
"IIe tells his story coolly and with
such apparently unusual ease because
he feels that he Will be given leniency
as the result of his confession. He
sald he learned at the Republic that
under the Connecticut laws a man who
confesses is given much smaller SEN
tences.
I links He Is Not Lying
I'm general way | would say he
isn't lying, but would not say that
he wasn't lying when he says that he
did not do the shooting. / notice that
he is very careful to emphasize that
the other fellow, Duncan, did the actual
shooting. The so-calied discrepancies
IN ms description of the Elwell house
and what took place in it at the.time of
the murder are not material as indica-
tive OF his veracity. 1t does not prove
that he was not there. Of course, in
the final analysis that would have to be
decided by the officials who are CONVEX
SAINT with the case
"This was not a voluntary confess
sion, strictly speaking. Harris says the
confession was surprised out of him
by the detectives, who had innocently
asked him what he knew about that
New York affair He spoke much about
easing his conscience. His conscience
didn't begin to trouble him. however.
until some time after he left New
York last August, when he went to
Syracuse, Rochester and Detroit. From
the latter place, about six months ago.
he is known to have suddenly decided
to call up the politician who, Mrs. Fair
child had told Duncan, would get them
out of trouble if anything went wrong.
Harris, l am given to understand,
called up booth in City Hall, at New
ork, and asked for the politician. He
got no satisfaction. He said he wanted
to ask him if everything was all right,
and try to get some money out of him.
Harris is not of the Lombroso type Of
criminal, and hasn't any of the physi-
cal malformations, such as unusual
ears, large head bumps or narrow fore
head, of this class He is no more a
liar than anybody else, and the fact
that he spoke with so much ease only
indicates that he is not of an emotional
temperament. He isn't egotstcal, and
doesn't brag about anything he has
ever done in his life.
IF he didn't assist at the crime it
seems to me that he was in some way
involved in the murder. He committed
the crime, or rather was a party to it,
for the money. From my examination
can't believe that he merely invented
the stories. He knows something about
that murder"
When Harris was told that his wife