Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-04-07
CLAIMS He KILLED
JOSEPH ENELL
Alleged Forger Says Ee and
Another Slew Bridge
Expert
WAS HIRED BY WOMAN
Asserts They Were Promised $4,000
And He Got $500 On Account
Woman Named Unknown

Buffalo, ,-Ap@i. Roy Harris, az
rested here yesterday evening on a
.narge of forgery, signed a state
ncnt to the effect that he and an
other man killed Joseph B. Elwel in
New York last June.
HarIis saws that he and a friend,
William Drnkin, were accostcd on
he street By a chauffeur they knew,
who told them he kad woman pns-
sengcr who mi"lt pay them wei! for
lob. They got in and drove about
with the woman, who said her namc
was Mrs. Fa;rchild. and promised
hem $4,000 20 Kill Elwell She
'tave them S. 0each on account and
the next morning met them and
drove them to E!wc!l's home on
West Seventeth street, where she
ct them IN with key.
Harris alleges Dunkin shot Elwell
The woman. he said, gave them $50
each and promised the rest Of tEc
money later. Harris says he never
got any moro and suspects his pal
"dovbie crossed him. He flna .|lo
city when the tragedy cHcital such
widespread interest.
The man hsd been staying at : !ln-
tel here with his wife since Tuesday
An acquaintance tipped the .ocal
police off that he was wanted !" st
GATHERINGS, Ontario, for i'-@cd
check forgery and he w"< 9s'restad.
As he was being hrou"h: into the
station house he said:
That check thing was I'll settled.
! know what you want ma for. It
IS the Elwcll murder"
Then, without much prompting. he
dictated a statement and simnea It.
The local police notified liz New
York authorities.
New York, Apr:l 7.--Pol;"e head
quarters here was notified las night
of The arrest of Roy Harris n 1;nf
falo and his alleged confessia" la:
he took part in the murder of Joseph
B. Elwcl here last June, bat official
comment was withheld. pending the
receipt of further details.
SO far as Is known, the name of
Mrs. Fairchiid." mentioned in the
alleged confession, has never been
brought into the case before.
From outward appearances, the
murder of Elwell has remained to
date an inpenetrable mystery.
On the night of June 10 last, FL
well attended dinner party in
large hotel with several friends and
later vert with them to midnight
roof garden show, where they re-
manned until 80 q. NJ. Members
of the dinner rarty told the police
that Elweli them bid them "gcod
'nieiI' and started to walk home.
. A aeighbor claimed to have seen
him driven home by man in rae
ing car an hour later, while testi-
mony also was introduced to show
that man answering his descrip-
tion was seen in Broadway dance
hall. accompanied by woman, in the
interval.
At $50 in the morning Of June II
/ his housekcepcr found him. clad IN
his paiamas and slumped il chair
n the reception hall OF his home.
He was still breathing. hut his head
Lad been pierced by a large caliber
bullet. He died few hours later,
without giving any clue to his assail
! ant.
There was no weapon near his
body, no footprint. no evidence of a
struggle. Doors and windows were
securely locked. There were no
! powder marks on his face and no
| burns, eliminating any possible the
! ory Of self destrr ction.
After an exhaustive Investigation
by police and representatives of the
District Attorneys cfice, It was
inally admitted that no tangible
clue to the murder had been found
Only {. few DAYS ego the pairs
in the case were turned over to for
mer Governor Whitman for his IN.
vestigation> 5y District Attorney
Swami. Mr.. Whitman has made s
careful study # the papers. but SC
far as is known he has rot yet q0es,
toned any witnesses in connection
with the crime.