South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-14
THIRD PLOTTER
In DUAL CRIME
NEARS ARREST
Chicago Police State That
Wilder, Friend of Church,
Will Be Seized
BELIEVED TO BE LEADER
Friend of Confessed Slayer is
Involved by implications
in Tragedy.

Wilder. named in the alleged con-
fessions Of Leon Parks and Harvey
". Church in connection with the
Staying Of the two automobile men
10 obtain possession Of a s.. 400 au-
tomobiie. viii be in the custody Of
the police wednesday. it was an
ncunced Tuesday night.
According 20 the police Wilder
was leader in the plot which led TO
the killing OF Bernard j. Daugherty
and Carl Ausmus. salesman and chief
demOnstrator for the Packard Motor
Car company Of Chicago. Both were
slain while completing a deal with
Church for the purchase OF an au-
tomobue.
The plot, according TO statements
attributed 20 Church and Parks. was
> a simple plan for the robbery Of the
men and the eventual sale Of the
automobile. the money 20 be divided
three ways. che two automobile
men were slain In the basement of
the Church home. the body of
Daugherty being thrown in the Des-
PLANES river and thatNof Ausmus
being buried in a garage u the rear
OF the home.
Parks Monday night unfolded his
tale Of hendish murder saying the
victims were lured to the basement
of the residence of Harvey Church,
who confessed two days ago, and
were beaten with baseball bats after
which their threats were slashed
with a razor.
Other Pulling Features.
Parks had named Clarence Wilder,
who is now in custody as the third
member OF the band. headed by
Church. that killed the statesmen 10
get the $500 Packard de luxe car.
Detectives believe that all details
Of the crime will be known within
q very short time. Police were en-
deavoring 20 learn today whether
Church or Parks was the instisator
, Of the murder. Parks IN his con-
fessiou 10 the police had charged
that Church was the prime mover in
all of the gruesome tragedy while
Church has denied performing many
of the deeds that formed part OF
the contamination Of the murder
Llot. Parks, confronted in tho state's
attorneys office by Church declared
that church cut the throat OF
Daugherty and choked Ausmus aft
or he and Wilder had aidedtfn sub
DUNG them.
Church. Parks had declared. en-
(ticcd Daugherty into the basement
- his home where Parks and Will
der were waiting. While Church
menaced Daueherty with a gun
Parks said ne hit him with a base
BAN bat
The three men then tied the au-
tomobi1e statesmen up and while he
struggled 20 regain consciousness
Church cut his throat with a pen
knife. Ausmus. Parks said was
brought into the basement by
Church. and attached with a base
BAH bat while Wilder held the re-
volver.
Threat L Significant
The pulling feature OF the muir
der. however. were not cleared M
with the revision OF Church's con-
fession and the supplementary state
ment OF Parks Some iuvesti gators
were inclined 20 discredit the story
that the principals in the murder
had hoped for no reward other than
a share of the $1,000 90 be obtained
from the sale OF the car.
They point 90 the case OF Milton
/Walker. said 20 have been a pal OF
younr Church who was arrested and
identified recently as the man who
robbed Cornelius r. Dempster Of the
National Tea company on August so
Tom Benario. owner of the CARA &c
in which Parks was employed. fur
nished the bond Of $4,000 on which
Walker was released. Walker was
20 have been tried on Friday. the
day after the murder but he disap-
peared. forfeiting the $1,000.
Il is significant say the men work
inr on the case. that Church i'm his
first statement told of being threat
ened by men who demanded that
ne obtain a car worth more thar
$4,000" if the car was 20 be sold
10 reimburse walkers bondsman, a
stolen car would not do. II had q
be accompanied ny a bill OF sale.
such a situation. coupled Will
possible threats Of exposure on the
part Of Walker. might explain. say
the detectives. the seemingly need.
less ferocity OF the crime. and the
complicated program OF murder on
OF all proportion. 20 the loot.
search was begun for Walker
Attorney Wharton went before
the grand jury with the confession.
40 asked that the three men namet
-
for murder.