The Washington times., 1922-02-23
CREDENCE
IS GIVEN To
CHAUFFEUR
Harry the chink, T" Held'in De-
troit, Admits Driving Car
for Directors Slayers.
BY International Ssws Service.

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23.-Cor-
roborating the so-called "confes-
sion" of Harry N. Fields, alias
Harry the Chink." in Detroit,
that he was q member Of a drug
peddling gang that killed William
Desmond Taylor. slain film direc-
tor, for revenge, it was learned
today that months ago Taylor ap-
pealed to Federal officers in Los
Angeles to help him thwart the
"dope ring" and save from its
clutches the woman he is said TO
have loved, who was an addict.
Dovetails With Theory.
Curiously enough. the story told by
felds In Detroit comedies exactly
18th a theory held by some investi-
,ators Of the sheriffs office ever
since the dssth Qf Tsylor.
not an addict, had made more than
q casual Investigation of the use Of
drugs In certain circtas in the movie
colony. " 's
1t had been suggested that he at
tend tdrug parties" for the purpose
of securing color, but others believed
he went there to get the goods" on
the drug peddlers.
Fields. according to the advices
received here, declared Taylor had
beaten up a leader Of the drug ring
and that its members feared he was
about to end their profitable traffic.
Deputy Sheriff Frank Dewar,
who has been active In probing tho
drug ring theory, took charge OF the
inquiry into Fields story. He set
about establishing two points:
/. Whether Fields was in Los
Angeles on or about the time Of the
murder.
2. Whether a revolver is hidden
in a locality described by Fields.
LOking Up Drug Ring.
Check was also made by other
deputies on members Of the alleged
drug ring, including two men and
two women named by Fields.
Drove Death Car.
DETROIT, Feb. 23.-The name Of
the alleged slayer of William Des-
mond Taylor, motion picture direc-
tor, and the motive for the crime
were given today to the Detroit po-
lice by Harry M. Fields, prisoner
in the county jail, whose story. II
true, will uncover one Of the most
battling mysteries in the police an
nails Of the country.
Slowly increasing credence in the
story of Fields is reflected in a
wire received by Sheriff Coffin
today, asking Fields be kept away
from questioners until his story
can be Investigated further by Los
Angeles authorities
His story, the wire admits, checks
with the belief of Los Angeles
police that Taylor was killed out of
revenge for his effort to shield a
woman movie star from dope ped
dlers who wrecked her life once
and sought to do It again.
Working from a description wired
today by Sheriff Coffin, the police
of Los Angeles are reported search
ing the underworld of that city
for the gun Fields says was used
to murder Taylor.
Fields, who claims to be a men,
ber of the narcotic ring operating
in Los Angeles, says he was paid
5000 for driving two men and a
woman to the Taylor bungalow the
night of the killing. The gunmen,
he says, changed a 1000 bill in
Older to pay him.
He asserts he heard the shot that
killed Taylor and after the tragedy
drove the party back to a den in
the underworld where the gun was
buried.
Deputy Sheriff Carl Brooks, Of
Detroit, formerly patrolman in
Los Angeles says he recognizes
Fields as a former Federal narcotic
Inspector and revenue agent who
was working on the Pacific coast in
1915