The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-24
COMPANION OF M. H. KING C0NFESSES Nashville Authorities Hold Frank Harrel Tn
 McLeary Death PAL IS BLAMED FOR ACTUAL CRIME Major Was Shot Down Without Warning, He
 Declares
 SOLDIERS HONOR
 IS APPEALED TO Second Suspect Not To Fight Extradition Hopes To ,s. Prove Innocence
tBy Associated Press.)

NASHVILLE, Tenn, July 2S.-- Frank Harrell, 22, constructlo4 worker, who was arrested here last night on charge of vagrancy and later indentified as the man want ed in connection with the slaylng of Mai. Samuel H. McLeary near Cheraw, s. C., on the afternoon ot July 2, tonight, repeated that he was not a party to the staying of Major McLeary and insisted tnat he had been forced to accompany Mortimer N. King to the place Of the killing after King had drawn gun on Major McLeary.
 Harrel, who is a member of the Methodist church, tonight called for a Methodist minister, and a Nashville minister was sent to the jail to him.
 Only Casual Acquaintance
 Harrell said tonight that he was not well acquainted with lAlnE, psis s,had met him if xoQEnsnE house aL.1 knew hin ettl$ as easanl acq qahaAss ance. In his alleged confession toaay, HarreIl said that shortly after his firss meeting with King, the two had started together to Canton, s. O., to oDtaln work. As they were walking atong the road, he is alleged to have sald, they hailed several passing automopiiist, put none of them stopped, until Ma9or ZIG, Leary appeared. The officer, Harrell is quoted as saying, permitted them 10 ride,
 "I was on the front seat talking to the major about army life" the al< leged confession runs, when hlng tapped him on the shoulder and caused him to look around at the gun King was pointing at his head.
 "Drive the car into the woods and stop King said"
 The major is then alleged to have asked King if he was serious about the hold-up. King, Harrell said, replied that he was, and the major complied with the order to drive into the woods: King ordered the major to stop, Hrrrell continued, and without warning shot NicLeary and rifled his pockets.
 Maintains Innocence
 The young man insisted that he had had nothing to do with the killing and rnaintained that the reason he had not reported the affair to the authorities
  him if he did so.
 Tnaamuch as Harrell declared that he would not fight extradition proceed ings. no plans have been made for re- turning him to South Carolina. Any de- yelopments in. this respect, officials said, will await action by the South Carolina authorities.
 In his confession today Harrell de- clared that after King had drawn the gun on Major McLeary, Harrell turned to him and remonstrated with him, but King cursed him and ordered him to keep quiet.
 When they reached the selected spot in the woods, Harrell said, King told the major to drive off the road and then made him get out of the car. He told me to get out also and made me march alongside the major into the woods. The major pleaded with King to remember that he was an army officer and a for mer buddy in France and that he should be respected.
 Was Threatened
 "King ordered the major to stop and soon afterwards shot him twice in the head. When the major fell King turned to me and cursed me, and pointing the | on him that he would follow me all over the world apd kill me in the same way.
 ''King went through the majors pock- cts and took some money and his watch. He grabbed a bush and threw 1t over the body but didn't hide 1t very we'll. He made me walk in front of him back to the car and there took the majors suitcases and went into the woods again. think he left some of the cloth ing there hidden. He took suit and a shirt, I think, that was in the majors grip. He made me get in the majors car and again threatened to kill me if ever told of the killing. We drove toward Kings brother-in-law's home a. Can ton, S. c. Going down q mountain King let the car skidd off the road into a ditch and wrecked it accidentally.
 He took me to his brother-in-law' s outside of Canton, N. C., and we stayed there three days. I escaped out the first chance got, but I never say any thing because King said he would fol- low me and put another notch on his
 tCOntinued on page TwO)