Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-12-10
CHAUFFEUR FOR
ROBERT SLOAN
IN JAIL HERE


Leaving a trail of bad checks behind
him as thick as flowers at wedding,
Robert Sloan, said to be travelling with
Mildred Harris. famous movie actress,
was still at large at midnight Thurs
day, but his confessed chauffeur and
the siIappy little Chrysler roadster in
which the famous confidence or pub
licity' man has been travelling are
parked at the Douglas police station
under guard
The chauffeur occupies strap iron
bunk in cell lower seven and was iden-
titled late Thursday night by Joseph
Ortega, the clerk of the Hotel Bowman
in Nogales, where Sloan cashed checks
and secured cash to the total of $160
Tuesday night and Wednesday. The
chauffeur gives the name of v. ".
Bronson and appears to be not over
% or "a years of age.
He was arrested by Douglas officers
early Thursday as he drove the little
sport model car into this city. He was
accompanied by five other young men,.
all of whom were roughly dressed and
who, upon being taken to the police
station, plead innocence. They all
stated that Bronson had picked them
up on the highways at different points
and that they knew nothing of him or
of the car or of Sloan except what
Bronson told them
The man Bronson makes no bones
about the matter. He told officers
here and representatives of the Dis
patch that he was the driver for Sloan
and that Sloan was actually employed
as advance agent for Mildred Harris
and Bebe Daniels. Sheriff's forces and
police officers throughout the south
west are watching every highway and
railroad for the missing man, who is
wanted from Los Angeles east.
According to all reports, he has
cashed many worthless, checks. 1t is
believed by the officers here that the
Chrysler car is stolen machine and
whatever difficulties the man may be
in over his use of the names and ere
dentials of the movie actresses is be-
side the question.
Sloan posed in Yuma over the week
end as moneyed film director. He
cashed a check for $50 at Yuma
hotel and negotiated with a Yuma
bank to cash a draft on the Bank of
Italy in Hollywood for $4,000. The
banker there told newspaper men in
that city that Sloan had proper cre-
dentials, but that the Bank of Italy
upon being wired reported that the
man was badly wanted there on bad
check charges,
Sloan disappeared from Yuma just
ahead of the sheriff, and next appeared
in Nogales with his mechanic who
! was not even good enough to stay at
ho 81 4; To =
the confidence of newspaper men there,
as he had done in Yuma. and arranged
for the publication of announcements
of the coming of the movie stars toI
film a big picture there.
According to Under Sheriff H. J.l
Patterson and Joseph Ortega, the clerk
at the Hotel Bowman. who arrived in
Douglas late Thursday night to iden-
tify. the prisoner here, Sloan received
a telegram while he was stopping atl
the Hotel Bowman. This telegram wasl
signed mildred Harris" and had been
sent from Phoenix. 1t SO strengthened
the faith of the Nogales business
houses in Sloan that he was able to
have the hotel manager himself cash
a $3.50 check before he left that city.
Sloan and his driver, Bronson, were
stopped in Casa Grando Wednesday
night by deputy sheriffs, who were
compelled to release them because they
could not connect with authorities hav-
ing the proper papers to cover their
detention The pair then evidently re-
turned to Tucson, where Sloan again
beat the sheriff's forces out of town,
this time by train bound for Ell Paso.
Bronson, the youthful diver, states
that he was to have met Sloan in the
Pass City Friday morning.
Under Sheriff Patterson of Nogales
stated last night that he expected to
hear at any moment that Sloan had
been captured. He stated that his Of
flee had reports from Los Angeles ON