The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1902-11-21
NEW TURN TAKEN
Evidence Put In Against Perry,
the Slugger Suspect
HELD ON MURDER CHARGE

Witnesses Testify That He Confessed
to Having Sold Watch Belonging to
Miss McPhee- Counsers Request For
Ruling Out Confession Is Denied
Somerville, Mass, Nov. 1S.-Another
of the many surprises in the Jack the
Slugger" investigation of the past two
weeks took place yesterday in the
Somerville police court, where George
L. o. Perry was charged with the MUIR
der of Agnes McPhee on Oct. and
given hearing on that charge. twas
not intended by the state police, who
arrested Perry a week ago and caused
him to be held on the charge of murder
ing Clara Morton at Waverley on Nov.
l, to bring the McPhee charge against
him at this time. Yesterdays hearing,
i'll fact, is commonly understood to be
the result of a squabble between the
Somervilie and state police, the local
officers claiming that the credit for
work on the McPhee case is theirs, and
feeling hurt at what their chief has
termed 'disCourteouS' interference on
the part of the state force in what he
calls "distinctively a Somerville case"
Chief Parkhurst accordingly, with
out consulting the state police (whO are
busy investigating both crimes, but
are preparing especially for hearing
on the Morton murder charge in Cam
bridge today, arrested Perry Satur-
day in the East Cambridge Jail on
writ of habeas corpus. The hearing
yesterday was the result.
Sheriff Fairbairn led in the small,
slender negro who stands under ,ac-
cusation of being Jack the Slugger'-
the man who has held the women Of
Boston's suburbs in terror for a whole
summer. Clerk Chaplin presently stood
up in his place and called out: George
L. o. Perry" The boy rose in tie
prisoners pen. 'The complaint
charges you" read the clerk, in lis
lapid, professional sing-song, with the
murder of Agnes McPhee in SOmer-
vile on the third day of October last
past What say you to this COM
plant; guilty or not guilty" The boy
answered mot guilty." and then his
counsel, 2. B. Herman, went over to
the cage for a short whispered counsel.
The McPhee murder was committed
in Somerville on Oct. 3 last. Perry
,,,fo f1a Tat
bridge Jail OH a writ of habeas corpus.
1t was supposed that he would merely
be arraigned and the case continued
but at the last moment, the defense
giving assent, the government decided
to put in evidence. Some % witnesses
were summoned.
After the fact of the crime had been
established by various witnesses,
Charles e. Birtwell and Samuel s.
Lawrence, who represent the Boston
Children's Aid society, told of the CON
fessiCn which Perry had made to them
to the effect that he had sold silver
watch, later identified as that owned
by Miss McPhee, to Joseph Nemser,
the Boston jeweler. Other witnesses,
including Ethel Carter, to whom the
article was given, testified that Perry
had in his possession watch chain,
later shown to have belonged to Miss
McPhee, and to have been attached to
her watch.
Nemser, the jeweler, identified Perry
as the person who had sold him the
watch In addition. other circum-
stantial evidence was offered by the
prosecution.
P. B. Herman, representing she de-
PENDANT, asked the court to discharge
Perry on the ground of insufficient evil
dence. He eontended that the main
evidence offered-that of Mr.. BirtweIfs
story of the defendants confession
should be ruled out on the ground that
the confession was obtained under mis-
representation and inducemCnt. The
court declined so to rule, and ordered
the defendant held without bail for the
action of the grand jury.