Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1912-02-15
CONFESSION OF HIS DEED
GIVEN TO THE WORLD
Marion Luster, Condemned to Hang, but Sen
fenced COMMITTED to Life Imprisonment,
Writes to Warn the Negro and
Whiteto Live Better Lives.

trouble grew out of domestic af-
fairs. | was informed one week
before my wife left home that
she was going to forsake me and
what she was going to forsake
me for, but | didn't believe il; so
we talked matters over and laid
! it aside without hurting each
others feelings. We lived loving
Il week longer. Monday morn,
April 25th, 1910, / left our little
log house, though it was a happy
home to me; | left after kissing
her and my little baby | went to
work happy and | came back
home and found my loving wife
and baby not there; our little
home was in gross darkness for
/ there was no one there. went
to my fathers house, which was
only a few yards away; they
could DIT tell me where size was
| knew it was something strange
! to not find her at home and nei-
ther at my fathers house, for If
she was going to her folks home
or anywhere to be gone when |
came in she would always tell
me where she was going; that
was a time she didn't tell me,
and | did Mt know. | was going
to walk in ID miles of her peo-
pies home; | thought | would
go up there and stay that night,
as | had decided she was up TO
| Whitens and it was closer to
where | intended to work the
rest Of that week, and when /
was leaving home mother and
father both spoke and said,
come back here, where is you
going?" and | told them ! was
going off piece, but / had nj
thought that my journey was
going to amount to this trouble
nor any trouble at all. tell
you, boys, it's good to listen to
your parents and other good
people when you know they are
right.
Tuesday, April 26, l talked
with my wife as often as ] could
get her to talk with me; | knew
| hadn't did anything TO her.
We went out on one end of the
porch where she sat down on a
pallet with the baby, late up in
the day. | layed down with my
head in my wife's lap, with
tears rolling down my cheeks,
/ trying to beg her to less live to
gether as we had lived; | told
her any place that suited her TO
live would suit me, but she didn't
agree to nothing | said. ! told
her she was forsaken me for the
object person, as | had learned
a few days before. but didn't be
lieve it. A company Of us went
afshing after dinner; | was still
trying TO reason with her | did
not want her and the baby going
| from place TO place; | loved them
Nothing | said taken no effect
on her; | loved her, /
wanted to live, live with her. /
had a knife that | borried from
little Shermon Smith; and she
had my knife, with my initials
cut on the handle; Mr. Thomas
has the knife. | fell into angry
passion all at once at the thought
Of she being my wife, and /
1 loved her, and sine was forsaken.
ing me for some one else and |
/ had been SO nice TO her, and
/ hadn't did nothing 10 her; | tryed
/ 10 support her the best could
and had never attempted TO for.
saken her for no one, and she
was forsakenlng nae once for al.
ways, she said, and all Mt once
evil overshadOWed me, and at
that moment I had rather seen
head and myself. too, and | grab
her and began cutting her, but
had no idea She WAS cut up like
the people says she was We
standing ON the banks Of the
creek. in sculling about we both
feIl in tho creek Sand sank. \
Ettlc later Ellen Williams and
Annie Whiten came up there and
/ told her o. 20 away. The knife
/ got from the Smith boy, | los,
when We fell into thc water, and
after them other women lett I
went and raised my wife mp and
kissed her and fen into tears and
SORROW at seeiu hcr near dead
HoW come 2 with the knife She
was known % have. after rails
"a her up saw this knife sti-k
ing ou' of hcr pocket and | got
10 and pat 10 Fee wy pocket kissed
again her and left her
4 must confess my deeds. |
esut die with THIS ir nae. ! want
t1telI yos. mas friends, ( want Ia
.n,tIlit within your minds. both
white and black Young and old.
esat aud sma4i rch agd POOR
tlat if you expect tl gp fo heay
sa whsn sos die yea must DO un