The Washington herald., 1920-10-27
Detective Hughlett Details
Confession of Alleged
Boy Slayer. :.
LATTER UNCONCERNED
Displays No Emotion as
Witness Recounts Details
Of Alleged Confession.

While Edgar, Randolph Perrygo,
I1S-year-old farmers son. charged
with the murder of Mrs. Mary E.
Faithful, sat motionless and ap-
parently unconcerned in his chair
behind his counsel yesterday, As
sistant District Attorney Paul B.
Cromelin read to the jury the con-
fession the boy made to the police
shortly after his arrest.
The reading of the confession,
which contained all the details of
the alleged crime, followed ruling
from Justice Gould that the docu-
ment be admitted as evidence, al
though James A. O'Shea. associate
counsel for Perrygo, vigorously pro-
tested its admission.
Declares Client Befuddled.
O'Shea attempted to convince the
court that the confession was OBJ
tained from his client after an hour
and halfs rapid questioning by
the police, under conditions which
prevented the accused from talking
and thinking in an Intelligent man.
ner.
The attorney emphasized repeat
edly his contention that Perrygo's
memory was faulty, that he was
stin under the influence of the
drink of intoxicating liquor he had
had before visiting the Faithful
home. and also that the confession
was an involuntary one, even though
1.-THE confession states specifically
| that 1t was made voluntarily.
/ Detective +. S. Hughlett identi-
! fed the confession and under direct
cross examination explained in de-
tail the conditions under which il
was secured. He said Perrygo was
calm and collected when he con-
Efessed. He saw no trace of nervous
ness, he said, nor did Perrygo act
like an insane person at any time.
Uashnken by Cross-fre.
! An hours cross-examination by
O'Shea failed to reveal. any dis
crepancies in Hughlett's statements
made under direct examination. The
detective stuck to his original YER
sion of the affair all the way
through.
However, the detectives memory
failed him several times on minor
details of the confession. O'Shea
sought to have the confession ruled
out on the ground of Hughletts
defective memory, but Justice Gould
refused.
Cut Money introduced.
The prosecution introduced in ev-
idence a number of cut $40 bills
which Perrygo is alleged to have
taken from the prostrate body of
Mrs. Faithful after first striking her
with an iron bar. These bills. it
was alleged were cut when Per
rygo slashed a stocking which Mrs
Faithful had concealed about her
body. Hughlett said the money was
taken from Perrygo's trousers pock
ct Immediately after his arrest
Earlier in the day O'Shea made a
futile attempt to have the jury of
twelve men excused on the ground
that the jury commission had dis
eliminated against women in not
placing any names of the fair sex
in the jury box.
OverruIed by Court.
This attempt threatened to post
pone the trial for while, but after
a prolonged argument Justice Gould
overruled O'Shea's motion and or
dered the trial to proceed with the
jury of men. O'Shea reserved an
exception to this ruing.
All but one of the jury which will
determine Perrygo's fate are mar
ried men. Their names and occupa-
itions are: Joseph N. Thompson, au-
tomobile tire dealer; Fenton Sauer
barber; Edward H. Smith, grocer;
Angus Mcdonald, sporting goods
dealer; Edgar Myers, superinten-
dent; Reuben Isdell, piano teacher,
single; Joseph A. Fisher, caterer;
Arthur A. Pack, foreman; Myer Ro-
senberg. Charles l.. Smith, Harry E.
Sprucebank and Orville E. Brown,
insurance.
The trial will be resumed this
morning at 10 o'clock