Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1922-03-15
ARREST NEGRO
FOR CRIME AT
CORPUS CHRISTI
Officers Claim That Luther
Jamison Confessed to the
Perrigue Murder

Through the arrest at Sinton late Mon
day evening of Luther Jamison, negro,
q solution has been found to the brutal
murder, February 81, of Blanche Per
rigue, l6-year-old daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Edward Perrigue. The negro, after
being brought to Corpus Christi, was
taken to the scene of the crime where,
it is said, he calmly gave the details Of
the murder, which left nc doubt in the
officers minds of his guilt.
The murder and outrage at the time
of the commission threw the entire COM
munity into a fever of excitement, and
it was said at the time there had never
before been committed a crime which was
so shrouded in mystery as was the Per
rigue case.
MANY arrests were made, in each in
stance there being more or less incrimi-
mating circumstances which led officers
to believe the guilty person was appre-
hended, but in each case the parties ar
rested proved to the satisfaction of the
officers that they were not concerned
in the crime and were released.
The machinery of the sheriff's office,
the cqnstable's forces, and the city po-
lice department have devoted practical
ly all the time intervening since the COM
mission of the murder, and every clue
was followed to a complete solution be-
fore being dropped, and the arrest at
Sinton of the negro was one of the links
in the long chain of circumstantial evil
dence which officers have been running
down. II was learned shortly after the
murder that a negro wearing light
shirt and a green hat" had been seen
during the morning near the vicinity of
the crime. but the hour, by whom seen
and other circumstances connected with
the case appeared to be blank. But this
trail was taken up. and after several
days Of search and inquiry, the trail of
the negro was again found. this time
along the bay shore, where he had been
seen by some boys. who noticed at the
time his actions were suspicious. Still
later a Mexican told officers he had
seen a negro lying in the brush a few
miles below the city on the bay shore.
The Mexican said the negro appeared
to be trying to avoid being seen, and did
not respond when spoken to. Each of
the descriptions began and ended with
wearing a light shirt and a green hat.
Still later IL was learned the negro was
a yellow or mulatto negro. but further
description appeared TO he unobtainable.
This meager description was sent TO all
officers in this section of the country,
with instructions to arrest and notify
the sheriffs department here.
Later officers Of Sinton notified the
sheriff's department that there was
negro in that city answering the descrip-
tion in part. and they were promptly ad-
vised to take him. This was Monday
evening.
Deputy Sheriff Bill Priestly and Con-
stable Lee Pretzel then went to Sinton
for the prisoner and brought him to Cor
pus Christi. After being placed under
arrest the negro weakened and insisted
on making a statement TO the officers,
but was refused permission to talk until
lster.
After reaching the city. the suspect
ed man was taken to the scene of the
crime and questioned. II was while at
the spot where the fiendish murder and
outrage had been committed that the
negro admitted the crime. going into
details as to how he first attacked the
girl and killed her, and had taken the
body to the place where il was later
found. Officers say the confession was
sufficient to leave no room for doubt
as to the guilt of the negro. As pre-
caution against attempted violence. Dep
uty Sheriff Priestly and Chief Of Police
Wright took the prisoner to San An
tonic for safekeeping yesterday.
The negro proved TO be one well
known in Corpus Christi and who had
lived here several years. He was about
rs years Of age, and his latest employ
ment was shining shoes on Railroad ave-
nue.. near the Union depot. He had al
ways been more or less unruly, and
many times narrowly escaped getting
into trouble by impudence to white peo-
pie. Had the description first given
been sufficient TO identify the negro.
his arrest would have been effected
much sooner. as officers knew the Jami-
son negro. but were not aware of the
fact that he had returned to the city.
rs he had been away quite while The
sole and only clue the officers had to
work on for several days was the light
shirt and green hat" said to have been
worn py negro seen IN the vicinity of
the crime on the morning of the same
day.