In less than a half hour after making the confession Walling again sent for the Chief of Police and said:
"I want to see you about another thing that may have a big bearing on this case," said the prisoner.
"What is it?"
"Well, yesterday afternoon Jackson got some paper and envelopes and told me he was going to the Palace Hotel to write some letters. I asked him who he was going to write to and he said to Wood. He said he was going to inclose a letter purporting to be from Pearl Bryan to her mother and that he was going to have Wood sent it, I think, to Geneva and have it mailed from that point to Mrs. Bryan. He said he was going to do this to throw Mrs. Bryan off the track."
"Do you know that he sent the letter?"
"He told me on the evening he was arrested that he had sent it."
This information was given to Mayor Caldwell, and the following dispatch was sent:
Cincinnati, Ohio, February 6, 1896.
Postmaster, South Bend, Ind.: Kindly sent all mail addressed to Wm. Wood from this city to me.
John A. Caldwell, Mayor.
Young Wood, who was present, said he had got a letter from Jackson yesterday, which he had torn up. It went on to ask him to stick to him, and not to say too much. Young Wood was perfectly satisfied to have the mail sent back here.
Chief Deitsch after sending the information to Mayor Caldwell continued his investigation with: