The herald., 1896-02-07
PEARL bRYAN|S MURDERER
Makes Statements Regarding
the Hide0us Crime
THREE MEN IMPLICATED
Each Of Whom Accuses Another Of the
Offense
The Officers are Confident that Scott Jack son
Dental Student, Is the Man-tiis
Tangled Statements
Ass ociated Press Special Wire

CINCINNATI, o., Feb. GAIL day the
city has been nervously excited over the
developments of the now famous story of
the mysterious death of Pearl Bryan, the
Green Castle, Ind, farmers daughter.
What is called a confession of two of tho
young men implicated as her murderers
is only strange sort of half defiant
wincing under the semi-torture of police
examination in which each culprit appears
to be trying to shield himself as an acci-
dental accomplice and make the other the
real criminal. So far as it is known that
Pearl Bryan, about to become a mother,
and desirous of hiding her shame, left
Green Castle, Ind, Tuesday, Janu-
ary 2Sth,- ostensibly to visit Mrs Z.
Fisher in Indianapolis; William Wood saw
her to the train; that she came directly to
Cincinnati, tried to see Scott jackson at
ths dental college that night, but could
not do that, so she registered at the Indi-
ana house as Mabel Stanley. city, and was
ries about her do not agree. Also, that
Walling. the roommate of Scott jackson,
both of whom were arrested last night
charged with the murder, says that Jack
SOD saw Miss Bryan on Wednesday; that
he went about the city with her and finally,
cutting off the girls head and bringing it to
Cincinnati in her own valise, which he kept
until Monday. when he cast the head into
sewer and threw her clothing into the
Ohio river.
On the other hand, jackson, in a stofid,
half stupid and always obstinately argu-
mentative manner, placed the entire bur-
den on WaIling. According to his story,
the lamentable condition Of Miss Bryan
was attributed to William Wood of Green
Castle, who applied to Jackson to help
him cover up the girls shame and his
this, jackson says, because he (Jackson)
was a dental student and supposed to have
access to means for producing abortion.
jackson denied having any such knowl-
edge, but commended Walling, his room
mate, who had told him how he had AS
sisted two girls from Hamilton, O., near his
home. Thereupon Wood sent Miss Bryan
to Cincinnati, where Jackson turned her
over to Walling and there his information
seemed to fail. He said that Walling took
the girl away from the hotel on Wednes-
day and that was the last he saw of her.
But under the spur of persistent question
ing he made more admissions, such as that
he left the girls vallse at "a barber shop
empty, where the police found it,. The
chief of police asked him to open the va
lise and had him describs the ghastly stains
made, as Walling argued, by the discovered
head of his victim. But he always vicious
ly denied he had carried the valise with
the girls bloody head in it.
The satchel which the murdered woman
brought here on January 28 was shown
Jackson to permit him to examine the
blood stains in it. He would not quite ad-
init tho head had been in the satchel, but
said it looked as if it had been there Be-
fore the confession Jackson said: ~ am
afflicted with fainting spells, and after
they have paseed get delirious and don't
t,nkv I 10sv r L.
living in Indianapolis L have risen in a
delirium after e spell, dressed myself ana
wandered around for hours without know
ing what had DONE"
Scott jackson made confession by
small statements. because he saw clouds
of evidence, gathering around him. He
has not divhlged the details of the crime.
When he admits the girl was murdered he
does it as if a, third person had committed
the crime. Jackson's roommate, Alonzo
Walling. has confessed knowledge of the
crime, but only as go-between for Jack
son. There is no doubt jackson was the
principal.
William Wood, arrested at South Bend.
Ind, is deeply implicated. A bundle of
letters from Wood to jackson bear this
part of Jackson's confession out. Nearly
all of Woods letters are about girls, and
aloud. Pearl Bryan would have become a
mother in four months. jackson says
Wood is responsible for her condition. She
arrived here, at the Cincinnati, Hannibal
and Dayton depot, Tuesday night, Janiary
2Sth, at o'clock. John Belli took her to
the Indiana house and by her orders no,i-
fed jackson. She told Belli if jackson
did not come, Walling would. jackson
says in his confession she came here to
have an abortion performed. He implies
Walling procured it. He admits she was
killed in an ATTEMPT to perform the opera
ton. Neither Walling nor jackson is
specified in the statements as to where and
how the crime was performed. Both agree
it was committed Friday night Walling is
more frank. jackson speaks stoldly, but
looks as if he would burst with iemorse.
jackson confessed that he visited the
girl Wednesday, January oath. He ad-
mits that he took her clothing out of her
hand-satchel and made way with it.
"Why did you do that?" was asked of
him.
The valise was shown him. The police
had obtained 1t in barber shop, where he
loft 1t last Monday night, enjoining the
barber to let no one but him have it,
"Open the valise," said Chief Dietsch as
he handed 1t to jackson.
The prisoner mechanically opened it,
What do you see in there?" asked the
chief.
''Stains," said the prisoner under ter
rifle nervous strain.
"What sort OF stalns!" thundered the
chief.
at must be blood stains," rejoined the
prisoner stolidly.
sit was the head that made these
stains?" said the chief.
"Well-I should think it was" stam-
mered the prisoner.
WAS it there that you carried the
head?"
81 tell you that I did not carry the
head?"
The prisoner has been obstinate on this
point. He said in his private confession to
the chief in his Office earlier that he
thought the head was thrown into the Ohio
river.
The poor girls satchel was stained in the
bottom and sides purple with her own
blood.
Walling, in his confessic2, said that
jackson was not back until midnight last
Friday night. He says Jackson said to
him when the Glue of the shoe came out:
damn those ihoes, they will get us into
trouble yet."
Walling says he met jackson at Sixth
and Race streets about o'clock last night
Ind Jackson said: "Walling. it looks as If