The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-21
WILL WOOD SPEAKS
TELLS ABOUT LETTERS HE RE-
CEIvED FROM SCOTT JACKSON.
He Repeats Their Contents from Mem
DRY and Says He showed Them to
Friends at Greencastie.
VERY DAMAGING TO JACKSON
WHO ACCUSES HIMSELF OF MAKING
"BIG MISTAKE,
Seemingly Confession that He Was
Directly Concerned in the Death
> Of Miss Pearl Bryan.
A TALK WITH THE PRISONER
HE DECLINES TO ANSWER CERTAIN
QUESTIONS PUT BY A REPORTER.
Waliing i'm Good Spirits and Much In
tePested I'm May Smiths story
Feeling at Hamilton, o.
seemingly Confession that He Was
Directly Concerned in the Death
Of Miss Pearl Bryan.
A TALK WITH THE PRISONER
HE DECLINES TO ANSWER CERTAIN
QUESTIONS PUT BY A REPORTER.
Waliimg i'm Good Spirits and Much In
tePested I'm May Smiths story
Feeling mt Hamilton, o.

CINCINNATI, o., Feb. 20.-The develop
ments in the Fort Thomas horror advanced
a few PAGES to-day. Young Wood, who has
heretofore been so reticent, repeated from
memory two letters that he had received
from Jackson, one dated Jar. 23 and an
other dated Feb. 5. He says that these
letters were shown to his friends at Green
castle among them. Early, the operator,
and DR.. r. G. Gillespie, the dentist at
Greencastle. This first letter is, as nearly
as he can recollect, follows:
''Cincirnati, Jan. q.
Hello BILL expect you think i have
forgotten you, but have not. i have been
awful busy this week. i have not been over
to- Kentucky yet SO you may know tnat nat
college, and then in the dissecting room,
so you see am busy for sure.
We'll. for business. Tell Bert TO come
on. / have very nice room with a nice
old lady. A friend of walling is going to
do the work, an old hand at the business.
We. go to his home tonight for supper;
| ne is a chemist. | think / will have enough
money. but tell Bert to bring all she can
for it may come handy. Tell her to leave
G.. c., so as to get here Monday night.
DAYS Push 1T along. Don't go back on me
now whenI am this near out OF my trouble.
Be sure and burn this as soon as read
Your chum always. IL.
The next letter that Wood said he re-
4 celNtu ITOIIl JdchSOH, WhiNh hC PiONeSNS
from memory as nearly literal as possible
in the following words:
Cincinnati, Feb 8.
Hello Bill--Be awful careful what you
say. l am expecting trouble: oh, Lord!
Stand by me DO you ,, think 1it, Doc Wi Wiiit l.
is going to get me into trouble. Don't
| forsake me now. Now is when 1 need you
Write sa2 Doc R wsS stand up Rad i0n neVer
seen that girl and never seen G. c. c.
| d. my tough luck. anyway. Be sure and
see see ! it, Now. Billy, stand by your old
chum. D.
wood said that his friends. including
those already mentioned, will remember
the contents of these letters and swear to
them He says that he burned all of the
letters That of Feb seems damaging.
from the fact that Wood knew at that
time that a girl had been murdered at
Fort Thomas.
JACKSON INTERVIEWED.
The contents of the letters were reported
TO Jackson. He was sitting in his cell
chatting when the reporter entered.
Got your confession ready?" asked the
reporter.
i've made all / have was the reply.
The reporter thereupon told Jackson
about the letter Will Wood claims to have
| TeCeittu lIOiii udte Oh req. o.
| jackson, as usual, tried TO pass the matter
| off lightly.
| But what did you mean by the allusions
| in the letter. insisted the reporter
What allusions?" asked Jackson
| The reporter mentioned that Jackson
| wrote that he wished he had never seen
Greencastle or the girl. and that he was
| in trouble
Well If I'd never seen Greencastle I
never would have met Wood, would -"
| asked the prisoner.
| do you mean that to be believed when
you asked Wood in the letter to stand by
| you?" asked the reporter This puzzled the
prisoner, and he was silent
You say in the letter that you were in
! trouble, and you say you wish you had
| never seen the girl. What did you mean
| by that?" asked the reporter
] Jackson would not answer
/ Didn't you mean that you either We're
! responsible for her death or that you had
| guilty knowledge?''
| Still the prisoner would not answer.
| What significance had those wishes of
yours?''
Jackson still remained dumb
shall say that you refuse to answer p"
asked the reporter.
NO" answered Jackson.
| "well, then. what did you mean?' asked
| the reporter again.
| Still Jackson would not reply. He hung
! his head. He was not defiant; he was en-
| barrassed. The willingness he had all along
manifested to answer all questions to assist
| in collecting evidence, to account for al he
did-this had disappeared. The reporter
| pointed this fact out TO him. but he could
make no reply. At last he asked in wild
sort of way: What day was Feb. 5. the
date on which he received the letter.
1.-The 5th was Wednesday," answered the
reporter.
Then the letter was probably written on
| the 3d." said Jackson. who knew better.
We'll, now, what did you mean by it?'
| asked the reporter again.
II can't say" Jackson began weakly
| Then he saw that would not do, and finally
| he said: Might 1 not have meant that
knew the girl was dead. and that although
knew nothing about it. Yet 1 saw / was
| going to get into trouble over itg'
| But did you mean that?' asked the re-
porter.
Again Jackson could find no words to re-
ply.
| The reporter saw him little later and
Jackson said that he had headache.
HOW THE PRISONERS ACT.
Although Jackson sings and dances in
| JAIL Walling is the more cheerful of the
! two and holds up fairly well. He is contin-
ually asking about the developments in
May Smiths story. which she repeated to
Mayor Caldwell yesterday. He Is very re-
! ticent. except in accusations against Jack
| son. Even in these he INDUCES more SPAR
| ingiy than he did when first arrested. A To-
| cal paper says: Jackson showed signs OF
| weakening last night. He walked the floor
/ of his cell the greater part of the evening.
| He was in low spirits, the air Of ind.ffer-
ence which has characterized his conduct
since his incarceration in the Jail leaving