Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-16
HAVE LOCATED The CABMAN
Negro Tells Strange Story Of His Drive to
Newport,
TOOK OVER TWO MEN AND A WOMAN
Heard Strange Noises After the Trio
Got Out of the Carriage and
BccominE Frightened
Ran Away.

CINCINNATI Feb. 15.-At the end OF TWO
weeks after the finding Of the beheaded body
Of Pearl Bryan, the evidence of guilt against
her murderers remains circumstantial. What
are popularity called confessions OF Jackson
and Wellng are found to be careful avoid
ance Of direct connection with the crime Of
murder, but full of accusations, each charg-
ing the other with the murder. However
enough proof has been found to make the
circumstantial evidence fairly satisfactory
and quite sufficient to warrant an average
jury In finding verdict Of guilty. But
there is a well founded belief today that Will
liam Wood, now in jail, will be willing and
able to furnish whatever missing link is
needed to clear up the mystery. There is
but little doubt that he has been kept ad-
vised of the tragic outcome Of his own plan
to have Pearl Bryan saved from disgrace.
He has already admitted his responsibility in
that matter, and he said today that he had let
ters from Jackson after Pearl came TO Gin
cinnati, but he said he did not keep them
because of their disgusting nature.
The first legal battle will come in the effort
to settle the jurisdiction. 1t Is generally
thought the murder was committed III Ken
lucky, but the prisoners arr averse to trial
in Newport, and their attorneys will make
every possible effort to delay trial. Jackson
has be en- provided with counsel in Newport
by his brother-n-law, Prof. Post Of DePauw
university. A leading lawyer CT Newport has
offered his services to assist the prosecuting
attorney, and they have been accepted. Rec
ognizing the insecurity OF the Newport Jail
which might afford an incentive to the forma-
tion of a mob, it is understood that Sherif
Plummer, when he secures control OF the
prisoners, will exercise the discretion lodged
in him by the governor to protect them by
placing them in the more secure structure
in Covington.
The police are making excavations in
various cellars to which the accused
murderers of Pearl Bryan had access The
chief places are the cellars of the dental
college and of Walling and Jackson's board
ing house.
FOUND THE CABMAN.
The strongest link in the chain of evidence
against the two murderers of Pearl Bryan
made ito appearance this afternoon. George
II. Jackson, private coachman for Major
Whitfield, on McGregor avenue, Mount
Auburn, revealed the story. He called out
to Policeman Ed Swain, who was passing
by where he was working, and asked him If
the head of that dead girl had yet been
found. He learned that it was not found
He then asked the officer If they had found
the cabman, and was told no. Again he
asked If they should find the cabman
whether he would be held as a participant
in the crime along with the murdarers. He
was told very likely not; that it depended
upon circumstances. Jackson then said he
would like to see the chief Of police, perhaps
he could tell him something. Swain told
him to report at headquarters of the police
in Mount Auburn at s o'clock, which he did,
Meantime he told his story to Policeman
Swain, and also to Lieutenant Thornton of
the Mount Auburn police.
Tonight he was brought before the mayor
and there told the same story. George II.
Jackson is drill master and commander of
hn n duQ eyno dc nffafN In
tls city. On Friday night, January 81, he
was drilling them until midnight He went
out afterwards, and was standing moment
at the corner of George and Elm streets, in
the tenderloin district of this city, when
a tall, dark haired man, wearing a corduroy
cap, came up and said to the company of
bystanders "Do any of you fellows want
to make SIS for driving carriage tonight?"
Jackson accepted the offer He has been
a carriage driver all his life.
Presently square box surrey was driven
down to where he was, and he was told
that was the carriage. He was invited to
the seat, and the man with a corduroy cap
and dark moustache took seat beside him
and said he would direct him. He told him
that there was doctor and a sick woman
in the carriage, that they were going to take
over to Newport, and he would show him how
to drive. They drove down Elm street to
Third, on Third to Broadway, down Broad
way to the Newport bridge, crossed the
bridge over into Newport. There was cur
tain in the surrey at the backs Of the drivers
so that jackson could not see who was in the
| inside, but he heard the voice of a man and
the funny noise made by woman"
After driving through Newport he became
alarmed and wanted to jump off. This was
after midnight and no one was no the street,
SO that he could make no alarm, but he
was very much frightened The man on the
seat beside him put a revolver to his head
and said:
you drive that horse or I'll make an end
of you very quickly"
The horse was large gray and held high
head and moved very rapidly, and kept
moving. The man on the seat took his name
and address and learned all about him and
said: "If you ever say anything about this
we will kill you, and If we get into trouble
we have friends on the outside that would
follow you up and kill you"
WOMAN WAS ILL.
Jackson says: 81 believe they have been
following me. 1t may be imagination, but
think 1 have been followed ever since the
men have been in Jail. had never driven
on that road before that / know of. The
man on the seat directed me how to go. 1t
was a crooked road. We came out at last
where they told me to stop. There were some
tnickets near by. They said the house
where the woman was to go was not very
far away. They would take her across there
and whistle when they were ready to go
DdCh. lnty tOlu W turn HOIsSS
and wait for them. The man in the surrey
got out first and helped the woman. She
leaned on him heavily and as she walked
along dragged her feet. 1t was too dark
for me to see anything.
'"rhe man who got out Of the surrey was
not as tall as the man who sat by me. That
man got Off his seat and assisted in taking
the woman away in the darkness. / looked
for hitchng block and expected to find a
round one; instead of that found piece
of railway rail about foot long, with two
holes in it, ! hitdhed the horses to that and
waited a little while.
Il heard very queer noise, something
like scuflng in the leaves, along with a
noise that | can't describe, that think was
made by woman. / remembered the
strange noises that the woman had been
making all the way out That noise that |
heard in the thicket frightened me and
ran away as hard as could run. / got home
on foot about 4:30 o'clock in the morning,
did not see anything more OF them. When
heard Of this murder / thought 1t must be
the same case. | was afraid to talk on ac-
count Of the threats made. At last thought
ought to talk about 1t and tell all ! knew.
~ did not see any of these parties, either
Of the men or the woman, SO / could recog-
niZe them. The man behind me had big
overcoat on him and could not tell whether
he was slender or not. All three wore dark
clothing and the woman was yelled all over