The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-02
KILLING OF MISS BRYAN
4 Chapter of Truth Which Reads
Like Exaggerated Fiction.
PRINCIPALS IN THE TRAGEDY
Complete Story of One of the Most
Sensational of Modern Crimes.
Brought Down TO Date-A
Story with q Moral.
From the Chicago Times Herald.

From the Chicago Times Herald.
The story of the murder of Pearl
Bryan sounds like the wild imaginings
of q mind insane. The deed was the
most cruelty planned and most coldly
and Systematically executed of any or
the spectacular crimes of recent years.
Search the cabinets of police officers,
and no companion case can be found
for this red deed of violence. At this
distance the offenses committed by
Durrant. the San Francisco degenerate,
seem like miSdemeanors. The tale or
Pearl Bryan's killing. with its incidents.
surpasses in horror the eNtravagances
Of Poe. The romances produced by
those French furnishers of popular fic-
tion who take a crime as the basis and
permit u diseased. absinthe-steeped
fancy run amuck, are mild. unsensa- :
tional literature compared with this
Cincinnati history. The hideousness Of
the condition ~ accentuated by the fact
that all the persons involved, the active
principals and the accomplices, are
young men of liberal ability. and some
pretensions as to station and social po-
sition. The unfortunate victim of these
monsters of -gultiness was a
young woman Of culture and refine
nent. All the testimony goes to that
end. II she erred it was not from vic
iousness Or inherent depravity. 1t was
BECAUSE she was innocent and ineXper-
fenced. She trusted and was lost. She
was pretty country girl, the light of u
happy home. the joy of a modest circle
OF society. Her beauty and her bright
ness made her an attractive prey. She
was first ruined, then lured to horrd
death
Justice has not been dilatory of ac-
ti"n in this instance. 1t is probable
that the hemp has been already grown
that will place the wrongdoers beyond
the possibility of further deeds. Scott
jackson and AlonZo Walling are in
cells. They are charged with having
committed the crime. Each accuses
the other as principal 1t is established
- almost beyond Il peradventure that
they are equally guilty. win Wood
another young man, held as an accom-
plice. is at large. The uffensc with
which he Is charged is bailable Ac-
coruiug to his own confession he as
sisted In planning the prrlminaries 10
one crime. This was never committed
lhe plans for ii We're abandoned and
the girls murder was plotted and con-
sulnmat-d. The coroner at Newport
Ky, as the result of the inquest held
Jackson and Walling for the crime of
murder. Thereupon Governor Bradley
of Kentucky, made Il reuuisitiOn on
Governor Bushnell. of Ohio for the men
who are prisoners in the Cincinnati po-
lice station.
The story Of the Crime.
Pearl Bryan was killed on the night
or Friday, Jan. IL. The following
morning the headlrss body Of a young
woman was found in Il field in the
Kentucky highlands opposite Cincin-
natl about Il mile south of Fort Thomas
The head has not yet been found. There
was no clew but II check dress. II corset
and one shoe. Bloodhounds were
brought into reuuisition and given the
trail They went on II false scent
One went to the C0vington reservoir,
which was drained, but no evidence Of
the crime found. The others went to n
point In the road. lost the trail and
were dispensed with. Then the shoe
was carefully examined. 1t was traced
TO Il GreencaStl., Ind. dealer, and de-
scription of the shoe and the checked
newspapers.
The blow to the old parents and
friends of the young woman was crush
ing. Pearl Bryan was the youngest of
twelve children, of whom seven daugh-
ers and son are still living. The girls
all enjoy local celebrity for their good
looks and their accomplishments.
Pearl the child of her parents old age
was even handsomer than her sisters
ful attention. In the neighborhOOd she
was widely popular She graduated
from the Greencastle high school four
years ago. and since that time had
studied much at home and also took a
brief term at u college In person she
was small and graceful. Her beauty
was of the pronounced blonde type
Mrs. Fisher, of indianapolis. at whose
home Miss Bryan told her parents she
intended making visit. says of the
dead girl: The girl belonged to one of
the best families in Putnam county. and
her associations We're of the finest She
was a cousin of State Senator Lock-
ridge. She was very handsome girl
Of lovaDle disposition. ! have been a
friend Of the family for years. knowing
them quite We'll when | lived at Green
castle. and there was a standing in
vitation to all of them to visit me at
any time. 1t was not q special invita-
ton to Pearl Bryan any more than to
other members of the family, and I
have not seen her for nearly four years
When the family telegraphed me- ask
Ing me II Pearl was here, I was much