The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-02-13
mot MUCH HEADNAY MADE
IN SOLVING THE MYSTERY SuR-
ROUNDING THE MURDER OF
PEARL BRYAN.
EVIDENCE That BOTH IRE GUILTY
Jackson and Wallng Continue to Accuse
Each Other of the Crime-They
Gaze on the Headless Body
Without Visible Remorse.


Cincinnati, Feb. S-Another day has
closed without positive answer TO the
questions that have been perplexing the
police and the public concerning the tlmc'
place and manner of the death of Pearl
Bryan. There is practically no question
about the criminals, for in spite of the
assertions of Jackson and Walling-each
placing the crime at the others door
there is unimpeachable evidence that
both are guilty. While the prisoners,
under the advice and protection of legal
counsel, have not been subjected to such
searching examinations as on yesterday
and the day before, yet they have not
been able to repress their nervous desire
to be saying something about the case as
opportunity afforded. Walling, for in
stance, when suddenly asked by Il visiting
reporter: Did Pearl have any clothes
on when she died" quickly answered,
"Oh, yes, she had on two suits of clothes;
that is, two dresses, the under dress in
which she was found and brown cloth
dress. The latter became so saturated
took it off,"
Here he stopped shortly and, appa-
rently confused by what he had said,
could not be induced to say Il word more
on the subject.
Walling had stated since his arrest that
Jackson on Wednesday night last had
written a letter to Wood and addressed
it to South Bend.
Mayor Caldwell wired the postmaster
at that place to forward to him any let
ter mailed there addressed to Wood
Today the letter came. Calling in the
attorney of Jackson, the latter gave his
consent to have the letter opened. 1t
was dated February 5 and was written
on the letter head of the Palace hotel.
while the envelope bore the address of
Heider's restaurant. The mailing stamp
showed $50 p. M, about two hours be-
fore Jackson was arrested.
The letter shows cunning, as if written
with fear that it might fall into other
hands. The writing plainly shows that
after writing the word ''she" in the first
sentence he had changed the word to
that" and had in both cases put in the
word she after. This was done to hide
the fact that Bert was none other than
Pearl Bryan.
After that the word was written "he"
in every case. Following is the import
ant letter:
"2-5-'96. Hello, Bill. Write a let
ter home, signed by Berts name, telling
the folks that he is Chicago.
or some other place, has a position, etc,
and will write more about it. Say he is
tired of living ut home, or anything you
want. You know about the way he
writes. Send it to someone you can
trust. How will Smith do at Lafayette?
Tell the folks he has not been at T. but
ut Lafayette all the time. and travelling
about the country. Get the letter off
without seconds delay and burn this ut
once. Stick to your old chum. Bill. and
| will help you out the same way, or some
other way, some time.
Am glad you are having Il good time
lSigneD ID"
BE careful what you write to me-
In the phrase lat Lafayette all the
time the words :" all the time" had been
erased. Jackson was asked if he had
written the letter. He replied that he
had and that the signature, ID" was for
his nickname, Dusty"
He also said Bert was the name by
which he and Wood knew Pearl Bryan.
Asked why he wrote the letter, he said:
'Walling told me to write. He said that
something had to be done, and | did it,
Did he dictate it,
'Oh, no; | wrote it Wednesday even
Ing dlleT supper.
He said that Wood had written him
two postal cards that were awful, and
therefore he warned him to be careful
what he wrote.
Mailing denied that he had asked Jack
son to write this letter and said that Jack
son had told him on the street Wednes-
day afternoon that he was going to sug-
gest to Wood to write such letter.
Several new clues have been found to-
day and are in process of investigation.
One is blood clotted lap robe in cab.
which has already been suspected to be
the cab used in bringing home the girls
head. Another is the identification of
the men as those who were rowed across
the river from Dayton, KY, early Satur-
day morning. The story is that one of
the men kept his hands in his overcoat
pockets all the time attracting attention
thereby.
Late in the afternoon Jackson and
Walling were taken to Epples undertake
ing establishment in Cincinnati and We're
brought before the headless body of their
from Newport. The whole scene was
uncanny. The prisoners looked upon the
murdered girl, whose life they had taken
less than week ago. and saw the shock
ing sight of the headless body, the miser-
able work of their own hands, but no
sign of remorse, nor even any sort of
emotion was visible in their faces. To
add to the unparalleled ordeal, Mrs. Stan
ley, the sister of the dead girl, went to
her murderers and begged them with Il
woman's tears coursing down her cheeks,
to tell her where she might find her sis
ter's head.
But nothing moved them and, heart
broken, the weeping sister was led away
while the men were taken to the county
Jail, where they will be kept until the
day of their examination or until it is de-
cided that they shall go to Kentucky for
trial