The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-02-08
Swears That He Did Not Muir
der Pearl Bryan.
HIS CONFESSION IN JAIL
Says He Procured the Abortion
For Woods.
BUT THAT wALLING KILLED HER
The Two Men Have a Preliminary
Hearing and Are Then Sent to
Jail to Await Final Trial
for Murder

Tor Murder.
Cincinnati, February Although
it is just one week since the de-
capitated body of Pearl Bryan was
found near Fort Thoms, Ky, there has
been more excitement to-day over the
tragedy here and in the Kentucky sub.
urbs than any previons day. ScottJack-
son and Alonzo Walling, the suspects,
who were room mates while attending
the Ohio Dental College, have been con-
Tossing against each other all day.
They were examined separately and
together. When they are confronted
with each others confessions, they call
each other liars. All efforts have been
directed to-day to finding Pearl Bry-
ans head
In the series of confessions, Jackson
says Walling carried it in vaIise to
the Covington suspension bridge and
he thinks Walling threw it in the river,
or he might have carried it with him
TO his home at Hamilton and thrown it
from the Miamai bridge at that place
Walling says he had nothing to do
with the decapitation or disposal Of
the head, but he recited long stories
which led the officers to believe that
jackson had buried the head in sand
bar in the Ohio River, opposite Dayton.
Ky, a suburb of this city, or dropped
it in the sewer on Richmond street.
Large forces worked all day at both
places, and they secured the blood
stained coat of Jackson out of a sewer
at the corner of Richmond and Central
avenue near Jackson's room.
William Wood, of Green Castle, Ind,
as we'll as jackson and Walling, were
arraigned in police court to-day, and
their preliminary hearings were fixed
for next Thursday, February 18th.
Wood, on the charge of aiding and
abetting an abortion, was admitted to
IS, 600 bail The other two suspects on
the charge of murder were refused bail
Sheriff Plummy. of Kentucky, imme-
diately after the arraignment of the
three suspects, demanded them as his
prisoners. As the feeling across the
river is intense, and the Campbell coun-
ty jail is an old frame structure, they
were not taken there to-day. One OBJ
iect of the present inquisition is to de-
termine whether the murder was com
mitted in Ohio or Kentucky, and who
has jurisdiction in the matter. The au-
thorities think the body was taken
across the river in cab.
There was a post mortem eXamina-
tion held to-day. at which the physi-
clans held that the head of Pearl Bryan
had been cut off while she was alive.
and they could find no trace of drug
There is quite a dispute among the
physicians as to whether the head was
cut off after the murder in order to
prevent identification and discovery, or
whether the girl was murdered by hav-
ing her throat cut to the extent of de-
capitating the head. The lawyers are
anxious for positive evidence on this
point in order to establish beyond
doubt the charge of murder on the two
suspects. If the girl was chloroform-
ed or killed by q hypodeFnic injection
or otherwise before the body was
taken to Fort Thomas, it is believed
that Jackson and WalhRg win get Off
with the light sentence of abQr-
tionists
Scott jackson tonight sent for
friend to whom he said:
"Walling once told me that at one
time ne had performed a successful
abortion. When Wood told me the
time he had Pearl Bryan in trouble
suggested Waling / was in Green
Castle then On my return ! talked TO
Walling and he said he would perform
the abortion on Miss Bryan.
"Now, | can't tell YOU the rest. Send
for my brother Tibbetts, secretary of
the Y. M. @. A. / will tell all to him"
Later Tibbetts wrote the confession
as dictated by Jackson, and the latter
signed il as follows:
Herewith, Bible in hand on my
knees before God, ! swear / was not
guilty Of numbering that poor girl
did not get her to come to Cincinnati
to undergo abortion. Walling was to
get $50 for performing it. was guilty
of getting him to do it but not of muir
dering that poor girl. / don't know
where he killed her or how he did il,
or what he did with her after he killed
her. He is the guilty man. viii Woods
was to send $50 to him through me for
performing the abortion, This is the
truth, so help me God"
The confession was made by Jack
son in the presence of no one but
Secretary Tibbetts. lit was then de-
livered to the mayor and chief OF
police.