The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-07
MERE BRUTES.
Two Confessions Made to the
Murder of Pearl Bryan.
Scott Jackson and AlOnZO M.
Walling, the Murderers,
ACCUSE EACH OTHER.
The Tragedy Was a DiabOlical
One Indeed.
Pearl Bryan Was About to Be-
come a. Mother.
ACCUSE EACH OTHER.

CINCINNATI, Ohio, Feb. 7.-All day
the city has been nervously excited
over the hourly developments of the
story of the mysterious death of
Pearl Bryan, the Greencastle, Ind,
farmers daughter. What is called
confession of two of the young men
implicated as her murderers is only
strange sort of half-defiant wincing
under the semi-torture of a police ex-
animation, in which each culprit ap-
pears to be trying to shield himself as
an accidental accomplish and make
the other the real criminal.
So far it is known that Pearl Bryan,
about to become a mother, and de-
sirous of hiding her shame, left Green
castle, Ind, Tuesday, January IS, os-
tensibly to visit Mrs. Fisher in Indian
apolis; that William Wood saw her to
the train; that she came directly to
Cincinnati, tried to see Scott Jackson
at the dental college that night but
could not; that she registered at the
Indiana house as mabel Stanley,
city," and was assigned to room ia.
After that the stories about her do not
agree.
Alonzo M. Walling, the room mate
of Scott jackson, both of whom were
arrested last night charged with the
says IndG JACKSON saw MISS
Bryan on Wednesday and that he
went about the city with her, and
finally on Friday completed the crime
of murder, cutting off the girls head
and bringing it to Cincinnati in her
own valise, which he kept until Mon
day, when he cast the head into a
sewer and threw her clothing into the
Ohio river.
On the other hand, jackson, in a
stolid, half-stupid, and always obstin-
ately argumentative manner, placed
the entire burden on Walling. Ac-
cording to his story the lamenta BILE
condition of Miss Bryan was attributed
to William Wood of Greencastle who
applied to jackson to help him cover
up the girls shame and his own par
ticipation in the affair. Wood did
this, jackson says, because he Jack
SOM was a dental student and sup
posed to have access to means for
producing criminal operation. Jack
son denied having any such knowl-
edge, but recommended Walling, his
room mate, who had told him how he
had assisted two girls from Hamilton.
Ohio, near his home. Thereupon
Wood sent Miss Bryan to Cincinnati,
where jackson turned her over to
Walling, and there his information
seemed so fail. He said that Wallinp
took the girl away from the hotel on
Wednesday and that was the last he
saw of her.
But under the spur of persistent
questioning he made many more ad-
missions, such as that he left the girls
valise at a barber shop empty, where
the police found it. The chief of po-
lice asked him to open the valise and
had him describe the CHASTITY blood
stains made, as Jackson argued, by
the discovered head of his victim. But
he almost viciously denied he had car
ried the valise with the girls bloody
head in it. His confession" was in
shreds and patches, accusations
against Walling and denials of what
incriminated himself, but all the time
admitting that he knew the purpose
for which Pearl Bryan came to Gin
cinnati, and that he knew on Friday
night that she was dead.
But the evidence against these three
men does not depend upon their own
statements. This bloody valise is
shown by other witnesses to have been
left at the barber shop by Jackson
He could not have been innocent of its
CHASTITY use, when he admits that it
belonged to the poor girl, and that it
contained her clothing and toilet arti-
cleS, which, he says, he carried in in
stallments day by day and threw into
the Ohio river. A sa1oonkeeper has
identified the men as having been in
his saloon with two women, and saws
that on Friday night jackson Dor
roWed 81 from him to take a buggy
ride Saturday night he he paid 81 IS !
back On Jackson's person when ar
rested there were three 1ady's hand |
kerchiefs which he said he had found !
on street car on Sunday night, but |
which more than proba bly, were taken |
from the valise of Miss Bryan.
The main facts of the time, manner
and place of the girls death remain !
unrevealed. 1t is reasonably clear she |
met her death Friday night The |
theory that a bungling surgical opera
tion caused her death is clearly dis |
proved by the coroner's investigation |
So also is the theory of death from |
drugs as the analysis of her stomach |
showed no such condition. 1t is clear
she was either brutallv beheaded or
was killed by an anasthetic.
William Wood was brought here
last night from South Bend, Ind, as
an accomplice of Scott jackson and
Alonzo WaIling. Wood is not yet of
age, bright looking, with fiorid face,
clearly shaved, with light hair, and
finely dressed. He was accompanied
by his father, the Rev. d. NJ. Wood,
presiding elder of the Methodist
church in the district where he resides
at Greencsstle. Ind.
After an extended examiMat ton
Wood was released on his own recog-
nizanee and went to his hotel. Wall
ing has made a written confession.
He says Jackson is the murderer.