The Indianapolis journal., 1896-02-08

Scott jackson Figured I'm GruesOme
Indianapolis Case.


Scott jackson Figured I'm GruesOme
Indianapolis Case.
Scott Jackson seems to have had predi-
lection for carrying about discovered hu-
man heads in valises. At any rate. his ex-
per.ence at Cincinnati with the head OF the
murdered GIRL Pearl Bryan, is not the first
episode OF the kind with which he has been
connected. Yesterday it was learned from
perfectly reliable source that he was
mixed up in a somewhat similar affair In
this city. As the story goes, he it was that
carried away the head of Benjamin Fallen
der, a Hebrew, whose corpse was disin-
TERED from the Jewish Cemetery, southwest
of town, by ghouls a year ago. Last
February Benjamin Falender's body was
dsinterred and found its way into medi-
cal college. Shortly afterward Falenders
brother Samuel discovered that the grave
had been robbed, and at once surmised that
ghouls had been at work. The police were
notified and efforts made to recover the
body.
Wm II. Huston, known as Harvey"
Huston. constable in Justice Lockman's
court. heard of the case and learned that
Samuel Falender had offered a reward of
800 for the recovery of his brothers body.
Huston went to Falender and offered to
search for the body. providing the reward
was guaranteed in some substantial man.
ner. AS a result of their conference, Fall
ender signed an agreement to pay the
amount in the event the body was discov
ered and left a certified check for 800 with
magistrate Lockman. Falender described
certain marks upon his brothers body that
would serve as infallible evidence in its
Identification. He said there was a felon
on the left hand and brthmark on the
skin above the abdomen. A certain medical
college was searched twice. Upon the first
occasion a student threw the corpse over
his shoulder and carried it from the picking
vat in the basement to the auditorium, on
the third floor, which had been previously
searched He dropped his CHASTITY burden
behind a pile of chairs. where it remained
until after the constabes left the building,
satisfied the body was in some other college.
Finding the constables were hot upon the
trail, efforts were made to dsfgure the body
beyond the possibility of recognition The
left hand was removed. The skin was cut
away from the body above the abdomen,
the birthmark being wiped out by this pro-
cess. Then the head was discovered. After
that Huston, accompanied by another con-
stable and the dead mans brother. visited
the college with the intention OF getting the
body.
A HEADLESS BODY.
The college authorities refused TO loan the
constable graphing hooks, and he was COM
PEELED to dive down into the vats with his
bare hands. After searching a number of
them he brought to the top body bent al
most double. The first thing that met his
sight was the stump of the left wrist. He
was satisfied that the cadaver was the one
l.
Falender into the room. LET me see his
head said Falender. The body was pulled
from the vat. the deputy constable using a
above the surface of the brine. In
his efforts to raise the corpse
sharp cut was mace in the flesh of the
were Mortified to note the corpse had been
decapitated. The uncanny, headless body
was stretched upon the floor. Falender re-
fused TO identify 1t as that of his brother.
Huston was certain that he was not mis-
taken, and that he had recovered the right
body. The very fact that the marks of
identihcation-the left hand, with a felon on
1t, the skin, bearing the birthmark. and the
head-had been removed, all seemed to be
circumstances going to show that he was on
the right track. But Falender was not sat
isfied. and withdrew his check from Justice
Lockman's hands.
Early the next morning some one called
up clerk at Frank A. Blanchard's under
taking establishment by telephone and asked
him who ii was that was making racket
at his door. The clerk responded that he
heard no noise. Il tell you there is some
one there making a beastly racket
sponded the voice. The clerk went TO the
door and found a headless corpse doubled
up in coffee sack. The coroner was noti-
lied and took charge of the body. When
Magistrate Lockman heard of the case the
next day he concluded it was the same body
and that the faculty of the medical college
had become alarmed and was taking this
method TO dispose of the cadaver. Huston
and the deputy constable were summoned
as witnesses. Before seeing the corpse they
described the gash under the arm that mad
been cut by the broken barrel hoop, as
well as the condition of the handless wrist
and the part of the body from which tho
cuticle had been cut away. Their description
tailed in every respect save one-the left
hand had been stitched back to the wrist.
The marks of the felon were plainly visible,
although the hand had been bleached white
1t mad presumably been placed in a jar
of alcohol. Mrs. Falender further Identified
the body by certain peculiarities in the foot
which had been deformed. Although the
identihcati ton was complete and the body
was buried as that of his brother, Samuel
Falender refused to pay the reward OF $780,
saying that the whole body had not been
recovered, inasmuch as the head was miss
ing.
through his fingers, Constable Huston under
took to find the head. He learned that it
had been shifted several times and had
finally found its way into the demonstrators s
room at the Indiana Dental College. where
Jackson and walling were students in the
freshman year. Receiving tip the faculty
Of the dental college knew that they We're
about to be vxited by constables and de-
cided to get rt OF the head in some way.
Scott Jackson learned the secret and vol
unteered TO take charge OF the head. 1t
was turned over to him and he took 1t to
Greencastle. carrying ii in valise. After
secreting his CORY trophy, Jackson returned
to Indianapolis Subsequently he learned that
the constable had got wind of the fact
that the head was at GreencaStle. He sud
denly went there and placed the head IN
a small pine box, addressed Ii TO himself
at Snelbyvile and expressed it TO that place
Whether he afterwards claimed the box at
Shelbyvii,e or not Is not known Falender
was informed of the circumstances but
seemed disinclined TO follow the case and
the constables let the matter drop, so far
as further search for the head was COLI
cerned. Subsequently Huston recovered a
judgment for Sl0e and costs In the Justices
court An appeal was taken from the de-
cisior and the case is now pending in the
Circuit Court. There is little doubt that II
Falender had shown any real interest in
the recovery of the head and had agreed
TO pay the reward originally offered. the
head would have been recovered and Scott
Jackson's connection with the affair might
have been made public.
WHAT MISS CRANE KNEW.