The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-20
STORY oF THE CRIME
For Which Alonzo WalIing and Scott
Jackson Were Hung Today.

Cincinnati, March 20-In the early
morning of February 1, 1896. a boy go
ing to work discovered the dead body
of girl in an obscure part of Mr. John
Locks farm adjoining Fort Thomas,
Ky. The murderers had cut off the
girls head to prevent identification and
removed it to some place that has never
been discovered. The only garments on
the body were a union undersuit and
cheap checked wrapper A pair of
shoes lay near, also a kid glove, two
ha1rpins and few strands of blonde
hair. The shoes were a woman's No.
3, and on them was an opera toe rub
Der well worn. Inside the shoes, which
were of the needle toe description was
castle, with a Portsmouth, O., firm as
the makers. Nearby was a white cor
set. spotless except from bloody finger
prints At the top of the bank where
the feet lay was a pool of blood. This
spot was in the gap of private hedge
on which remained dead leaves. On
both sides of these leaves, above and
below were drops of blood At the foot
of the bank near the neck was another
pool Of blood. On that morning these
few garments We're the only cleWS to
the identity of the dead girl. Blood
hounds were taken to the spot and they
followed = trail to the Covington reser-
Yoir and could be induced to go no
further. The reservoir was drained but
the head was not found. All subse-
quent search for the head has been
fruitless.
Il our QdNS later the SnOeS, the glove,
the hairpins and the wrapper were
identified at Greencastle. Ind, by her
parents as belonging to Pearl Bryan.
the daughter of Mr. A S. Bryan, a well
to do farmer living near Greencastle.
This Identification of the girl was
brought about by Sheriff Guile Plum
mer of Campbell county. Ky. who had
followed the slender clues furnished by
the shoes and garments to successful
issue. This discovery also identified
Scott jackson and Alonzo Walling as
the perpetrators of the crime. These
young men were rOOm-mates and fellow
students in the Dental college at Gin
cinnati. Scott jackson spent several
months of the summer and early au-
tumn of 1895 at Greenca stle, Ind as a
member Of the family of his brother-in-
law, DR.. Edwin F. Post, a professor in
the DePauw university. There he be-
came acquainted with Will Wood a lad
20 years old. the son of Rev DeIos M
Wood, presiding elder of the Methodist
Episcopal church, residing at Greencas-
second cousin to Pearl Bryan. he OBJ
tanned introduction to her and visited
her frequently. She was a graduate of
the GreencaStle high school, was vivac-
1ous, pretty, fond of society and verv
popular Jackson when absent kept nm
a correspondence with her, which was
continued until within a fortnight of
the day of her murder. The last two or
three months of this correSpondence
was carried on clandestinely Will
Wood was the medium at Greencastle
their destination. Jackson's last visit
70 Greencastle was in the holidays of
lS95-6. A few persons at Greencastle.
contidantes of Jackson knew that Pearl
Bryan was in delicate condition. To
one of these, DR.. Gillespie a dentist
with whom Jackson had worked, also
relative OF Pearl Bryan, jackson ad-
mlted that he was the author of
Pearl Bryan's trouble. Gillespie dur
ing the holiday vacation advised Jack
son to marry her. He said that he
would not do anything of the kind
There We're others who knew about the
AFFAIR, among them Will Wood and Mr.
Early, a telegraph operator. at Green
castle. Through VIII Wood sometime
in December, 1895, Jackson had sent
Pearl Bryan letter containing a pre-
scrlption of ergot of rye and other in
gradients intended to produce an abor-
ton The girl never got the prescrip-
ton filled Jackson visited her in the
vacation and destroyed the letter and
the prescription.
Meantime Jackson and Walling were
arrested in Cincinnati. In their Dos