Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-03-20
THE PENALTY'S PAID
Scott jackson and AIonzo Wall
ing Executed for the Muir
der Of Pearl Bryan.
A HISTORY OF THE CRIME
Mrs. May Carter, a Well-to-do
Widow, Suicides in Denver
by Laudanum Route.
TWO PRIZE-FIGHTERS DIE

NEwroRr, KY, March 20.-Scoti
jackson and Aionzo Walling wer,
hanged here, to-day, for the murder o
Miss Pearl Bryan.
Walling retired. last night, shortly
after midnight, but Jackson remained
awake. At o'clock, jackson declared
that he had no statement to make. Al
1885 O'Clock. the prisoners we're or
dered to prepare for the execution
Jackson then said he wished to make o
statement and clear Walling. He wrote
the following message to Governor
Bradley:
"WalIing is not guilty of this crime.
am.
(Signed) s'ScorT JACKSON
On the strength OF this, the governor
ordered postponement in Walling'f
case until further directions. The gov.
ernor decided, later, not to interfere,
and the death procession began to
move to the scaffold at 11;30 a. m.
Rev. Mr.. Lee performed the religious
services and the drop was sprung at
11:40, Jackson's neck was apparently
broken by the fall, as he failed to move
a muscle. Walling,on the other hand,
died very hard. The bodies were taken
down at 1901. Jackson's remains
will be removed to Jersey City, N. j.,
for interment; Walling will be buried
in Hamilton, Ont.
NEWPORT, Kentucky, March 90
Scott jackson made statement, this
morning. clearing Walling of any
completely in the murder of Pearl
Bryan. A dispatch to that effect was
sent to the governor, who then in.
structed Sheriff Palmer to proceed
with Jackson's execution.
Governor Bradley telephoned Sheriff
Palmer to give Jackson five minutes in
which to make statement. Jackson
refused to do SO and the governor then
ordered the officer to carry out his
original instructions.
jackson and Walling were hanged
at 11:40 O'Clock a. m. Walling died
very hard. Jackson's neck was ap-
parently broken as he never moved
muscle. At 11:55, DR.. Taryir pro-
nounced Walling dead.
A HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
CINCINNATI, Ohio, March 20. -
On the last Saturday in January of last
year, the headless body of beautifully
formed young woman was discovered
in a secluded spot in an orchard on the
farm Of James Locke, short distance
north of Newport, Kentucky, and bare
iy outside the borders and jurisdiction of
the government troops stationed at
Fort Thomas. The body lay on the
side of bank beneath an underground
of brush.
After the coroner and police officials
had been summoned, the body was
removed to the Newport morgue. The
head could not be found, though all the
ponds in the vicinity were dragged and
the Covington reservoir was drained.
There wac nothing ON the body where
by it could be identified except the
clothing. The shoes, however, hap
pened to bear the trade mark of a
Greencastle, Indiana, firm, and this
slight clew resulted In the mystery
being revealed. The body was that OF
Pearl Bryan, the handsome young
daughter of A. S. Bryan, leading
farmer at Greencastle, and who dad
left her home, week before, ostensibly
to visit friend in Indianapolis.
Through telegraph operator at
Greencastle, it was next developed that
the murdered girl had become involved
with Scott Jackson, a well-known
young man of Greencastle, and at that
time student in the dental college at
Cincinnati. Jackson was arrested,
and made statement, admitting his
knowledge of the murder and implicat- !
ing Alonzo Walling, fellow-student
at the college. The latter was also ar
rested.
Further developments tended to show
that the victim had been betrayed by
jackson, and that the latter had delib-
erately concocted scheme of putting
her out Of the way, by giving her poison,
cutting off her head and burying ii
where 1t would never be discovered, 10
the expectation that the identity Of the
dismembered body would never be re-
vealed.
1t was at first question whether the |
murder had taken place on the Ohio or
Kentucky side Of the river, but finally
o hackman WAS found who had driven |
the trio across the Ohio ON the night OF |
the tragedy.
Jackson and Walling were put on
trial for their lives, and although the
evidence was purely circumstantial and
they were ably defended, they were
found guilty and sentenced to death.
Up to this writing, all efforts to induce
the condemned men to indicate the |
place where the head is buried, or the |
point where it was thrown into the |
Ohio river, have been unavaiing.
Governor Bradley has been deluged |
with personal and written appeals Ia |
behalf Of the mnrdeyers, both OF whom |
are between twenty and twenty
one years of age. The prison.
ers have been confined in the Jail |
at Alexandria, but under the ruling of
the trial Judge, the execution was set |
for the jail yard IN Newport.
The gallows was erected, yesterday, |
Ii an enclosure OF brick. forty-eight |
feet square and tweDiy'six feet high. |