The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-21
BOTH WERE HANGED


as DelOn g1nS 10 rear bryan, Nne OduBnIcf
of Mr.. A. S. Bryan, a well TO do farmer,
living near Greencastle.
This identification of the girl was
brought about by Sheriff julie Plummer,
of Campbell county, KY, who had fol-
lowed the slender clues furnished by the
shoe and garment to a successful issue.
This discovery also identified Scott Jack
son and Alonzo NJ. Walling as the per-
petrators of the crime. These young
men were room-mates and fellow students
in the Dental College at Cincinnati. Scott
Jackson spent several months Of the sum-
mer and early autumn of 1895 at Green
castle, Ind, as u member OF the family
of his brothcr-in-law, Dr. Edwin +. Post,
a professor in the Depauw University.
There he became acquainted with Will
Wood a lad twenty years DID, the son of
Rev. Delos NJ. Wood, presiding elder Of
the Methodist Episcopal church, residing
at Greencastle. Though Will Wood, who
was q second cousin to Pearl Bryan, he
obtained an introduction to her and visit
ed her frequently. She was a graduate
of the Greencastle High School, was
vivaciols, pretty. fond of society and
very popular. Jackson when absent
kept up a correspondence with her, which
was continued until within 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 by
which these letters were passed to their
destination. Jackson's last visit to
Greencastle was in the holidays of
1896. A few persons at Greencastle,
confidants of Jackson, knew that Pearl
Bryan was in delicate situation To
one of these DR.. Gillespie, a dentist with
whom Jackson had worked, also a rela-
tive of Pearl Bryan, Jackson admitted
that he was the author of Pearl Bryan's
trouble Gallespie during the holiday
vacation advised Jackson to marry her.
He said that he would not do anything
Of the kind There were others who
knew about this affair, among them Will
Wood and Mr.. Early. u telegraph opera
tor at Greencastle. Through Will Wood
some time in December, 1895, Jackson
had sent Pearl Bryan a letter containing
a prescription of ergot of rye and other
ingredients intended to produce an abor-
tion. The girl never got it filled. Jack
son visited her in the vacation and des-
troyed the letter and prescription.
Meantime Jackson and Walling We're
arrested in Cincinnati, in their posses
sion were found letters chiefly from Will
Wood to- Jackson in regard to Pearl
Bryan Pearl Bryan's pocketbood and
her valise, which was stained with blood,
were found where Jackson had secreted
them. Walling's pantaloons were taken
from his locker at the Dental College
and they were muddy and spotted with
blood. Jackson's coat fecked all over
with blood was fished out of a sewer
in which it was found by Walling's direc-
ton.
In JacksOn's pocket were q half dozen
handkerchief which were afterwards
identified as the property of Pearl Bryan.
In the examination by Chief Deitch the
prisoners admitted that Pearl Bryan
had come here Monday, January 9th,
and that both of them had been with her
until Wednesday afternoon after which
each charged the other of having her in
his care and each declared that he had
seen nothing of her afterwards. Both
admitted that on the Saturday night fol
lowing the murder they had gone to the
Suspension bridge on the river and drop
ped her bloody clothing in the river to
hide it and to conceal the crime. On
Friday might at seven O'Clock Jackson
was seen to leave Dave WalGngford
saloon in the tenderloin district with
Pearl Bryan in hack and at the same
time Walling was seen near the saloon.
On Thursday afternoon before the muir
der Walling was seen with Pearl Bryan
at Central Union Station where he de-
Gained her until the last train that could
take her to Greeneastle had gone.
Two weeks after the murder George
ii. Jackson, colored, admitted to the
police that he had driven two men in IL
rocwaway by a circuit0us route to Port
Thomas where the murder was commit
ted. George Jackson was taken to the
Jail, and there he picked out Walling
from among IA score of young men as the
man who sat by him and compelled him
to make that drive beyond Newport when
he had tried to get out Of the carriage.
because when employed he was told he
was only going to Newport. One day
later II livery stable keeper informed
the police that he had hired a one-seated
rockaway and horse to some one I'M
known to him, and that it had been kept
out all night and returned between ; and
1 o'clock on the morning on which the
cUEpSe VI Il tdEI bryan WAS ulSCOFeIcu.
With this evidence Jackson was tried at
Newport and found guilty and sentenced
to be hanged. His trial continued from
April Dist to May 18th. He was ably
defended by Col. l.. J. Crawford, while
the prosecution was assisted by r. W.
Nelson, of Newport, and Silas Hayes, of
Greencastle. On May %, Walling's
trial began, and ON June Is he was found
guilty of murder and sentenced to die
Since that time Walling and Jackson
have remained in the Covington Jail,
which is more secure than the Newport
Jail. Every means in the power of the
friends of these two men was exhausted
to save them from their fate without
success.
Scott Jackson is twentyeight years old,
five feet six inches high, of blonde COM
plexion and wiry figure. His eyes are
cold grey steel. They glitter but lack
depth. His head is said to resemble that
of Holmes, the murderer. He crossed the
ocean fourteen times when a lad with his
father, a sea captain. While living with
his mother in Jersey CITY, he turned